Algeria

Geography

Situated in North Africa, between Morocco and Tunisia, by a surface of 2381741km ², Algeria offer a diversified relief. Of the North in the South succeed one another several natural regions: a narrow coastal plain separates the Mediterranean Sea from the mountains of the tellien Atlas; a zone of high trays cut by chotts "sometimes deep depressions" is overhung by the Saharan Atlas, formed by a succession of sometimes raised"sometimes brought up" mountains "2328m in Aurès" which opens on the desert of Sahara, surface of 2 million km ².

In the Southeast, finally raises itself the massif of Hoggar, among which the summit, the mountain Tahat, achieves 2918m. The climate is Mediterranean in plain, colder and sprayed in mountain with sometimes with some snow in winter, semi-arid on trays.

Population

The Berbers, the first occupiers of the Algerian territory, establish 20 % of the population and are installed for the greater part in the mountainous zones. The remaining 80 % are of Arabic origin, descendants of the populations installed since VIII ° century in Algeria.

The population counts 99,9 % of Moslems, mainly Sunni, and 0,1 % of Christians. In Mzab, we find a kharidjite community important "the kharidjisme is a particular shape of the Islam, which developed in VIII ° century against the Sunni theology and the caliphs"

The population growth tends to slow down, but the natural increase is still 2,3 % a year; the population is thus very young: 50 % are less than 20 years old. 90 % of the population concentrate in the North, where are situated the main cities: Algiers, the capital, one of the biggest ports and one of the most important industrial cities of the Mediterranean Sea; Oran, the second commercial harbour and the active industrial area; Constantine, a big industrial area.

History

The Berbers are the first occupiers identified by the Algerian territory. In the middle of VII ° century, the Arabs propagate the Moslem religion; Algeria is then integrated into the Moslem empire, in spite of the resistance of the Berbers who form independent realms and choose to practise the Islam differently, by creating the kharidjisme. To defend, the coastal cities take place under the protection of the Ottoman Turkish empire; in 1541, the Spaniards are definitively chased away.

The French dominion begins in 1830. In 1870, Algeria becomes a French colony. In the 1920s, Algerian intellectuals begin to dispute the colonization.

In 1954, nationalists the Forehead "Front of National Liberation" (FLN) and activate the armed struggle. After a repression of the "events", the general de Gaulle makes a commitment in negotiations with the FLN, to whom oppose colonists and French servicemen by creating the Organization of the Secret Army "OAS", which fights for French Algeria by the terrorism.

The FLN and the French government sign in 1962 the agreements of Evian: the independence of Algeria is proclaimed. Algeria is a presidential republic. The Islam is state religion. The president is elected for 5 years in the universal suffrage.

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