Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a republic in NW Africa: formerly comprised 13 departments of France; gained independence 1962. 919,352 sq. mi. (2,381,122 sq. km). Capital: Algiers.
noun
- a republic in NW Africa, on the Mediterranean: became independent in 1962, after more than a century of French rule; one-party constitution adopted in 1976; religious extremists led a campaign of violence from 1988 until 2000; consists chiefly of the N Sahara, with the Atlas Mountains in the north, and contains rich deposits of oil and natural gas. Official languages: Arabic and Berber; French also widely spoken. Religion: Muslim. Currency: dinar. Capital: Algiers. Pop: 38 087 812 (2013 est). Area: about 2 382 800 sq km (920 000 sq miles)French name: Algérie (alʒeri)
North African country, named for Algiers, city chosen by the French as its capital when they colonized it in 1830 + Latinate “country” suffix -ia. The city name is Arabic al-Jazair, literally “the islands,” in reference to four islands formerly off the coast but joined to the mainland since 1525. A resident of the place formerly was an Algerine (1650s), and the word was practically synonymous with “pirate” in English and U.S. usage early 19c.
Republic in northwest Africa, bordered to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by Tunisia and Libya, to the south by Niger and Mali, and to the west by Mauritania and Morocco. Its capital and largest city is Algiers.