a French colony.
In the 1920s Algerians began to seek
more rights. In 1954 a group called the
National Liberation Front (FLN) began
a war against France. Algeria won independence
in 1962. The FLN controlled
the new government.
Algeria held its first elections in 1991.
One of the parties in the election was
the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), which
wanted to establish an Islamic state.
When it appeared likely that the FIS
would win the largest number of seats,
the military canceled the elections and
took over the government. That action
sparked a devastating civil war. In 1999
Algerians elected Abdelaziz Bouteflika,
their first nonmilitary president since
1965. However, the violence continued
into the 21st century as various groups
continued to protest the actions of the
government.
..More to explore
Algiers Arabs France Islam Sahara
Algeria borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north. In ancient times the land was part of
several different empires that stretched along the sea.
Facts About
ALGERIA
Population
(2008 estimate)
34,574,000
Area
919,595 sq mi
(2,381,741 sq
km)
Capital
Algiers
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Algiers, Oran,
Constantine,
Annaba
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Algeria 79
Algiers
Population
(2004 estimate)
1,790,700
Algiers is the capital of the North African
country of Algeria. It is also Algerias
largest city and chief seaport. The city
lies along the Bay of Algiers.
A people called the Phoenicians created
a colony in the area in ancient times.
But the town was destroyed in the 400s.
Another group, called the Berbers,
rebuilt the town in the 900s as a center
of business. It became a prosperous city
in the 1600s under Turkish rule.
The French captured Algiers in 1830.
They made it the headquarters for
Frances colonies in North and West
Africa. During World War II
(193945) Algiers was the headquarters
of the Allied forces in North Africa.
Groups in Algeria began rebelling
against France in the 1950s. Much of
the fighting took place in Algiers. After
Algeria became an independent country
in 1962, Algiers grew as the countrys
capital.
#More to explore
Algeria
Algonquian
The Algonquians (or Algonkians) are a
group of Native American tribes that
traditionally spoke similar languages and
had similar ways of life. The Cree, the
Mohican, the Delaware (Lenni Lenape),
the Ojibwa, the Shawnee, and the
Algonquin are a few of the many Algonquian
tribes.
The Algonquians probably once lived in
southern Canada in the area north of
the Saint Lawrence River. Over time
they spread out, eventually occupying a
large portion of what are now the
United States and Canada. Their territory
included New England, the Atlantic
coast, the Great Lakes region, and
part of the Great Plains.
Most Algonquians built their villages
alongside rivers. They grew corn, beans,
and squash in nearby gardens. They
hunted deer, rabbits, and beaver and
sometimes larger animals such as elk,
moose, and bison (buffalo). They made
much of their clothing from animal
hides.
Most Algonquian tribes built domeshaped
houses called wigwams. Some
tribes built longhouses of wood and
The city of Algiers faces the Bay of Algiers. bark that were large enough to house
80 Algiers BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
several families. Others lived in coneshaped
tepees.
Religious practices varied among the
Algonquians. Most tribes shared a belief
in a great spirit called Manitou. They
believed that Manitou was present in all
things on Earth.
The Algonquians living along the Atlantic
coast were among the first Indians to
come in contact with settlers from
Europe. They greeted the Pilgrims and
the Jamestown settlers who arrived in
the early 1600s. Many Algonquians died
from diseases brought by the European
settlers. The settlers also gradually forced
the Indians to give up their land. By the
mid-1800s most Algonquians were living
on reservations. Thousands of
people of Algonquian heritage still live
in the United States and Canada.
#More to explore
Algonquin Cree Delaware Mohican
Native Americans Ojibwa Shawnee
Algonquin
The Algonquin (or Algonkin) people
traditionally lived along the Ottawa
River in what is now Canada. A version
of their tribal name is used to describe
one of the largest Native American language
groups, the Algonquians. Different
groups of Algonquin spoke different
Algonquian languages.
The Algonquin lived in scattered forest
villages. They made their houses from
wood and bark. They planted corn,
beans, and squash but got most of their
food by hunting and fishing.
The French began arriving in Algonquin
territory in the early 1600s. The Algonquin
traded animal furs to them in
exchange for European goods. This trade
made the Algonquin powerful for a
while. But the Huron soon replaced
them as the main trading partners of the
French.Warfare with the powerful Iroquois
eventually drove the Algonquin
from their homeland. Many Algonquin
joined other tribes. Some returned to
their territory once their relations with
the Iroquois had improved.
After the British defeated the French in
the French and IndianWar (175463),
the Algonquin became friends of the
British. However, British settlers who
moved into the Ottawa River valley took
away much of the Algonquin land. At
the end of the 20th century about 8,000
A drawing of an Algonquin village
shows homes and fields of
crops.
Many common
words that
have Native
American
roots come
from Algonquian
languages.
These
include moccasin,
powwow,
and
tomahawk.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Algonquin 81
Algonquin lived in Canada, most of
them on reserves.
#More to explore
Algonquian French and IndianWar
Native Americans
Ali, Muhammad
U.S. boxer Muhammad Ali was a gifted
athlete with a personality that brought
him fans and fame. He was known for
such phrases as I am the greatest! and
float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
Muhammad Ali was born on January
17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. His
original name was Cassius Marcellus
Clay. At the age of 18 Clay won a gold
medal at the Olympic Games in Rome.
He became the world heavyweight
champion in 1964.
In 1964 Clay joined the Nation of Islam
and changed his name to Muhammad
Ali. At the time the United States was
fighting the VietnamWar. In 1967 Ali
refused to join the armed forces because
of his religion. He was convicted of
breaking the law. His title was taken
from him and he was not allowed to box
again until 1970. In 1971 the U.S.
Supreme Court cleared Ali of all criminal
charges.
In a match against George Foreman in
1974, Ali regained the world heavyweight
title. In 1979 Ali announced that
he would retire. He came out of retirement
for matches in 1980 and 1981,
but he was defeated both times. In later
years Ali suffered from Parkinsons disease,
which affects the brain and the
muscles.
Allegheny