Algeria

By Sally Barenger In the shifting sands of North Africa, Algeria stands as both sentinel and mediator. The largest country on the continent, it occupies a strategic position that places it at the heart of the Maghreb’s security debates. With one foot in the Mediterranean and the other in the Sahel, its borders touch zones of persistent unrest and fragile peace. Algeria’s posture in the region has been defined as much by what it avoids as by what it pursues. Since winning independence from France in 1962 after a bruising war, the nation has held fast to a doctrine of non-interference and respect for sovereignty. That principle—born of hard-won autonomy—has...

In the cities and towns of Algeria, markets form the pulse of daily life, their narrow lanes alive with sound, scent, and color. These vibrant spaces are far more than places of commerce;...

Rising above the dense urban quarters of Algeria’s historic cities, the casbahs stand as enduring witnesses to centuries of change. These fortified citadels, often perched on hillsides or folded into coastal landscapes, are...