Algeria: Difference between revisions

'''Algeria''' is a North African nation, the largest in Africa by land area, spanning 2.38 million km² across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean coast.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/ |publisher=CIA World Factbook |date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> With a population of approximately 46 million, its official languages are [[Arabic]] and [[Berber]], reflecting its Arab-Berber heritage, and its economy, driven by oil and gas, yields a GDP per capita of about $4,200 (2023 estimate).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/ |publisher=CIA World Factbook |date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> The [[Catholic Church]], with only 5,000 Catholics (0.01% of the population) as of 2020, is a minor religion in a country where Islam is the dominant faith (99%).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catholic Church in Algeria |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Algeria |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2024-04-29 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref><ref>post:0</ref> Introduced in the 2nd century AD during Roman times, Catholicism has a historic presence, linked to figures like [[Saint Augustine of Hippo]], the patron saint, and the [[w:Basilica of Our Lady of Africa|Basilica of Our Lady of Africa]] in [[Algiers]], a site of interfaith devotion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria, The Catholic Church in |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/algeria-catholic-church |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |date=2021-02-15 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> Despite legal restrictions and a small community, the Church contributes through education and charity, drawing on the legacy of [[Blessed Charles de Foucauld]] and the 19 Martyrs of Algeria, beatified in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catholic Church in Algeria |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Algeria |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2024-04-29 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> (Word count: ~250)

== Geography ==

Algeria is located in North Africa, covering 2.38 million km², bordered by [[Tunisia]], [[Libya]], [[Niger]], [[Mali]], [[Mauritania]], [[Western Sahara]], and [[Morocco]], with a 1,200-km Mediterranean coastline.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/ |publisher=CIA World Factbook |date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> The Sahara Desert dominates 80% of its territory, while the Tell Atlas and coastal plains support agriculture, producing olives and wheat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/algeria/ |publisher=CIA World Factbook |date=2024-12-01 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> Major cities include [[Algiers]], the capital, [[Oran]], and [[Constantine]], which host small Catholic communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catholic Church in Algeria |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Algeria |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2024-04-29 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> The geography facilitates pilgrimage to sites like the [[w:Basilica of Our Lady of Africa|Basilica of Our Lady of Africa]] in Algiers, though desertification challenges rural Catholic missions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Algeria, The Catholic Church in |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/algeria-catholic-church |publisher=Encyclopedia.com |date=2021-02-15 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> The Church’s environmental initiatives, supported by [[Caritas Internationalis]], address water scarcity in remote areas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catholic Church in Algeria |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Algeria |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2024-04-29 |access-date=2025-05-18}}</ref> (Word count: ~350)