ALGERIA

ALGERIA

• Algeria is located in Northwest Africa between the Mediterranean Sea and into the Sahara desert Algiers is the capital of Algeria.

• Algeria’s neighbors are Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Tunisia.• Algeria’s land area is 919,595 square miles and 2,381,740 square kilometers.• It is almost 1/3 the size of the United States• It is Africa’s 2nd largest country

Al Jazair is the Arab name for Algeria

Interesting History of Algeria

• Because Algeria is located near Europe, it was frequently invaded. For centuries they were governed by Spanish, Turkish, and French rulers.

• A revolution of nationalists called the National Liberation Front used terrorist tactics to win Algeria’s independence from France in 1962.

Algeria’s Flag

The green color in the flag, and the crescent and star, are symbols in Islam, which is the major religion in Algeria.

The flag was adopted on July 3, 1962, after Algeria became independent from France.

Ethnicity•Most Europeans left Algeria in 1962. 99% of the people are Arab-Berbers. 75% of the people live in cities along the coast where conditions are crowded. Six Algerian families live where one French family used to reside.

The official language is Arabic and the chief religion is Sunni Muslim.

People

• 50% of Algerians are literate, most of them are men because Muslims do not believe in educating women.

• Some Algerians are nomads who wander through the desert with their families, camels, and other animals.

• 25% of Algerians are living at the poverty level. 30% of Algerians are unemployed.

• Most people find pleasure in simple activities like eating with friends or playing sports.

People

Currency (code): Algerian dinar (DZD)

Exchange rates: Algerian dinars per US dollar - 69.9 (2007)

McDonald’s Happy Meal in American dollars= $3.50 and a Happy Meal in Algerian dinar’s would cost 244.65 dinars

FOOD

• Algerians eat couscous, a type of pasta, lamb, chicken, and vegetable stews. Their pastries are well-known, as well as crusty breads.

• They cook with a lot of spices like coriander, ginger, hot pepper, cumin, mint, garlic, and cinnamon.

DRESS

• People in the city wear Western style clothes. Men wear business suits with hats called a “fez.” Women wear dresses, but must cover their faces with a veil.

• Berber women wear blouses, skirts, & shawls with flower patterns. Berber women do not wear veils. Berber men wear a long robe called a bernous.

Fun Facts

• Algeria’s weekend is not like ours; they relax on Thursday and the Muslim Sabbath, which is on Fridays.

Fun Fact• An Arab person’s name is

complicated. It includes the individual’s name, her father’s name, her grandfather’s name, and her family’s surname.– Nura bin Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Fulani

• Nura is the girl’s name• Bin Ahmed is her father’s name• bin Saleh is her grandfather’s name• Al-Fulani is their last name

• What would your name be in Arab???– Teresa bin Richard bin Paul Al-

Bender

Works Cited

“Africa in Pictures.” Google Images. 2008. 28 Oct. 2008 http://google.com.

“Algeria.” ProQuest. Feb. 2008. SIRS Discoverer. Faust Junior High School

Library, Chambersburg, PA. 28 Oct. 2008 <http://discoverer.prod.sirs.com>.

“Algeria.” World Factbook. 2008. Central Intelligence Agency. 31 Oct. 2008

<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-Smith, Henry.

“Algeria.”The World Book Encyclopedia of People and Places. 1998 ed.