The history of Algeria
is presented in five large phases.
Ancient Algeria: At prehistoric times, Algeria
was populated by humans whose vestiges at lake Ternifine in
Oranian were called "Atlanthropes", contemporaries of Sinanthrope
and Pithecanthrope in Java. At historical times, it was
populated by Berbers called Libyans or Amazighens indifferently. They knew
writing, they used the Tifinagh characters of the Tuaregs. As of the
12th century BC, Phoenicians established trade posts there.
In 9th century BC, the area was known under the name
of "Numidie" the name of the Numid dynasty. From the
2nd century BC, king Massinissa managed to unify the kingdom at the end
of Punic War II. In 40 AD, the whole of the area became a
Roman province. Pax Romana was shaken in 429 by the Vandals, then
restored precariously by Byzantium in 533. From the 3rd century, Numidie
became an active centre of Christianity whose best known figure was
the Bishop of Hippone: "Saint Augustinus".
Arab Algeria, In 681 the Arabs founded Kairouan town on a
virgen ground. In the 9th century, the whole of North Africa was
conquered by Islam. At the End of the 15th beginning of the 16th century,
the Spaniards having finished of their Reconquista chased the Arabs on to
North Africa besieging major coastal cities: Oran, Cherchell...
Ottoman Algeria: for three centuries (1529-1830), the Regency
of Algiers was ruled by Turk Janissaries paid by the Sublime Gate.
Actually, the Turks held only the fortified towns without ruling this country.
French Algeria (1830-1962): In 1827, taking pretext of an
incident between Dey Hussein and French Consul Deval, king Charles X
sent a task force which took Algiers in 1831. As of 1839, Emir Abd el-Kader
proclaimed the Djihad against France. The National Liberation Front
was set up in 1954. A violent conflict started to be completed eight years
later by the independence of Algeria and an exodus of more than one million of
"pied-noirs".
Independent Algeria: The access to independence was a difficult
exercise for the first thirty years. Since 1992, the GIA then FIS,
foreign influence and economic problems have destabilized Algeria. |
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Algeria stretches in the north on 1,200Km of Mediterranean littoral
and it is inserted in the south on 1,800Km in the Sahara.
It is made up 80% of desert, 10% of steppes. Its surface is four
times that of France.
It has borders in the east, with Tunisia and Libya, in the south, with
Niger and Mali, in the west with Mauritania and Morocco.
It presents five sets of areas, from north to
south, in transversal belts from east to west and parallel with the
coastline. The first four septentrional belts extend from 200 to 300 km wide:
In North, the
long seacoast is strewn with beautiful beaches and creeks.
In the back, plains seldom communicating between them and
not very open on the sea constitute the "useful Algeria" with modern
agriculture: Mitidja, Oranian etc.
In the backland, the mountains of the Tellian Atlas in the west
and the massif of Kabylie in the east form a barrier culminating
2,308m high, Djurdjura.
In the centre, the depression of the high plateaux
in the west and Constantinoise high plains in the east, 1,000 to 1,100
m high, is the field of "esparto" grass. It is the food
of the goat, sheep and dromedary herds.
In the back, the Saharan Atlas and the massif of Aurès
are the southern limit of the Mediterranean influences. They
culminate 2,328 m high, Djebel Chelia. This set is bored with "gates"
from west to east: Bechar, Laghouat, Biskra.
In the south, the Sahara stretches 1,600 km wide. It
consists of dunes, ergs, depressions, Sebkhas, high
plateaux, Tassilis and reliefs, the Hoggar volcanic massif,
culminating 2,908 m high.
The coastal area is characterized by a Mediterranean climate,
mild winter and hot summer. Whereas the Sahara, with less than 100mm of rainfalls is
a desert. Between them, the mountains and the high plateaux are steppes. |
Algeria's economy
is developed enough. The NLF's options based on Hydrocarbons
disorganized the economy by giving up agriculture which does not
provide for the needs of a high increasing population.
Agriculture
provide 31% of the GDP with 33% of the working population.
It exported at the colonial time, but now takes part only for one third in
the food needs. 10% of the territory are cultivable, but only
one third is possible. The socialization of the lands was not favourable to
the development of the outputs.
Mineral resources
are very varied in non-ferrous metals. The reserves of iron ores
should make Algeria the first world producer! Hydrocarbons, oil
and gas are considerable.
Industry is
developed, 21% of the GDP employing 23% of the working population. The
action of the socialist State equipped the country with heavy
industry, steel-works, metallurgy, petrochemistry. However the
international crisis has undermined the financial resources of the country.>
Trade is
nationalized and centred on hydrocarbons. The exchange control is
still effective.
The Algerian currency is the Algerian Dinar. |
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The official name is
Democratic and Popular Algerian Republic whose capital is Algiers.
The population is +31 million inhabitants. The official language of
Algeria is Arab as well as Tamazight. However French
resists to the Arabization policy well. The population is 90%
Arabic, the remainder is Kabyl.
Algeria is a republic
where the multi-party democracy is hard to set up.
Algerians are 90% Sunnite Moslems and 10% Christians.
Islam has the same origin as the Judaism and Christianity.
The faithful of these three religions belong to the "people of the
Book".
It is common to say that hospitality is the corner stone of Arab
culture. This tradition is the consequence of the hardness of life
in the desert and the habits of the Bedouin tribes who accommodate
foreigners by offering them water, food and lodging.
The GNP is US$2,500 per capita. |
All tourists need visas,
available at consulates or in some cases at the arrival. It can be extended.
On the health plan it is recommended to consult specialized
Internet sites, in France the website of the Foreign Office Ministry.
No particular precaution is needed, it is necessary to be up to date with
the usual vaccinations.
The budget of traveller depends on his choices, Algeria offers
opportunities for small budgets. |
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The geographical situation of Algeria,
its climatic variety offer travellers multiple possibilities of activity in the
archaeological sites as well as in the Sahara.
They offer all opportunities to sportsmen. Sports activities are
possible in all Algeria's areas, excursions, cycling, swimming and diving on the
Mediterranean coast.
In spring 1990, I made a package tour in Central Sahara. |