Country Profile · No. 1
Algeria
YouTube Reference: Geography Now! Algeria -Opens in a new tab- Capital / Admin Capital
- AlgiersPopulation: ~46.7MIndependence: 1962 (July 5)
- First President
- Ahmed Ben Bella (1963–1965)Current President: Abdelmadjid Tebboune (serving since December 2019)
- Geography & Borders
- Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Mediterranean Sea. Largest country in Africa by area.
- Demographics & Language
- Islam (Sunni, ~99%). Official: Arabic, Berber languages. Other: French. Major groups: Arab-Berber (~99%+).
- Economy & GDP
- Petroleum, natural gas, mining, agriculture (wheat, barley, olives), manufacturing.
- Global Diaspora
- 1. France (~1.7M–3M), 2. Spain (~65k), 3. Canada (~55k). 4. United States (~20–30k). U.S. Hubs (States / Cities): California (Los Angeles), New York (New York City), Texas (Houston).
- Major Conflicts
- Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962), Algerian Civil War (1991–2002), Sand War (1963), Islamic insurgency in Algeria (2002–present).
- 3 Must-See Sites
- 1. Tassili n'Ajjer (Vast national park famous for prehistoric rock art and dramatic sandstone arches), 2. Casbah of Algiers (Historic citadel and winding traditional medina overlooking the Mediterranean), 3. El Djem Roman Amphitheatre (Remarkably preserved ancient Roman ruins nearby, or alternatively the Roman ruins of Timgad).
- Quick Facts
- Home to the massive Sahara Desert covering over 80% of its landmass; historically renowned for the ancient Numidian Kingdom; major global exporter of natural hydrocarbons.