Algeria

Officially the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, this African country is the largest in the continent and the 10th largest nation in the world. Algeria is located in the north cost of Africa, bordered by Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Most of the Algerian coast is hilly and features high plateaus. In the south, the Ahaggar Mountains are a highland in central Sahara.

The climate of Algeria is arid to semiarid. Along the coast winters are wet, with hot, dry summers. The climate is drier in higher altitudes. A hot, dusty wind, the “Sirocco,” is common in the summer.

The population of is approximately at 35 million (Jan 2010), with 99% being Arab or Berber. About 90% of all Algerians live in the coastal region. There is a minority that inhabits the dessert, mostly concentrated in oases. About 1.5 million Algerians are monadic or semi-nomadic.

Ninety nine of the Algerian population is Sunni Muslim, with a 1% of Christian and Jewish. Although the official language is Arabic, Berber and French are also spoken.

Algeria is rich in petroleum and natural gas. In fact, fossil fuel is the backbone of the country’s economy accounting for about 60% of revenues. The national agriculture includes the harvest of wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, and fruits.

Algeria’s natural resources are suffering from lack of appropriate regulation. The soil is getting eroded from overgrazing and desertification. Rivers are suffering from the dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining waste, and other industrial waste. Even the Mediterranean Sea is becoming polluted by the nation’s environmentally unfriendly agricultural and industrial practices.