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Algeria

After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria is a republic and it's primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), was established in 1954 as part of the struggle for independence and has largely dominated politics since. Languages are Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects. In general religions are Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1% . Algeria's economy remains dominated by the state, a legacy of the country's socialist post-independence development model. Hydrocarbons have long been the backbone of the economy, accounting for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of export earnings. Algeria has the 10th-largest reserves of natural gas in the world and is the sixth-largest gas exporter. It ranks 16th in oil reserves. It has a population of 35,406,303. A big country, it has a total area of 2,381,741 sq km—that makes it slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas. Its natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, and zinc. The capital of Algeria is Algiers. It has two national symbols: the star and crescent, as well as the fennec fox.

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  Eric Calderwood

  Professor

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  Juan Cole

  Professor, History

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  Frieda Ekotto

  Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
  Associate Professor, Comparative Literature

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  Amr Soliman

  Assistant Professor, Epidemiology

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  Mark Tessler

  Vice Provost, International Affairs
  Samuel J. Eldersveld Collegiate Professor, Political Science
  Director, International Institute
  Research Professor, Center for Political Studies

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  Susan Waltz

  Professor, Public Policy