Many people know about Algeria only that it is a state in Africa. Indeed, not many tourists visit this country, but you can tell a lot about it and dispel some speculation. Sometimes they are even interested in which country Algeria belongs to. But it is an independent state with its own history and culture. What is interesting about Algeria? Which country on the African continent was named the People's Democratic Republic of Algiers?
Government
In Arabic, the country of Algeria sounds like "el-jazir", which means "islands". The state got its name due to the cluster of islands near the coastline. The capital of the country Algiers is a city with the same name. This state in Africa is a unitary republic headed by a president. He is elected for a term of 5 years, the number of terms is unlimited. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral Parliament. Algeria is divided into 48 wilay - provinces, 553 districts (diara), 1541 communes (baladiya). November 1, Algerians celebrate a national holiday - Revolution Day.
Geography andnature
The country of Algeria covers a large area. It is the largest country in Africa. Its area is 2.3 million km2. Algeria neighbors Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. To the north is the Mediterranean Sea. About 80% of the entire state is occupied by the Sahara. On its area there are both sandy and stone deserts.
In the south-east of the country is its highest point - Mount Tahat, 2906 m high. On the vast area of the Sahara there is a large s alt lake, it is called Chott-Melgir and is located in the north of the Algerian part of the desert. There are also rivers in the state of Algeria, but almost all of them are temporary, they exist only during the rainy season.
The largest river (700 km long) is the Sheliff River. The rivers of the northern part of the country flow into the Mediterranean Sea, and the rest disappear into the sands of the Sahara.
The vegetation of northern Algeria is typically Mediterranean, dominated by cork oak, in the semi-deserts - alpha grass. In arid zones, very small areas have vegetation.
Population and language
Algeria has more than 38 million people. The bulk, 83% of all residents, are Arabs. 16% - Berbers, descendants of the ancient population of Algeria, which consist of several tribes. Another 1% is occupied by representatives of other nationalities, mostly French. The state religion in Algeria is Islam, the main population is predominantly Sunni.
The state language in the country is one - Arabic, although French is no less popular. About 75% of the population are fluent in it. There are also Berber dialects. Despite the large area of the country, the main population of the country of Algeria, more than 95%, is concentrated in the north, on a narrow coastal strip and the Kabylia massif. More than half of the population lives in cities - 56%. Literacy among men reaches 79%, while among women it is only 60%. Algerian Arabs live in large communities in France, Belgium and the US.
History
On the territory of modern Algeria in the 12th century BC. e. Phoenician tribes appeared. In the 3rd century, the state of Numidia was formed. The ruler of this country got involved in a war against Rome, but was defeated. Its territories became part of the Roman possessions. In the 7th century, the Arabs invaded here and lived for a long time. At the beginning of the 16th century, Algeria came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. But it was difficult to manage it because of the geographical location. As a result, France captured this African country, and since 1834 the country of Algiers became a French colony. The state began to look like a European one. The French built entire cities, and much attention was paid to agriculture. But the indigenous population could not come to terms with the colonialists. The national liberation war lasted for several years. And in 1962 Algeria became independent. Most of the French then left Africa. For about 20 years, the government tried to build socialism, but as a result of coups, Islamic fundamentalists came to power. Armed confrontation continues to this day. The situation in the country is extremely unstable.
Economy
- Moneythe state unit is the Algerian dinar.
- The basis of the economy is oil and gas production - about 95% of all exports. Algeria also produces copper, iron, zinc, mercury and phosphates.
- Agriculture occupies a smaller volume in the structure of the economy, but it is quite diverse. Growing cereals, grapes, citrus fruits. Wine is produced for export. Algeria is the largest exporter of pistachios. Alpha grass is harvested and processed in the semi-desert, from which paper of excellent quality is subsequently obtained.
- In animal husbandry, people specialize in raising cattle, as well as goats and sheep.
- The coastal part is fished.
Culture
The capital of the country Algeria is the oldest and most beautiful city located in the bay with the same name. All buildings are made of light building material, which gives a special festive look to the city. Here you can see both strange narrow streets with low houses and beautiful mosques in oriental style. Among them, buildings of the 17th century stand out - the tomb of Sidd Abdarrahman and the Jami al-Jadid mosque. The modern part of the city is dominated by new buildings - offices, tall administrative buildings.
Transportation
- Algeria is one of the leaders among African states in the development of transport links.
- There are many roads, about 105 thousand km. They are indispensable for communication between cities.
- The country's railways reached 5thousand km.
- 70% of all international transport takes place with the help of water transport. This gives the right to call Algeria the main water power in Africa.
- Air traffic is also developed. The country of the world, Algeria, has 136 airfields, of which 51 are concrete paved. The largest and most important airfield - Dar el-Beida - carries out both domestic flights and flights to Europe, Asia, Africa, North America. 39 international destinations in total.
Kitchen
Algerian cuisine is part of a large complex of Mighribian culinary traditions. Many similar dishes can be found in neighboring Tunisia. Dishes made from Mediterranean products are very popular. For cooking often use fresh fruits and vegetables, olives. Camel steak is a traditional Berber dish. Alcohol is prohibited in Muslim Algeria. Here it is customary to drink sweet green tea with nuts, mint or almonds. Fans of invigorating drinks prefer strong "Arabic" coffee.
Shopping
Shopping in Algeria has its own characteristics, or rather, the opening hours of stores. For Europeans, it is not quite familiar. The fact is that the inhabitants of Algeria, as a Muslim state, take a two-hour break for a siesta during work. This also applies to stores that operate in two stages: morning - from 8:00 to 12:00, and afternoon - from 14:00 to 18:00. This does not apply to gift shops. They work "until the last visitor". Products in supermarkets can be bought from early morning until late at night. Tourists can bring various souvenirs from this African country: wood, leather and uniforms, copper coins, Berber carpets, silver jewelry or mats with Berber motifs.
Tourist Safety
Algeria is a developing country, tourism is not given special attention, and some cities are even considered potentially dangerous for tourists. Visiting them is strongly discouraged. Although there is no official ban. There have been cases of kidnapping of tourists. At the same time, the north of the country is considered absolutely safe. It is worth going to the Sahara only in an organized group, with a local guide. Excursions and tours must be booked only from official tour operators.
Highlights
- Personal jewelry - items made of gold, silver and platinum - must be declared to customs when entering the country.
- No more than 1 block of cigarettes or 50 cigars, 2 liters of low-alcohol drinks (less than 22º), and 1 liter of strong alcoholic drinks (more than 22º) can be imported into Algeria without duty.
- If the passport has a mark on crossing the Israeli border, then entry into Algeria is prohibited.
- Sometimes ATMs ask you to enter a 6-digit pin code. In this case, you need to enter the first two zeros.
- Photographing the local population is not recommended. It is considered indecent.
- Use only bottled water.
- The coast is comfortable to visit throughout the year, although the country of Algiers is not exactly a beach resort, there are no good hotels.
- There are a huge number of Phoenician, Roman and Byzantine ruins on the territory of the state.
- On a cliff, 124 meters above sea level, is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Africa.
Above the entrance there is an inscription in French - "Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims." This is the only place in the world where the Catholic religion mentions the Muslim one.
