Algeria: Difference between revisions

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'''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)

== Social and political influence ==

The Catholic Church exerts modest influence in Algeria, guided by [[Catholic Social Teaching]], through schools and clinics run by orders like the [[Sisters of Charity]].<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> Leaders like [[Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco]] engage Muslim clerics to promote harmony, earning respect from authorities.<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 2018 beatification of the 19 martyrs, attended by officials, enhanced the Church’s moral authority.<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> Support for migrants via [[Caritas Internationalis]] aligns with Algeria’s role as a transit hub.<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)

== References ==

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