Algeria is the African country with the largest total area. It covers about 2.38 million square kilometres, making it the tenth-largest country in the world by area.
Most of Algeria lies in the Sahara, which occupies the southern part of the country. The northern Mediterranean region contains most of the population, including the capital, Algiers, and has a milder climate than the desert interior.
Algeria became independent from France in 1962 after a major war of independence. A common mix-up is confusing its continental ranking with its population ranking: Algeria is Africa’s largest country by area, but Nigeria has the continent’s largest population. Algeria’s vast territory also borders seven countries, including Libya, Mali, Niger and Tunisia.