Algeria in Perspective [PDF]

1 Chapter 1 Geography ____________________________________________________ 5 Introduction _______________________________________________________________ 5 Geographic Regions and Topographic Features ___________________________________ 5 The Tell _________________________________________________________________________ 5 The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas Mountains _____________________________________ 6 Northeastern Algeria ______________________________________________________________ 6 Sahara __________________________________________________________________________ 7 Climate ___________________________________________________________________ 8 Rivers and Lakes ____________________________________________________________ 9 Rivers ___________________________________________________________________________ 9 Cities ____________________________________________________________________ 10 Algiers _________________________________________________________________________ 11 Oran __________________________________________________________________________ 12 Constantine _____________________________________________________________________ 13 Annaba ________________________________________________________________________ 14 Batna __________________________________________________________________________ 14 Environmental Concerns ____________________________________________________ 15 Natural Hazards ___________________________________________________________ 16 Chapter 1 Assessments __________________________________________________ 18 Chapter 2 History ______________________________________________________ 19 Introduction ______________________________________________________________ 19 Prehistory ________________________________________________________________ 19 The Carthaginians __________________________________________________________ 20 Romans and Vandals _______________________________________________________ 21 Arab Conquests ____________________________________________________________ 22 Berber Dynasties ___________________________________________________________ 23 The Ottomans _____________________________________________________________ 24 Barbary Pirates ____________________________________________________________ 24 The French Conquest _______________________________________________________ 25 Colonial Algeria ____________________________________________________________ 26 Algerian Nationalism _______________________________________________________ 27 The Algerian War of Independence ____________________________________________ 28 Independent Algeria ________________________________________________________ 29 The Boumédienne Era ______________________________________________________ 30 2 Sliding Toward Crisis ________________________________________________________ 31 Reforms __________________________________________________________________ 32 The Algerian Civil War ______________________________________________________ 33 Peace Measures ___________________________________________________________ 34 Recent Events _____________________________________________________________ 35 Chapter 2 Assessments __________________________________________________ 36 Chapter 3 Economy ____________________________________________________ 37 Introduction ______________________________________________________________ 37 Agriculture _______________________________________________________________ 38 Industry __________________________________________________________________ 39 Energy Resources __________________________________________________________ 40 Natural Resources __________________________________________________________ 41 Trade ____________________________________________________________________ 42 Tourism __________________________________________________________________ 43 Banking and Currency _______________________________________________________ 44 Investment _______________________________________________________________ 45 Transportation ____________________________________________________________ 46 Standard of Living __________________________________________________________ 48 Organizations _____________________________________________________________ 48 Chapter 3 Assessments __________________________________________________ 50 Chapter 4 Society ______________________________________________________ 51 Introduction ______________________________________________________________ 51 Ethnic and Linguistic Groups _________________________________________________ 52 Religion __________________________________________________________________ 53 Gender Issues _____________________________________________________________ 54 Clothing __________________________________________________________________ 55 Arts _____________________________________________________________________ 55 Music __________________________________________________________________________ 55 Film ___________________________________________________________________________ 56 Sports and Recreation ______________________________________________________ 57 Chapter 4 Assessments __________________________________________________ 58 Chapter 5 Security _____________________________________________________ 59 Introduction ______________________________________________________________ 59 3 U.S.–Algerian Relations _____________________________________________________ 59 Relations with Neighboring Countries __________________________________________ 60 Morocco _______________________________________________________________________ 60 Mauritania, Mali, and Niger ________________________________________________________ 62 Libya __________________________________________________________________________ 63 Tunisia _________________________________________________________________________ 63 Military __________________________________________________________________ 64 Terrorist Groups and Activities _______________________________________________ 65 Other Issues Affecting Stability _______________________________________________ 67 Political Reform _________________________________________________________________ 67 Water and Food _________________________________________________________________ 68 Chapter 5 Assessments __________________________________________________ 69 Final Assessments ______________________________________________________ 70 Further Resources ______________________________________________________ 72 Books ____________________________________________________________________ 72 Films ____________________________________________________________________ 73 4 Chapter 1 Geography Introduction Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa, trailing only Sudan, and the 11th-largest country in the world.1 Over 80% of Algeria’s vast expanse is desert, part of the world’s largest desert—the Sahara—which separates the mountainous northern regions of North Africa from the Sub-Saharan transition zone to the south known as the Sahel.2 Algeria’s desert interior, though sparsely populated, is hardly a forgotten wasteland. Oil and natural gas fields, which provide most of Algeria’s export revenues, lie in this region.3 These energy resources are transported to foreign markets from Algeria’s port cities, delivered by pipelines that must traverse the mountains and high plateaus of the north. It is in this northern region that all of Algeria’s largest cities are found. Geographic Regions and Topographic Features The Tell Algeria’s most populous and agriculturally productive region is the Tell, an area of generally east-west mountain ranges and intervening plains. From the Moroccan border on the west to the Soummam River on the east, the Tell is home to Algeria’s two largest cities, Algiers and Oran, as well as many of its vineyards, citrus groves, orchards, and market gardens.4, 5 The Tell Atlas ranges become more rugged east of Algiers. Here, the Great Kayblie mountain block consists of 1 Central Intelligence Agency, “Country Comparison: Area,” in The World Factbook, 24 November 2010, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html?countryName=Algeria&countryCode=ag&regionCode=af&rank=11#ag 2 Mary-Jane Deeb, “Chapter 2. The Society and Its Environment: Physical Setting,” in Algeria: A Country Study (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1994), 69. 3 Euan Mearns, “The European Gas Market: Algeria Figure 24,” 13 December 2007, http://www.321energy.com/editorials/mearns/mearns121307.html 4 History.com, “Algeria: Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing” (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2009), http://www.history.com/topics/algeria 5 Mary-Jane Deeb, “Chapter 2. The Society and Its Environment: Physical Setting: Geographic Regions: The Tell,” in Algeria: A Country Study (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1994), 72. 5 several ranges where towns and farming villages have long been a homeland for much of Algeria’s Imazighen (Berber) population.6 The High Plateaus and the Saharan Atlas Mountains Immediately south of the Tell region lies a stretch of arid upland plateaus. (Technically, these plateaus are high-elevation basins between the Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas mountains.)7 Elevations in the High Plateaus range from 1,100 to 1,300 m (3,609 to 4,265 ft) in the east.8 In the western part of the region, the plateau heights drop to below 400 m (1,312 ft) in the vicinity of Chott el-Hodna, a saline lake.9 Chott el-Hodna is one of several salt basins in the highland plateaus that become lakes or marshes during rainy

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