Algeria

Algeria which is officially known as the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria has a population at about 33,375,089 citizens. Arabic is the official language spoken in this country but the people that live here also speak French and Berber dialects. Islam is the state religion which falls at about ninety-nine percent as for the other one percent it's a mixture of Christian and Jewish. Although I could not find the specific type of foods eaten in Algeria most likely the people there eat the same things we do as well as a few custom foods that have been passed down from generation to generation. Many of the people in Algeria use railroads as transportation but for a few that don't they do use cars.

Algeria is the second largest country in Africa and it borders the Mediterranean coastline. Algiers's is the country's capital as well as the largest city. Algeria has little fertile land and for the most part the country is a desert. The country has four main geographic regions which extend east to west. The coastal plain and Tell Atlas in the north have a typical Mediterranean climate. This is made up of warm dry summers and mild rainy winters. During the summer an exceedingly hot, dry wind called the sirocco also known by the Algerian people as Chehili blows north from the Sahara. As you go south the climate becomes very dry. The Sahara is a region that has daily temperature extremes and winds it also receives less the five inches of rain each year. Algeria gets an average rainfall of about 28 inches per year.

The Algerian government controls the nation's economy. Since Algeria's independence, Algeria has nationalized most foreign-owned companies and properties. The government also runs all heavy industry and controls the production and distribution of petroleum, natural gas, and minerals. Less the five percent of the land is cultivated. Along the coastal plains lies all the principal crops such as cereal grains, grapes, olives, and citrus fruits. Petroleum and natural gas are Algeria's main exports. The major oil fields are located in the northeastern Sahara on the Libyan border. Algeria has nine billion barrels of petroleum reserves and natural gas reserves are the fourth largest in the world. Algeria is also known for producing minerals such as iron ore, mercury, and phosphate rock. Manufacturing counts only for a small part on Algeria's income but the major industries are iron, steel, and petroleum refining. Algeria's exports estimate at about twenty-five billion dollars and its imports estimate at about twelve point three billion dollars.

Like I stated before Algeria's population is 33,357,089 citizens. Algeria's ethnic background is made up of Arab-Berber which is ninety-nine percent and European which is one percent.