Algeria

Algeria
Population	33,333,216
Capital	Algiers
Currency	Algerian Dinar
Language(s)	Arabic, French,
Country Code	213

Algeria is the second largest country on the African continent. It is bordered by Tunisia in the northeast, Libya in the east, Niger in the southeast, Mali and Mauritania in the southwest, a few kilometers of the Western Sahara in the west, Morocco in the northwest, and the Mediterranean Sea in the north. Most of the coastal area is hilly, sometimes even mountainous, and there are a few natural harbours. The area from the coast to the Tell Atlas is fertile. South of the Tell Atlas is a steppe landscape, which ends with the Saharan Atlas; further south, there is the Sahara desert. Northern Algeria is in the temperate zone and has a mild, Mediterranean climate. It lies within approximately the same latitudes as Southern California and has somewhat similar climatic conditions. There are several UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Algeria including Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad, the first capital of the Hammadid empire; Tipasa, a Phoenician and later Roman town; and Djémila and Timgad, both Roman ruins; M'Zab Valley, a limestone valley containing a large urbanized oasis; also the Casbah of Algiers is an important citadel. The only natural World Heritage Site is the Tassili n'Ajjer, a mountain range. Much of recent Algerian history has been dominated by civil wars. That said, the country is gradually restoring order and will prove an interesting - if difficult - destination.

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Algeria