Facts | Africa | 18 Astonishing Facts about Algeria

18 Astonishing Facts about Algeria

Want to learn a little more about the countries of the world and gain the advantage at the next pub quiz? Make a start with these 18 interesting facts about Algeria!

Algeria is the gateway between Europe and Africa – it’s located in northwest Africa, on the Mediterranean coast and also shares borders with Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Tunisia.
Algeria is the largest country in Africa.
In 2018 the population was 42.23 million.

Flag of Algeria

Algeria has a total area of 919,595 square miles (2,381,740 square kilometres)…
…the Sahara desert covers more than four-fifths of this.
Because of this, more than 90% of the population live on the coast, which equates to a mere 12% of the country’s land!

Surprisingly, sand covers less than a fifth of the vast Sahara! The rest of the desert landscape is an unforgiving world of stark mountains, gravel plains and dry salt lakes.
Algiers is Algeria’s capital city with a population of 3.916 million (2011).
Whilst Algiers and Oran are home to lots of big shops like we see on our high streets, the majority of towns in Algeria have a poorly developed retail sector and you’ll only see small family-owned shops, farmer’s markets, and temporary roadside stands.

Amalou, Algeria

The currency here is called the Algerian Dinar.
It’s estimated that 35% of the population are below the age of 14 and just 4% are older than 65.
Although, the life expectancy in Algeria is a healthy 76.5 years (2017).

Despite bordering the Mediterranean Sea, fishing is not Algeria’s main industry, it is actually oil and gas that are this country’s main export.
Algeria’s national dish is couscous, with vegetables stirred in – delicious and healthy!
Agriculturally, Algeria produces wheat, barley, oats, grapes and sheep.

Cherchell Port, Algeria

The French ruled Algeria from 1830-1962 – a long 132 year rule.
For generations, French vintners transformed Algeria’s best land into grape cultivation and in doing so made their colony the world’s major wine exporter! Sounds perfect.
Want to call your friends or family in Algeria? You’ll need to use the international dialling code +213.