Algeria (L'Algérie)
Description: Algerian Flag
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Official Languages - Arabic
Population - 2007 esimate 33,333,216
Currency - Algerian Dinar
Religions - Muslims 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2 %
Geography - mostly mountains and hilly plains, fertile land, desert
Climate and Hydrology - northern Algeria has a mild, Mediterranean climate. In the "Tell" area, temperatures in summer average between 21 and 24 degrees celcius and in winter drop to 10 to 12 degrees celcius. Algeria is in north of Africa and is the second largest country on the African continent.
Languages - Algeria is defined as an Islamic, Arab, and Amazigh (Berber) country. Most Algerians speak Algerian Arabic. Algeria won its independence from the French in 1962 which explains why French is still widely spoken in Algeria.
Food - Algeria has many cuisines which are delightful. The dishes are very tasteful and smell delicious. Couscous is the national dish of Maghreb which encompasses the countries of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Agriculture and/or Industries - Although almost 25% of the population is engaged in agriculture (including subsistence farming), only 3% of Algeria 's land is cultivated.The soil is poor and subject to erosion, and the water supply is generally irregular and insufficient; about one-quarter of northern Algeria is completely unproductive because a wide part of Algeria is the Sahara desert.
Music - Two famous singers in Algeria are Melissa Benti and Cheb Khaleb. Cheb Khaleb's specialty is the Rai music.
Art - Many of the arts in Algeria include clay vases, pots, painted bowls and pretty trinkets. Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia are famous for producing beautiful Berber carpets and rugs. The center of traditional Algerian carpet-making is Ghardaia, in the northern Sahara.
Algerian jewelery and woodcarving draw on both Arab and Berber styles. Because of their traveling lifestyle, desert nomads have always specialized in light, portable art-objects, such as pendants, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, swords, and daggers.
