Al·ge·ri·a ( l-jîr  - ) A country of northwest Africa bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. The region was settled c. 2000 b.c. by Berber-speaking people and later formed a part of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. Arab invaders in the seventh and eighth centuries introduced Islam and the Arabic language and culture. A French territory from 1848, Algeria gained its independence in 1962 after more than seven years of fighting. Algiers is the capital and the largest city. Population: 33,300,000. Al·ge ri·an adj. & n. |   |
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| Noun | 1. |  Algeria - a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea with a population that is predominantly Sunni Muslim; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960sArmed Islamic Group, GIA - a terrorist organization of Islamic extremists whose violent activities began in 1992; aims to overthrow the secular Algerian regime and replace it with an Islamic state; "the GIA has embarked on a terrorist campaign of civilian massacres" GSPC, Salafast Group for Call and Combat, Salafist Group - an Algerian extremist Islamic offshoot of the Armed Islamic Group; now the largest and most active armed terrorist group in Algeria that seeks to overthrow the government; a major source of support and recruitment for al-Qaeda operations in Europe and northern Africa Arab League - an international organization of independent Arab states formed in 1945 to promote cultural and economic and military and political and social cooperation OPEC, Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries - an organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum Maghreb, Mahgrib - the region of northwest Africa comprising the Atlas Mountains and the coastlands of Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia Algerian capital, Algiers - an ancient port on the Mediterranean; the capital and largest city of Algeria Annaba - a port city of northeastern Algeria near the Tunisian border Batna - a town in north central Algeria Blida - a city in northern Algeria at the foot of the Atlas Mountains to the southwest of Algiers Oran - a port city in northwestern Algeria and the country's 2nd largest city Constantine - a walled city in northeastern Algeria to the east of Algiers; was destroyed in warfare in the 4th century and rebuilt by Constantine I Djanet - a desert town in southeastern Algeria Hippo, Hippo Regius - an ancient Numidian town in northwestern Africa adjoining present-day Annaba in northeastern Algeria Reggane - a town in central Algeria Timgad - an ancient town founded by the Romans; noted for extensive and well-preserved ruins Timimoun - a town in central Algeria in the Atlas Mountains Atlas Mountains - a mountain range in northern Africa between the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert; extends from southwestern Morocco to northern Tunisia Algerian - a native or inhabitant of Algeria |
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