Algeria
Africa · Northern Africa
Overview
Algeria lies in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast, covering an area of about 2,382,000 square kilometers, making it the largest country in Africa. About 80 percent of the country is covered by the Sahara Desert, and most of the population lives in the northern coastal strip. Algeria was a French colony until 1962, and the war of independence (1954-1962) is estimated to have cost around one and a half million Algerian lives, a historical event that remains a defining part of national identity. The official languages are Arabic and Berber, and a significant portion of the population also speaks French, a legacy of the colonial period.
Algiers, the capital, is home to the Casbah, its old town, whose narrow, labyrinthine streets preserve the legacy of Ottoman and Moorish architecture, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992. Timgad, a Roman city founded by Emperor Trajan around 100 AD on the edge of the Sahara, survives in exceptionally good condition, its layout a textbook example of classical Roman urban planning, and is also UNESCO-protected. Djémila, another Roman ruined city in the mountainous Kabylie region, preserves temples, a forum, and basilicas. The Tassili n'Ajjer, in the southern Sahara, is known for rock art thousands of years old, documenting the region's formerly wetter climate before it became the arid landscape it is today.
The Hoggar Mountains, in the southern Sahara, feature volcanic rock formations and clear skies well suited to stargazing, with sunsets from the Assekrem plateau particularly well known. The Sahara's oases, such as Ghardaïa and Timimoun, showcase centuries of adaptation to desert life through traditional M'zab architecture and palm groves. Djurdjura National Park, in the Kabylie mountains, offers Berber villages and mountain hiking trails, where Berber (Amazigh) culture and language remain a living tradition. Local cuisine is built around couscous, served with vegetables, lamb, or chicken, along with chorba, a spiced soup traditionally eaten to break the fast during Ramadan.
Map
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Browse all UNESCO sites →Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad
In a mountainous site of extraordinary beauty, the ruins of the first capital of the Hammadid emirs, founded in 1007 and demolished in 1152, provide an authentic picture of a fortified Muslim city. The mosque, whose prayer room has 13 aisles with eight bays, is one of the largest in Algeria.
Djémila
Situated 900 m above sea-level, Djémila, or Cuicul, with its forum, temples, basilicas, triumphal arches and houses, is an interesting example of Roman town planning adapted to a mountain location.
Tassili n'Ajjer
Located in a strange lunar landscape of great geological interest, this site has one of the most important groupings of prehistoric cave art in the world. More than 15,000 drawings and engravings record the climatic changes, the animal migrations and the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara from 6000 BC to the first centuries of the present era. The geological formations are of outstanding scenic interest, with eroded sandstones forming ‘forests of rock’.
M'Zab Valley
A traditional human habitat, created in the 10th century by the Ibadites around their five ksour (fortified cities), has been preserved intact in the M’Zab valley. Simple, functional and perfectly adapted to the environment, the architecture of M’Zab was designed for community living, while respecting the structure of the family. It is a source of inspiration for today’s urban planners.
Timgad
Timgad lies on the northern slopes of the Aurès mountains and was created ex nihilo as a military colony by the Emperor Trajan in AD 100. With its square enclosure and orthogonal design based on the cardo and decumanus, the two perpendicular routes running through the city, it is an excellent example of Roman town planning.
Tipasa
On the shores of the Mediterranean, Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome and turned into a strategic base for the conquest of the kingdoms of Mauritania. It comprises a unique group of Phoenician, Roman, palaeochristian and Byzantine ruins alongside indigenous monuments such as the Kbor er Roumia, the great royal mausoleum of Mauretania.
Kasbah of Algiers
The Kasbah is a unique kind of medina, or Islamic city. It stands in one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean, overlooking the islands where a Carthaginian trading-post was established in the 4th century BC. There are the remains of the citadel, old mosques and Ottoman-style palaces as well as the remains of a traditional urban structure associated with a deep-rooted sense of community.
Data: UNESCO WHC · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Algeria?
The capital of Algeria is Algiers.
What is the area of Algeria?
The area of Algeria is 2,381,741 km².
What is the population of Algeria?
The population of Algeria is 46,814,308.
What is the currency of Algeria?
The currency of Algeria is Algerian dinar (DZD).
What is the official language of Algeria?
The official language of Algeria: Arabic.
What side of the road does Algeria drive on?
Algeria: Right-hand traffic.
Is Algeria a member of the United Nations?
Yes, Algeria is a member of the United Nations.