Algeria is located in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. It is situated to the west of Libya and Tunisia and east of Morocco. The north is fertile and mountainous, in contrast to the south that includes parts of the Sahara desert. In all, more than four-fifths of Algeria is desert. Algeria is 919,590 square miles and is the tenth largest country in the world. The country?s population is 29.2 million and is growing annually at 2.2 percent. About 75 percent of all residents are under the age of 25 due to the short-lived lives. Most shortened by disease an lack of medical knowledge. The make-up of Algeria consists of 83 percent Arabic, while 16 percent are of Amazigh lineage. Lastly, the Imazighen and Arabs are well integrated to complete the make-up of Algeria. The earliest inhabitants of Algeria were cattle herders and hunters living in Al Hajjar between 8,000 and 2,000 BC. Also, Phoenicians settled in some of the coastal areas of Algeria from Carthage what is now known as Tunisia. The first Algerian kingdom was established by the Berber chief Massinissa, during the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage. Massinissa ruled his kingdom of Numidia from 202 ? 148 BC. His dynasty lasted until 106 BC, when his grandson Jurgatha became a Roman client. As part of the Roman Empire Numidia flourished, with successfully building a road system as well as a series of Roman garrisons which became small Roman cities. The coastal region was held by the Romans and the Vandals until the Arab invasion in the 7th century AD. The Arab people controlled the coastal area and introduced Islam to the Algiers, Oran, Constantine, and Annaba and then established their own Islamic nation. Several empires followed this Islamic rule until the 13th century, when the immigrating Bedouins introduced the nomadic lifestyle. Algeria was annexed to France despite intense resistance. Resettlement programs were used by the French government using land-owning gimmicks to d...
