Algeria

Algeria is a country in North Africa bordered by Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Algiers, a major port city on the Mediterranean coast. With a population of about 45-million and a land area exceeding 2.3-million square kilometres, Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area and the tenth largest in the world. The economy is dominated by hydrocarbons, with oil and gas exports accounting for the majority of government revenue and foreign exchange earnings. The currency is the Algerian dinar. Algeria is a republic with a presidential system of government and is a member of the African Union, the Arab League and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The country has significant natural gas reserves and is a key supplier to Europe via undersea pipelines. Other sectors include agriculture, mining and a growing services industry, though economic diversification remains a policy priority. Algeria gained independence from France in 1962 after a protracted war of liberation, and the legacy of that conflict continues to shape its political and economic relationships, particularly with France and the European Union.