Algeria is located in North Africa and is formally known as the People's Democratic Republic of

Algeria. Algeria's northern border is the Mediterranean Sea. It shares borders with Mali,
Mauritania, and Western Sahara to the southwest, Tunisia to the northeast, Libya to the east, and
Niger to the southeast. It is categorized as belonging to the Maghreb region of North Africa. The
region is semi-arid, with the majority of people living in the fertile northern area and the Sahara
desert to the south. Algeria is the largest country in Africa, covering an area of 2,381,741 square
kilometers (919,595 square miles), ranking it as the tenth largest country globally. It is over 200
times larger than Gambia, the smallest country in Africa.10 Algeria is the ninth most populous
country in Africa and ranks 32nd worldwide, with a population of 44 million. Algiers, the
biggest city and capital, is located at the most northern point of the Mediterranean coast.
Algeria's population has undergone significant transformations as a result of Arab migration to
the Maghreb, commencing in the seventh century. The Regency of Algiers was established in
1516 as a result of Spanish expansionism. An flood of immigrants from different Mediterranean
regions flocked to this state, causing its capital, Algiers, to become one of the most densely
populated, prosperous, and culturally diverse cities in the world. In 1830, the French conquered it
due to its poor state during the nineteenth century. Algeria accommodated almost one million
European immigrants during its invasion and subsequent pacification before being seized by
France in 1848. The pacification period concluded in 1903. Despite being the largest group, the
indigenous Algerian population is thought to have dropped by up to one-third due to sickness,
starvation, and conflict.[11] Algeria achieved independence on July 5, 1962, and the People's
Democratic Republic was established on September 25 of the same year, marking the beginning
of the Algerian War that sprang from the incidents in Sétif and Guelma in 1945. This event
impacted the relationship between France and Algeria.
Algeria acknowledges Tamazight and Arabic as its official languages. Most of Algeria's Arab
population adheres to Islam.[12] Arabic, a dialect prevalent in Algeria, is the most commonly
used language. French is occasionally used in political and educational settings, although not
being officially recognized.

Algeria is a semi-presidential republic with 58 provinces and 1,541 communes. Algeria occupies
a moderate stance in world affairs and wields significant influence in North Africa. This
continent's leading economy, heavily reliant on petroleum exports, has the highest Human
Development Index of all countries in continental Africa. Algeria is ranked ninth in the world for
natural gas reserves and sixteenth for oil reserves. Sonatrach is the largest firm in Africa and
functions as the national oil company that supplies substantial quantities of natural gas to
Europe. Algeria has a significant military presence and the highest defense spending in Africa. It
is a founder member of the Arab Maghreb Union, African Union, Arab League, Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, OPEC, and the United Nations.