ALGERIA

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ALGERIA
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ALGERIA

• Northern Algeria stretches along the
  Mediterranean Sea. The country's narrow
  Mediterranean region has a warm climate and rich
  farmland. Almost all Algerians live in this
  region. Algiers, the country's capital and
  largest city, lies on the Mediterranean. To the
  south, the sun-scorched wastes of the Sahara
  cover more than four-fifths of Algeria. Beneath
  the surface of this desert area lie huge deposits
  of natural gas and petroleum.

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ALGERIA

• Most Algerians are of mixed Arab and Berber
  descent. However, the people form two distinct
  cultural groupsArab and Berber. Each group has
  its own customs and language. But nearly all
  Algerians are Muslimsthat is, followers of
  Islam.

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ALGERIA

• Ancestry. Most of Algeria's people are of mixed
  Arab and Berber ancestry. Berbers lived in what
  is now Algeria at least 5,000 years ago. Arabs
  began to arrive from the Arabian Peninsula during
  the A.D. 600's. Through the years, so many Arabs
  and Berbers intermarried that it is now difficult
  to separate the groups by ancestry. However, many
  Berbers in the country still maintain their own
  language and culture. Less than 1 percent of the
  people are of European descent.

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ALGERIA

• For about 130 years, Algeria belonged to France.
  In 1962, it gained independence following a
  bloody revolution. Algerians then formed a
  socialist government that began a program of
  rapid industrial development. The program has
  been financed chiefly by income from Algeria's
  government-owned natural gas and petroleum
  industries. But industry has not grown fast
  enough to eliminate poverty and widespread
  unemployment.

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ALGERIA

• Way of life. Since Algeria gained its
  independence from France in 1962, the government
  has worked to rid the country of French cultural
  influences. For example, it requires that legal
  proceedings be in Arabic rather than French.
  Arabic has also replaced French as the language
  used to teach the country's elementary and high
  school students. Many Algerians have called for
  stricter observance of Islamic teachings, which
  regulate family and community relationships and
  many other aspects of daily life.

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ALGERIA

• Rural life. Rural Algerians typically live in
  large family groups made up of several
  generations. Most houses are built of stone or
  concrete or of sun-dried bricks made of mud and
  straw. Most also have flat tile or tin roofs. The
  majority of rural Algerians make a living raising
  livestock or farming small plots.

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ALGERIA

• City life. The architecture of Algeria's larger
  cities reflects Islamic and European influences.
  Mosques (Islamic houses of worship) and open-air
  markets are common. Older sections of the cities
  are called casbahs. In these sections, shops and
  houses are crowded along narrow streets. Newer
  sections have broad boulevards and tall office
  and apartment buildings.

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ALGERIA

• In Algeria's cities, many men work in factories
  or offices. The typical household consists of
  only a father and mother and their children. City
  people have much more contact with Western ideas
  than do rural Algerians. As a result, some city
  dwellers follow Western customs.

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ALGERIA

• Since Algeria gained independence, many poor
  rural people have moved to cities to seek factory
  work. But many of them have not been able to find
  jobs. The migration and a severe housing shortage
  have resulted in the growth of large slums in
  many Algerian cities.

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ALGERIA

• Clothing. Many Algerians, especially in rural
  areas, wear traditional clothing. A woman may
  wear a long, white cotton outer garment called a
  haik. It covers the head and the lower part of
  the face and extends down as far as the feet.
  Traditional clothing for men includes a long,
  hooded cloak called a burnoose. Many people in
  urban areas wear clothing similar to that worn by
  North Americans and Europeans.

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ALGERIA

• Foods made from such grains as wheat and barley
  form the chief part of the diet of most
  Algerians. The national dish is couscous. It
  consists of steamed wheat served with meat,
  vegetables, and a souplike sauce. Many city
  dwellers eat dishes similar to those eaten by
  North Americans and Europeans.

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ALGERIA

• Recreation. Soccer is the most popular sport in
  Algeria. Many Algerians enjoy playing the game or
  watching soccer matches. A favorite pastime in
  cities is going to motion pictures. Algerians
  celebrate several national holidays, including
  their country's independence day on July 5. They
  also enjoy a number of religious festivals.

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ALGERIA

• Religion. The Constitution of Algeria declares
  Islam to be the country's official religion.
  About 99 percent of the people are Muslims, but
  they do not all agree about the role that Islam
  should play in the country's political and social
  life.

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ALGERIA

• Education. More than half of all Algerians aged
  15 or older can read and write. Algerian law
  requires all children from 6 to 15 years old to
  attend school. More than 90 percent of all
  children attend elementary school. However, only
  about a third of them go on to high school. The
  University of Algiers is the country's largest
  university.

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ALGERIA

• Algiers, the capital and largest city of
  Algeria, is often called Algiers the White
  because of its many white buildings. The city has
  an excellent harbor on the Mediterranean Sea.
  Most Algerians live in cities in the country's
  narrow Mediterranean coastal region.