Algeria

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria

République algérienne démocratique et populaire (French)

الجمهورية الجزائرية الديمقراطية الشعبية (Arabic)

Jumhūrīyah al-Jazā'riya ad-Dīmuqrāṭīyah ash-Sha'bīyah

ⵜⴰⴳⴷⵓⴷⴰ ⵜⴰⴷⵣⴰⵢⵔⵉⵜ ⵜⴰⵎⴰⴳⴷⴰⵢⵜ ⵜⴰⵖⴻⵔⴼⴰⵏⵜ (Berber)

Tagduda Tadzayrit Tamagdayt Taɣerfant

3.2% Tuareg

1.8% French

7.1% Other

2.6% Catholic

1.5% Other

**Algeria**, (French*: Algérie*; Arabic*:* الجزائر *'al-Jazā'ir*; Berber: ⵍⴻⵣⵣⴰⵢⴻⵔ *Lezzayer*), officially the **People's Democratic Republic of Algeria**, is a country lovated in Northern Africa, bordered by Morocco, Mauritania, Issaberi and Tamazgha. It has one of the highest human development index scores on the African continent and one of the largest economies on the continent, based largely on energy exports.

## History

From their principal center of power at Carthage, the Carthaginians expanded and established small settlements along the North African coast; by 600 BC, a Phoenician presence existed at Tipasa, east of Cherchell, Hippo Regius (modern Annaba) and Rusicade (modern Skikda). These settlements served as market towns as well as anchorages.

As Carthaginian power grew, its impact on the indigenous population increased dramatically. Berber civilisation was already at a stage in which agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and political organisation supported several states. Trade links between Carthage and the Berbers in the interior grew, but territorial expansion also resulted in the enslavement or military recruitment of some Berbers and in the extraction of tribute from others.

By the early 4th century BC, Berbers comprised the largest element in the army of Carthage. In the Revolt of the Mercenaries, Berber soldiers rebelled from 241 to 238 BC after being unpaid following the defeat of Carthage in the First Punic War. They succeeded in obtaining control of much of Carthage's North African territory, and they minted coins bearing the name Libyan, used in Greek to describe natives of North Africa. The Carthaginian state declined because of successive defeats by the Romans in the Punic Wars.

In 146 BC Carthage was destroyed, and as Carthaginian power waned, the influence of Berber leaders in the hinterland grew. By the 2nd century BC, several large but loosely administered Berber kingdoms had emerged. Two of them were established in Numidia, behind the coastal areas controlled by Carthage. West of Numidia lay Mauretania, which extended across the Moulouya River in modern-day Morocco to the Atlantic Ocean. The high point of Berber civilization, unequaled until the coming of the Almohads and Almoravids more than a millennium later, was reached during the reign of Masinissa in the 2nd century BC. Masinissa's line survived until 24 AD, when the remaining Berber territory was annexed to the Roman Empire.

For several centuries Algeria was ruled by the Romans, who founded many colonies in the region. Like the rest of North Africa, Algeria was one of the breadbaskets of the empire, exporting cereals and other agricultural products. Saint Augustine was the bishop of Hippo Regius (modern-day Annaba), located in the Roman province of Africa. The Germanic Vandals moved into North Africa in 429, and by 435 controlled coastal Numidia. They did not make any significant settlement on the land, as they were frequently attacked by the native Berbers. In fact, by the time the Byzantines arrived Leptis Magna was abandoned and the area was under Berber occupation.

After negligible resistance from the locals, Muslim Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate conquered Algeria in the early 8th century. Large numbers of the indigenous Berber people converted to Islam. Christians, Berber and Latin speakers remained in the great majority until the end of the 9th century and Muslims only became a vast majority some time in the 10th. After the fall of the Umayyad Caliphate, numerous local dynasties emerged, including the Aghlabids, Almohads, Abdalwadid, Zirids, Rustamids, Hammadids, Almoravids and the Fatimids. The Christians left in three waves: after the initial conquest, in the 10th century and the 11th. The last were evacuated to Sicily by the Normans and the few remaining often faced persecution.

In the Middle Ages, North Africa was home to many great scholars, saints and sovereigns including Judah Ibn Quraysh, the first grammarian to mention Semitic and Berber languages, the great Sufi masters Sidi Boumediene (Abu Madyan) and Sidi El Houari, and the Emirs Abd Al Mu'min and Yāghmūrasen. It was during this time that the Fatimids or children of Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, came to the Maghreb. These "Fatimids" went on to found a long lasting dynasty stretching across the Maghreb, Hejaz and the Levant, boasting a secular government, as well as a powerful army and navy, made up primarily of Arabs and Levantines extending from Algeria to their capital state of Cairo.

By the turn of the 13th century the Arabs were in all of North Africa, with the exception of the main mountain ranges and certain coastal regions which remained entirely Berber. The influx of Bedouin tribes was a major factor in the linguistic, cultural Islamization of the Maghreb and in the spread of nomadism in areas where agriculture had previously been dominant.

In the early 16th century, Spain constructed fortified outposts on the Algerian coast. Spain took control of few coastal towns like Mers el Kebir in 1505, Oran in 150, and Tlemcen, Mostaganem and Ténès in 1510. In the same year, a few merchants of Algiers ceded one of the rocky islets in their harbour to Spain, which built a fort on it. The presidios in North Africa turned out to be a costly and largely ineffective military endeavour that did not guarantee access for Spain's merchant fleet.

Algeria was partially ruled by Ottomans for three centuries from 1516 to 1830. In 1516 the Turkish privateer brothers Aruj and Hayreddin Barbarossa, who operated successfully under the Hafsids, moved their base of operations to Algiers. They succeeded in conquering Jijel and Algiers from the Spaniards but eventually assumed control over the city and the surrounding region, forcing the previous ruler, Abu Hamo Musa III of the Bani Ziyad dynasty, to flee. When Aruj was killed in 1518 during his invasion of Tlemcen, Hayreddin succeeded him as military commander of Algiers. The Ottoman sultan gave him the title of commander-in-chief, and a contingent of some 2,000 janissaries. With the aid of this force, Hayreddin conquered the whole area between Constantine and Oran (although the city of Oran remained in Spanish hands until 1792).

Barbary raiders, starting in the 1500’s to the 1700’s, continued to the attack Spanish merchant shipping, and as a result, the Spanish Navy bombarded Algiers in 1783 and 1784. For the attack in 1784, the Spanish fleet was to be joined by ships from such traditional enemies of Algiers as Naples, Portugal and the Knights of Malta. Over 20,000 cannonballs were fired, much of the city and its fortifications were destroyed and most of the Algerian fleet was sunk.

Under the pretext of a slight to their consul, the French invaded and captured Algiers in 1830. The Algerian population, which stood at about 4.3 million in 1872, reached nearly 15 million in 1960. French policy was predicated on "civilizing" the country. The slave trade and piracy in Algeria ceased following the French conquest. The conquest of Algeria by the French took some time and resulted in considerable bloodshed.

From 1848 until independence, France administered the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria as an integral part and *département* of the nation. One of France's longest-held overseas territories, Algeria became a destination for hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, who became known as *Pied-Noirs* (French: *Black-footed*)*.* These settlers benefited from the French government's confiscation of communal land from tribal peoples, and the application of modern agricultural techniques that increased the amount of arable land. Many Europeans settled in Oran and Algiers, and by the early 20th century they formed a majority of the population in both cities. The French government aimed at making Algeria an assimilated part of France, and this included substantial educational investments especially after 1900.

Gradually, dissatisfaction among the Muslim population, which lacked political and economic status in the colonial system, gave rise to demands for greater political autonomy and eventually independence from France. In May 1945, the uprising against the occupying French forces was suppressed through what is now known as the Sétif and Guelma massacre. Tensions between the two population groups came to a head in 1954, when the first violent events of what was later called the Algerian War began. Historians have estimated that between 30,000 and 150,000 fighters and their dependants were killed by the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) or by lynch mobs in Algeria.

The war led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Algerians and hundreds of thousands of injuries. Historians, like Alistair Horne and Raymond Aron, state that the actual number of Algerian Muslim war dead was far greater than the original FLN and official French estimates but was less than the 1 million deaths claimed by the Algerian government after independence. Horne estimated Algerian casualties during the span of eight years to be around 700,000. The war uprooted more than 2 million Algerians. The war against French rule concluded in 1962, when Algeria gained complete independence following the March 1962 Evian agreements and the July 1962 self-determination referendum. Some estimates put the Algerian death toll during the French colonial rule at over 10 million, though almost all estimates are lower.

Algeria's first president was the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) leader Ahmed Ben Bella. Morocco's claim to portions of western Algeria led to the Sand War in 1963, which caused Ben Bella was overthrown in 1965 by Houari Boumédiène, his former ally and defence minister. Under Ben Bella, the government had become increasingly socialist and authoritarian, with Boumédienne continued this trend, relying too much on the armed forces, and reducing the only legal party to a purely symbolic icon. He collectivised agriculture and launched a massive industrialisation drive. Oil extraction facilities were nationalised, which led to be especially beneficial to the leadership after the international 1973 oil crisis.

In December 1991 the Islamic Salvation Front, a radical islamist party, dominated the first two rounds of the country's legislative elections.. Fearing the election of an Islamist government, the authorities intervened on 11 January 1992, cancelling the elections. Bendjedid resigned and a High Council of State was installed to act as the Presidency. It banned the FIS, triggering a civil insurgency between the Front's armed wing, the Armed Islamic Group, and the national armed forces, in which more than 100,000 people are thought to have died. The Armed Islamic Group declared a ceasefire in October 1997, and the war formally ended in 2002.

In 2010 and 2011, protests occured in Algeria, inspired by the Arab Spring protests that occurred thoughout the MENA region. Bouteflika's government enacted legislation which dealt with political parties, and women in the government. Further constitutional was promised in late 2011, but Bouteflika never acted on it, resulting in harassment of the political opposition. Bouteflika finally resigned in 2019, following protests about a potential fifth term. An 7.4 earthquake occured in July 17, 2022, near the city of Blida, which caused 5,391 deaths. An inadequate government response towards the victims of the earthquake prompted an investigation into Tebboune's government, which is still ongoing.

## Politics

The head of state is the President of Algeria, who is elected for a five-year term. The president was formerly limited to two five-year terms, but a constitutional amendment passed by the Parliament on 11 November 2008 removed this limitation. Until recently, elected officials actually have little sway over matters in the country, with most of that power being in the hands of an unelected council of civilians and military persons. This group had effectively stiffled Algeria's democracy, as they decide whom shall be head of state.

    Elections are held 5 years, with the most recent in 2019, and the next one scheduled to be in 2024. Many internation organizations have condemned these elections, and not a single election has been seen as "fair" or "free", as all elections since Algeria's independence have been interfered with to a degree by a governing party, or by the unelected "council" until recently. Abdelaziz Bouteflika ruled the country for 20 years, from 1999 until 2019, when he resigned due to mass protests.

The Algerian parliament is bicameral; the lower house, the People's National Assembly, has 462 members who are directly elected for five-year terms, while the upper house, the Council of the Nation, has 144 members serving six-year terms, of which 96 members are chosen by local assemblies and 48 are appointed by the president. According to the constitution, no political association may be formed if it is "based on differences in religion, language, race, gender, profession, or region", which essentially means that secessionist movements and ethnic parties are outlawed.

    The country is a federation, and contains 14 regions, including the Algier region which acts as the capital of the country, as well as a province. The regions are further divided into 58 smaller subdivisions known as provinces. These regions are based off of the country's historical regions for the most part, with the exception of Oasis and Ouled Nail. Each region's provinces were based off of the country's previous unitary system, which was adopted from it's independence to 2019.

The country's military consists of the People's National Army (PNA). It is the direct successor of the Armée de Libération Nationale (ALN), the armed wing of the nationalist National Liberation Front, which fought French colonial rule during the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962). The Algerian military elite has played a dominating role in Algerian politics ever since independence in 1962, when the army emerged as the only effective powerbroker in a shattered political landscape dominated by weak and competing political factions.

The country's military consists of the People's National Army (PNA) which is the country's land force, the Algerian National Navy (MRA), and the Algerian National Airforce (QJJ), as well as a regional airforce known as the Territorial Air Defence forces. It is thought that the country's military has 230,000 standing members, in addiction to 150,000 reserve members, and 200,000 more paramilitary staff. This makes it one of Africa's larger militaries, with over 580,000 total in the army. Total expenditure was 5% of the country's GDP, which is equivalent to $61 million.

## Geography & Nature

Algeria comprises 2,381,741 square kilometers of land, more than four-fifths of which is desert, in northern Africa, between Morocco and Tamazgha. It is the largest country in Africa. It has a long Mediterranean coastline. The northern portion, an area of mountains, valleys, and plateaus between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert, forms an integral part of the section of North Africa known as the Maghreb.

The country's coastline is dominated by the Tell Atlas, a mountain range that stretches over 1,500 kilometres (932 miles). The ranges of this system have an average elevations of about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and form a natural barrier between the Mediterranean and the Sahara. Its highest summit is the 2,308 m (7,572 ft) high Lalla Khedidja in the Jurjura Range. The Tell Atlas runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast. Together with the Saharan Atlas to the south, it forms the northernmost of two more or less parallel ranges which approach one another towards the east, remaining quite distinct from one another in western Algeria and merging in eastern Algeria. At the western end, it ends at the Rif and Middle Atlas ranges in Morocco. The Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas form two natural barriers, the first against the Mediterranean and the second against the Sahara.

Eastern Algeria consists of a massive area extensively dissected into mountains, plains, and basins. It differs from the western portion of the country in that its prominent topographic features do not parallel the coast. In its southern sector, the steep cliffs and long ridges of the Aurès Mountains create an almost impenetrable refuge that has played an important part in the history of the Maghrib since Roman times. Near the northern coast, the Petite Kabylie Mountains are separated from the Grande Kabylie range at the eastward limits of the Tell by the Soummam River. The coast is predominantly mountainous in the far eastern part of the country, but limited plains provide hinterlands for the port cities of Bejaïa, Skikda, and Annaba.

The Algerian portion of the Sahara extends south of the Saharan Atlas for 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) to the Niger and Mali frontiers. The largest such region is the Grand Erg Oriental (Great Eastern Erg), where enormous dunes two to five metres (6.6 to 16.4 ft) high are spaced about 40 metres (130 ft) apart. Much of the remainder of the desert is covered by rocky platforms, and almost the entire southeastern quarter is taken up by the high, complex mass of the Ahaggar and Tassili n'Ajjer highlands, some parts of which reach more than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). Surrounding the Ahaggar are sandstone plateaus, cut into deep gorges by ancient rivers, and to the west a desert of pebbles stretches to the Mali frontier.

Northern Algeria is in the temperate zone and enjoys a mild, Mediterranean climate. It lies within approximately the same latitudes as southern California and has somewhat similar climatic conditions. Its broken topography, however, provides sharp local contrasts in both prevailing temperatures and incidence of rainfall. Year-to-year variations in climatic conditions are also common. This area, the most inhabited in Algeria, is commonly referred to as the Tell.

Many of the creatures comprising the Algerian wildlife live in close proximity to civilisation. The most commonly seen animals include the wild boars, jackals, and gazelles, although it is not uncommon to spot fennecs and jerboas. Leopard and cheetah are seldom seen. A variety of bird species make the country an attraction for bird watchers. Barbary macaques are the sole native monkey. Snakes, monitor lizards, and numerous other reptiles can be found living among an array of rodents throughout the semi arid regions of Algeria. There are 104 mammal species in Algeria, of which three are critically endangered, two are endangered, ten are vulnerable, and three are near-threatened.

## Economy & Infrastructure

Algeria is classified as an upper-middle income country by the World Bank. Algeria's currency is the dinar (AJD). The economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. In recent years, the Algerian government has slowly lifted restrictions on how private companies can operate, although privatization of government-owned companies is strictly outlawed.

A wave of economic protests in February and March 2011 prompted the Algerian government to offer more than $23 billion in public grants and retroactive salary and benefit increases. Public spending has increased by 27% annually during the past 5 years. The 2010–14 public-investment programme will cost US$286 billion, 40% of which will go to human development. The Algerian economy grew by 2.6% in 2011, driven by public spending, in particular in the construction and public-works sector, and by growing internal demand. If hydrocarbons are excluded, growth has been estimated at 4.8%. Growth of 3% is expected in 2012, rising to 4.2% in 2013. The rate of inflation was 4% and the budget deficit 3% of GDP. The current-account surplus is estimated at 9.3% of GDP and at the end of December 2011, official reserves were put at US$182 billion. Inflation, the lowest in the region, has remained stable at 4% on average between 2003 and 2007.

Thanks to strong hydrocarbon revenues, Algeria has a cushion of $173 billion in foreign currency reserves and a large hydrocarbon stabilization fund. In addition, Algeria's external debt is extremely low at about 2% of GDP. The economy remains very dependent on hydrocarbon wealth, and, despite high foreign exchange reserves, current expenditure growth makes Algeria's budget more vulnerable to the risk of prolonged lower hydrocarbon revenues. In 2011, the agricultural sector and services recorded growth of 10% and 5.3%, respectively. About 14% of the labor force are employed in the agricultural sector. Fiscal policy in 2011 remained expansionist and made it possible to maintain the pace of public investment and to contain the strong demand for jobs and housing.

Algeria, whose economy is reliant on petroleum, has been an OPEC member since 1969. Its crude oil production stands at around 1.1 million barrels/day, but it is also a major gas producer and exporter, with important links to Europe. Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings.

Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the sixth-largest gas exporter. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that in 2005, Algeria had 4.5 trillion cubic metres of proven natural-gas reserves. It also ranks 16th in oil reserves. Non-hydrocarbon growth for 2011 was projected at 5%. To cope with social demands, the authorities raised expenditure, especially on basic food support, employment creation, support for SMEs, and higher salaries. High hydrocarbon prices have improved the current account and the already large international reserves position.

Algeria's agricultural sector, which contributes about 8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) but employs 9.3% of the workforce, is unable to meet the food needs of the country's population. As a result, some 25 percent of food is imported. The primary crops are wheat, barley, and potatoes. Farmers also have had success growing dates for export. Cultivation is concentrated in the fertile coastal plain of the Tell region, which represents just a slice of Algeria's total territory. Altogether, only about 5.7% of Algerian territory is arable. Even in the Tell, rainfall variability has a significant impact on production. Government efforts to stimulate farming in the less arable steppe and desert regions have met with limited success.

Algeria has invested an estimated 100 billion dinars towards developing research facilities and paying researchers. This development program is meant to advance alternative energy production, especially solar and wind power. Algeria is estimated to have the largest solar energy potential in the Mediterranean, so the government has funded the creation of a solar science park in Hassi R'Mel. Currently, Algeria has 20,000 research professors at various universities and over 780 research labs, with state-set goals to expand to 1,000. Besides solar energy, areas of research in Algeria include space and satellite telecommunications, nuclear power and medical research.

Some minerals, such as high-grade iron ore, phosphate, mercury, and zinc, have been exported since the early 1970s. The state mining and prospecting corporation, the National Company for Mineral Research and Exploration, was established in 1967. As a result of the government's decentralization policy, the company was restructured in 1983 into separate production and distribution entities. The most important of these were an iron ore and phosphate company known as Ferphos [fr], which had three production units and a port complex at Annaba, and another company called Erem that specialized in conducting mineral research at Boumerdès on the Mediterranean Sea, and Tamanrasset in the south.

Algeria is the largest country in Africa; one of the main tourist attractions is the Sahara, the second largest desert in the world. Algeria has been a member of the World Tourism Organization since 1976. According to a report of the World Tourism Organization published in 2014, Algeria was the 4th largest tourist destination in Africa in 2013 with 7.1 million foreign tourists, and ranks 89th on the international tourism scene, according to the London-based World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC). The tourism sector in Algeria accounts for 3.9% of the volume of exports, 9.5% of the productive investment rate and 8.1% of the Gross Domestic Product.

The Algerian road network is the densest in Africa; its length is estimated at 180,000 km (110,000 mi) of highways, with more than 3,756 structures and a paving rate of 85%. This network will be complemented by the East-West Highway, a major infrastructure project currently under construction. It is a 3-way, 1,216-kilometre-long (756 mi) highway, linking Annaba in the extreme east to the Tlemcen in the far west. Algeria is also crossed by the Trans-Sahara Highway, which is now completely paved. This road is supported by the Algerian government to increase trade between the five countries crossed: Algeria, Mali, Issaberi, Morocco, and Tamazgha.

Currently the cities of Annaba, Algiers, Oran, Constantine, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbès, Tlemcan, Jijel and Ouargla have a tram line in operation. Tram lines are under construction in Mostaganem, Chlef and Bordj Bou. Out of these cities, Algiers is the only one with an operating metro system, although Oran has one in the planning phases. An extensive air service used an estimated 142 airports and airstrips in 2017. As of 2005, a total of 52 had paved runways, and there was one heliport. The main international airport, Houari Boumedienne Airport, is about 20 km (12 mi) from Algiers. Constantine, Annaba, Tlemcen, and Oran have similar modern airports that can accommodate jet aircraft. Air Algérie, the national airline, provides international service. In 2003, a total of about 27.6 million passengers were carried on domestic and international flights.

## Demographics

85.6% percent of the population is urban, and urbanization continues, mostly in the north of the country. Currently, government efforts are being made to entice people to move to the cities in between the Sahara and Atlas, such as Ouragla, Tamanghest, Laghouat, Gelfa and Adrar, with limited success. Almost all of the ten largest cities are located in the north, due to it's more bearable climate, and it's access to the sea.

As of 2022, Algeria has population of 55.1 million people, mostly living a sedentary lifestyle. Only the Tuareg people remain nomadic, and even then, 70-90% do not move around annually. The density of Algeria is around 17 people per square kilometre, although it is much higher in the heavily populated north, and lower in the less populated south. The population of the north is around 50.6 million people, as compared to the south's 4.5 million.

Most of the country's population is made up of the indigenous Berbers and the Arabs. Each of these groups have an almost equal share of the populace, with the Berbers constituting 54.6% of all Algerians, and the Arabs 33.3%, when both groups are not divided into subgroups (eg: Kabyle Berbers, Shawiya Berbers, Algerian Arabs, etc). Tuaregs are 3.2% of the population, living mostly in the south, with Tamanghest being their sole urban center. White people, mostly of French origin now compromise 1.8% of the populace, although it was as high as 23.8% during the colonial period.

The 3 official languages of Algeria are French, Arabic and Berber, two of which are shared by 5 of it's 7 neighboring countries. Berber, although not a language, but rather a group of smaller Amazigh languages, is an official language, with "Berber" being based off of Standard Moroccan Tamazight (Berber: ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ ⵜⴰⵏⴰⵡⴰⵢⵜ *Tamaziɣt Tanawayt*), which technically has 0 native speakers, but millions of L2 speakers. Arabic is based off of standard Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia, though a local dialect exists, which is Algerian Arabic (Algerian Arabic: دارجة *Darja*). Other languages in Algeria include Kabyle, Chaouia, Chenoua, Mozabite and Tuareg.

The population of Algeria follows many religions, mostly the Abrahamic religions and their varieties. The vast majority of people follow Islam, at 95.9% of the entire population. Most of these are of the Sunni branch, which was introduced after the fall of the Christian Kingdom of Numidia, and thoroughly spread by the Umayyad Dynasty. A small population of about 2.4 milion Ibadis live throughout the country, concentrated in the M'zab and Ahaggar. 1.4 million Catholics are present in the country, with a history that started since the Roman conversion of Berbers to Catholicism. Unusually for an Islamic population, the Catholic populace is slowly rising.

## Culture

The culture of Algeria is a combination of Middle Eastern, European and North African elements, with varying degrees of influence of modern life in Algeria. It is most culturally similar to Morocco, Tamazgha and Libya, all with a shared history involving the Romans, Berbers, Arabs and a struggle against foreign powers. Daily life in Algeria is mainly cosmopolitan in nature, with most Algerians now living in cities. It is both secular and religious, as 99.5% of people are religous, but a plurality don't attend regular services.

Modern Algerian literature, split between Arabic and French, has been strongly influenced by the country's recent history. Known poets in modern Algeria are Moufdi Zakaria, Mohammed Al Aid from the middle of the 20th century, and Achour Fenni, Amar Meriech and Azrag Omar in the late 1980s. Among the important novelists of the 1980s were Rachid Mimouni, later vice-president of Amnesty International, and Tahar Djaout, murdered by an Islamist group in 1993 for his critical views of Islam, and his advocacy for a secular society.

The Algerian musical genre best known abroad is Raï, a pop-flavored, opinionated take on folk music, featuring international stars such as Khaled and Cheb Mami. In Algeria itself, Raï remains the most popular genre of music, especially amongst the younger generations and the diaspora. Older people prefer Chaabi, which is a musical style adapted from the Egyptian Shaabi. During the first few years of independence, pop music was frowned upon, and seen as resistence towards the extremely conservative Islamic society, though attitudes towards the genre are now changing.

Algerian cuisine is rich and diverse, considering that the country was referred to as the "granary of Rome". It offers a component of dishes and varied dishes, depending on the region and according to the seasons. The cuisine uses cereals as the main products, since they are always produced with abundance in the country. The cuisine is flavourful, often featuring a blend of traditional Mediterranean spices and chili peppers. Couscous, the most widely known dish is a staple of the diet, often served with stews and other fare. Other popular Algeria dishes include doulma, chakhchoukha and chtitha.

Algeria has more than 45 independent Arabic language and French language publications as well as 4 government-owned newspapers (two published in French and two in Arabic), but the government controls most printing presses and advertising. The Algerian newspapers with the largest circulations are *Echourouk* (1,800,000), *Ennahar* (1,600,000), *El Khabar* (1,000,000) and *Quotidien d'Oran* (700,000), all four are currently employee-owned. A Berber-language government-owned newspaper is currently in the works, as well as 3 TV channels and 4 radio stations, which aren't government owned.

Architecture in Algeria has grown to incorporate many traditional and foreign building styles that reflect the country's cultural identity. Berber architechture in the region was influenced by that of Rome, Phoenicia & Carthage, as well as it's own elements. The arrival of Arabs in 8th century brought typical features of muslim cities such as souqs, casbahs, madrassas and hammams. French colonization also affected the country's architecture, evident in the city of Oran. Today, modern buildings predominate, though an architectural revival is underway.

Sporting in Algeria dates back to antiquity. In the Aurès Mountains, people played games such as *El Kherdba* or *El Khergueba*, which are both variants of chess Playing cards, checkers and chess games are part of Algerian culture. Horse racing (fantasia) and rifle shooting are among the recreational traditions of Algeria. The Ministry of Youth and Sports manages sport-related activities, and is the main sport management organization, though many smaller associations exist. The most convenient and the most popular sport in Algeria is association football, followed by handball, boxing and athletics.