Algeria is the capital of the Algerian People's Democratic Republic and the largest city in the state. Located on the shores of the eponymous bay of the Mediterranean Sea in the north-west of the country. Algeria is an ancient city with a rich history.
History of the city
On the site where modern Algeria now stands, the Phoenicians built their colonies in the XII century BC. Later, the entire Mediterranean coast was united under the wing of the Carthaginian state. But after its weakening in the III century, a new state called Numidia was formed on the territory of the country. In the 5th century, it was seized by the Roman Empire and founded a small port of Icosium on the site of Algeria. However, it ceased to exist after the departure of the Romans. The new settlement of this region began in the 10th century. The Arabs built a new city on the ruins of the port and named it Algeria. The word comes from the Arabic "al-jazair", which means "islands."
In the XIII-XVI centuries, Algeria is the capital of the autonomous emirate, which is part of the Tlemcen sultanate. Soon the port city was conquered by the Spaniards and renamed it to the Peñon fortress.
In 1516, the pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa entered the city and turned Algeria into a haven for pirates. But in 1519 Hayreddin bows his head before the Ottoman Empire, led by Suleiman the Magnificent. And from that time on, the residence of the Turkish Pasha was formed here. Islamization of the city's population is taking place.
From 1711 to 1830, the city was ruled by dei, who were vassals of the padishah of the Turkish empire. Over the years, Algeria has grown and developed port connections with other foreign cities. The population was mainly engaged in fishing and arable farming. The nomads bred camels and small ruminants.
Modern Algeria
In 1830, the French conquered the state and made Algeria the administrative center of their colony. The city is inhabited by European people who make grapes the country's leading agricultural crop. Algeria begins to produce wine for export and domestic sales.
For a century and a half, the French were in the city, which had a good effect on the development of the city. It was in Algeria that such great artists as Monet Degas, Renoir and Delacroix wrote their canvases. At the same time, Notre Dame Cathedral and a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary appeared in the city. The port has always been filled with ships that brought food and goods for export and took away fruit, olives, oil and honey in large quantities.
Only in 1962 did the state of Algeria gain independence from France and the city of the same name became its capital. Today Algeria is a major port in the Mediterranean. Dozens of highways and railways pass through it. There is also a subway and an international airport. The agrarian economy, mining and extractive industries are developed.
