History

Most well known for being a former French colony, Algeria is situated along the Mediterranean Sea in Northern Africa, and consists of approximately 35 million people.  French influence is evident by the fact that the capital, Algiers, which also served as inspiration for the name of the country, is etymologically derived from French.  The modern boundaries of the country was also created by France.  Although the French laid claim to the country for over a century, the official language of the country is Arabic, while 99% of the population is ethnically Arab-Berber and 99% Muslim, revealing the extreme homogeneity.

Map of Algeria

The uniform population can be attributed to the Islamization of the country between the 8th and 11th centuries.  There were many Arab military excursions into the region, but due to greater interest in Egypt and the Nile Delta, power was redistributed to the native Berber dynasties.  Increasing Arab presence in the country, led to the Berbers to consider themselves as Arab-Berbers.  Arab influence was replaced by intermittent control of the country by the Spanish, which finally ended when the Ottoman Empire controlled the region between 1517 and 1830.  The 300 year reign of the Ottomans was not particularly important to the history of the country as they did not have effective influence over the population.  The colonization of Algeria began in 1830 after the French occupation of Algiers.

Great Mosque

French influence slowly spread southward until full control of the country was achieved.  The increased French presence resulted in the removal of native peoples from positions of power and land.  The resistance of disenfranchised Algerians began in 1933, which was initially carried out through peaceful means, but eventually culminated in violent protests.  The Algerian War of Independence took place from 1954 to 1962, and resulted in France declaring Algeria independent.  Independence did not come without its costs, as Algerian deaths are estimated at a peak of one million lives.  As an independent state, Algeria did not immediately become more peaceful.  Modern Algeria was plagued by a recent civil war that ended in 2002, and only now has the country seen a return to normalcy.  The country's large resource of oil has helped Algeria easily transition through a well functioning economy.

Monument of the Martyrs

I decided to blog about Algeria mainly because of my interest in its rich architecture, and also because of my unfamiliarity with the country as a whole.  My interest is also derived from the fact that it is the country of origin of Zinedine Zidane, a famous French soccer player.  I hope to research and learn more about Algeria, and perhaps discover if the large Arab-Berber population created a different dynamic in the slave trade than in other African countries.

Zidane Head-Butt

Sources

Map of Algeria: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/algeria.jpg

Picture of the Great Mosque in Algiers: http://www.printcollection.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/product_full/05526u.1.jpg

Picture of Monument of the Martyrs in Algiers: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXj655xpMEz1wAMqlLWpKd-DzixLr6s2bYxoW9O3mtFc1_oe5MuXIlM_qU-NUlXiWgMX6EqhepxarFmCkrfMyF_S3-0QCPuuamp7E4tQcIaXuy42EV8clvp5PFQt103ecQIxJ1AhXDLZS/s1600/Algiers.JPG

Picture of Zidane Head-Butt: http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/multimedia/photo_gallery/1006/all.alliteration.team/images/zinedine-zidane.jpg

CIA World Factbook, Algeria: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ag.html

Library of Congress, Algeria: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/dztoc.html