Algeria

Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya; to the southeast by Niger; to the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara; to the west by Morocco; and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. The capital and largest city is Algiers, located in the far north on the Mediterranean coast.

Quotes

At last upon the twelfth day of our leaving Tunneis, having arrived at Algier, and abandoning my Conduct with a good respect, I stayed in a Spaniards house, turned Runagate, who kept a roguish Taverne, and a ground planked Hospitality. In all this way of twelve score miles, I payed no Tribute, neyther had I any eminent perrill, the Country being peaceable, though the people uncivill. [...] I found here abundance of slaves, most of them Spaniards, whom they dayly constraine within Towne to beare all manner of burdens here and there, and without Towne to drudge in the fields, amongst their Vines and Cornes, and other toyling labours, abusing them still with buffets and bastinadoes as their perverstnesse listeth: Neither durst I leave my lodging, unlesse I had three or foure Christian slaves to guide me, and guard me too from scelerate vulgars: who beare no respect to any stranger nor free Franck.
- William Lithgow, Totall Discourse (1632), pt. 8, sec. 360

A palsy stroke of Nature shook Oran,
Turning her city to a sepulchre.
- Thomas Campbell, "The Dead Eagle (Written at Oran)", in Letters from the South (1837)

Imezwura iban asen
Ineggura iban asen
Ahlil ay ilemmasen.
- For the people of the past the way was clear
  For those of tomorrow it will be so again
  Have compassion for those of the times in between.
- Saying of Sheikh Mohand Ou Lhocine (d. 1901), quoted as an epigraph in James McDougall, A History of Algeria (Cambridge UP, 2017)

External links

Encyclopedic article on Algeria on Wikipedia