Why it's the capital
Algiers became the capital of the Ottoman Regency of Algiers in 1516, and after the French invasion of 1830 it was the capital of French Algeria. When Algeria won independence on 5 July 1962, Algiers stayed the capital.
Algiers
Capital of AlgeriaAlgiers curves around the Bay of Algiers on the Mediterranean coast, in the north-central part of Algeria. Its old centre climbs the coastal hills, with the flat Mitidja Plain behind the city.
Fun facts
- Its Arabic name, al-Jazāʾir, means "the Islands", and under Ottoman rule the city's name spread to the whole country, giving Algeria its name.
- Its whitewashed buildings gave it the nickname "Algiers the White", and its old quarter, the Casbah, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992.
- The Maqam Echahid monument, opened in 1982 for the 20th anniversary of independence, is shaped like three standing palm leaves sheltering an eternal flame.
Finding it on the globe
Aim for the middle of Algeria's Mediterranean coast, almost straight south of the Spanish island of Majorca.
Sources: Wikipedia: Algiers