What Do You Know About Algeria? Quiz

Answer: Arabic

Arabic is the official language of Algeria, although French is very widely used as the country was previously under French rule; it is used in the school curriculum. English is also taught in schools, although it is not a commonly spoken language. The Berber languages (called Tamazight by native speakers), which are very closely related to each other, have been recognized as "national languages" but are not official.

Around 83% of Algerians speak Arabic natively, and those who don't are taught it at school. Of course, Algerian itself is not a language, but there is a dialect of Arabic called Algerian Arabic (also darja), which is spoken by approximately 60% of the population.

Answer: Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean coastline is Algeria's only border with water, and the country is the largest to border this sea. The capital city of Algeria, Algiers is situated on this coastline, making it a popular destination for tourists who enjoy beaches. There are several tourist complexes, with restaurants and supervised beaches, and the city was the first in the country to have a water park.

Answer: True

Algeria became the largest country in Africa in 2011 (10th largest in the world) with an area of approximately 2.4 million sq. kilometers (920,000 sq. miles). Africa's largest country was previously Sudan, with an area just larger than that of Algeria: approx. 2.5 million sq. kilometers (970,000 sq. miles). However, in 2011, part of Sudan formed a separate country named Southern Sudan.

Answer: Numidia

The Numidians existed in two main tribal groups: the Massylii in the east and the Masaesyli in the west. Masinissa, leader of the Massylii, was allied with Rome, while Syphax, leader of the Masaesyli, was allied with Carthage (despite supporting Rome previously). When Rome was victorious, Masinissa was rewarded all of Numidia, thus uniting the country into one.

Djimon Hounsou's character Juba in the 2000 film "Gladiator" was Numidian.

Answer: Morocco

According to the CIA Factbook, those borders are as follows: Morocco (1,559 km, or 970 miles), Mali (1,376 km, or 855 miles), Tunisia (965 km, or 600 miles), and Mauritania (463 km, or 288 miles). Algeria's other three borders are with Libya (982 km, or 610 miles), Niger (956 km, or 594 miles) and Western Sahara (42 km, or 26 miles).

Answer: Ahaggar Mountains

The national park is Ahaggar National Park, a popular tourist destination.
The Ahaggar mountain range is sometimes given the nickname The Hoggar. The mountains are about two million years old, and the region has a hot summer/cold winter climate. The closest city to the range is Tamanrasset.

Answer: red

The star and crescent represent the religion of Islam; the red is said to represent the blood of those killed in the war for independence (1954-1962). The green represents nature, and the white represents peace.

Algeria's flag is one that has precisely defined features, including which exact wavelength each color must absorb!

Answer: France

The French rule of Algeria began in 1830 and of course ended with the war in 1962. During this period, Algeria experienced a lot of immigration from Europe - these immigrants later became known as "pieds-noirs" or "black feet". There was much tension between the pieds-noirs and the indigenous Muslim population, and tension between these two groups contributed to beginning the Algerian War.

After the war, the majority of the pieds-noirs population left Algeria for France, as did many Harkis - indigenous Muslims who had fought on the side of the French in the war.

Answer: Zaho

Zaho has worked with other famous Algerian musicians, such as with Idir on the song "Tout Ce Temps" that she wrote for him. "Dima" was her debut album, meaning "Always" in Algerian French dialect.

Answer: Maghreb Union

The first Maghreb summit happened in 1988. It was attended by all five member states: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Libya. Apparently, there have been some issues between Algeria and Morocco regarding Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara: instead of the Maghreb Union bringing these countries together, it has sadly driven some of them further apart. Citizens were supposed to be able to travel freely through these countries, but the Algerian-Moroccan border has been closed for some time.