40 Interesting & Unknown Algeria Facts
Officially known as the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, this North African country is considered as the second largest country on the entire African continent and the largest on the Mediterranean Sea. Learn more Algeria facts on this list!
1. One of the biggest sand dunes of the world is located in Algeria.
2. There are a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Algeria, including Al Qal’a of Beni Hammad, Tipasa and Djemila and Timgad.
3. The main languages in Algeria are Arabic, French, and Berber.
4. The official currency of Algeria is the Dinar.
5. Algeria is the tenth largest country in the world and became the largest country in the continent of Africa.
6. The national animal of Algeria is the Fennec Fox.
7. Only 12% of Algeria’s land mass is inhabited.
8. There is a tradition in Algeria to leave a little of your food on the plate at the end.
9. National Day of Algeria is celebrated on November 1rst.
10. Algeria has some of the largest reserves of natural gas.
11. Algeria took part in the Barbary Slave Trade between the 16th and 18th century.
12. Visitors to Algeria are greeted with a gift of dates and milk.
13. Algeria is located on North Africa’s Mediterranean coast.
14. Albert Camus, the Nobel Prize winner for Literature was born here.
15. Tassilli National Park in Algeria has pre-historic rock drawings and Neolithic archaeological sites.
16. Algeria lies mostly between latitudes 19° and 37°N and longitudes 9°W and 12°E.
17. The highest mountain in Algeria is Mount Tahat.
18. The national football team is nicknamed Les Fennecs, after the national animal the Fennic Fox.
19. St Augustine of Hippo – A founding fathers of Christianity was born in Tagaste in Algeria.
20. Cable cars are a popular mode of transport due to the hilly nature of the country.
21. The national dish of Algeria is Couscous.
22. In Algeria, petrol is cheaper than water, as it is one of the main producers of oil.
23. Algeria is called the country of ‘Cherries and Dates’, due to its diverse climates.
24. The longest river in the country is the Chelif River.
25. The official name of Algeria is the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
26. The capital city of Algeria is Algiers, which is also the country’s largest city.
27. Algeria recorded its record high temperature in August of 2011.
28. Algeria’s official religion is Islam and it is illegal to proselytize to the people about any other religion.
29. Tassili National Park of Algeria is also called “Plateau of the Rivers”.
29. The current Algerian flag was adopted on 3 July 1962.
31. Algeria has 998 kilometers (620 miles) of coastline.
32. Algeria is classified as an upper middle-income country by the World Bank.
33. Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defense budget on the continent.
34. Algeria has two Nobel Prize recipients Albert Camus and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji.
35. Algeria has the largest oat market in Africa.
36. Algeria is the largest exporter of propane/butane in the world.
37. The legal system in Algeria is based on French and Islamic law.
38. The first Algerian president was Ahmed Ben Bella who was elected in 1963 and served for only 2 years.
39. Marriages in Algeria are traditionally arranged either by parents of the couple or by a professional matchmaker.
