[al-jeer-ee-uh
n] 
| 1. | of or pertaining to Algeria or its inhabitants. |
| 2. | a native or inhabitant of Algeria. |
Al·ge·ri·a (āl-jîr'ē-ə)  (click for larger image in new window) 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. |