Bordering Tunisia in the Northeast and Niger in the Southeast, Algeria is the second largest country on the African continent with its name being derived from its capital city Algiers. It is bordered by Mauritania and Mali in the southwest, Niger in the southeast, Libya in the east, Tunisia in the northeast and Morocco a few kilometres of the Western Sahara in the west.

Algeria is a member of the African Union; it is also a member of OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries). Constitutionally, it is defined as an Islamic, Arab, and Amazigh (Berber) country.

Modern Algerian literature, split between Arabic and French, has been strongly influenced by the country's recent history. Famous novelists of the twentieth century include Mohammed Dib, Albert Camus, and Kateb Yacine, while Assia Djebar is widely translated. 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 secularist views.

 In philosophy and the humanities, Jacques Derrida, the father of deconstruction, was born in El Biar in Algiers; Malek Bennabi and Frantz Fanon are noted for their thoughts on decolonization; Augustine of Hippo was born in Tagaste (modern-day Souk Ahras); and Ibn Khaldun, though born in Tunis, wrote the Muqaddima while staying in Algeria. Algerian culture has been strongly influenced by Islam, the main religion. The works of the Sanusi family in pre-colonial times, and of Emir Abdelkader and Sheikh Ben Badis in colonial times, are widely noted. The Latin author Apuleius was born in Madaurus (Mdaourouch), in what later became Algeria.In painting, Mohammed Khadda and M'Hamed Issiakhem have been notable in recent years.

The most popular sports in the country are football, athletics and handball. One of the biggest events in Algerian sports was the 1982 national football team's defeat of West Germany in Gijon, Spain by a goal from Lakhdar Belloumi. But because of conflicts, and the poor conditions in Algeria through the 1990s and continuing in some areas of the country today many athletes have left Algeria for countries they could earn more in, usually France. Retired football great Zinedine Zidane as well as young prodigies Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri are all second-generation Algerian immigrants but born in France. In athletics, Algeria has produced several world champions including Noureddine Morceli, Hassiba Boulmerka, Jabir-Said Guerni, and Benida Berrah.

Some quick Summary about Algeria:

  • Capital: Algiers (El Djezair)

  • Language: Arabic and French.

  • Currency: Algerian Dinar (DZD) = 100 centimes

  • People: Arabic, Berber, French.

  • Life Expectancy: Male: 71.45, Female: 74.63.

  • Religion: Sunni Muslim (99%).

  • Size (sq km): 2.4 million (11th)

  • Population: 31.1 million (35th)

  • Population Density per sq km: 14 (196th)

  • Country Dialling Code: 213

  • Internet Country Code: .dz

  • Time Zone: GMT +1

  • Voltage Guide: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

  • Finance: Limited acceptance of credit cards.

  • Business Hours: 0900-1530, Sunday-Thursday.

  • GDP: US$102 billion

  • GDP per Capita: US$3,086

  • Personal Safety: Very high risk area due to a low-level civil conflict.