ALGERIA 



197 



ALGERIA 



Since 1871 a civil government has taken the 

 place of the military system necessary up to 

 that time. 



Algeria is much interested in all plans for the 

 development of the continent of Africa, and its 

 government is pushing plans to assist in the 

 commercial advancement of vast areas. A rail- 

 road is projected from the Algerian coast south- 

 ward through the wastes of the Sahara to Lake 

 Chad and then towards the Belgian Congo and 

 British South Africa. Work on this line may 

 not be commenced before 1920; the War of 

 Nations may delay it even longer, because 

 of financial difficulties, but it is one of those 

 vast projects which will one day help to make 

 the "Dark Continent" an enlightened country. 



Other Points of Interest. The nomadic Arab 

 tribes do not really own any land, but tradi- 

 tion has assigned to each tribe a certain terri- 

 tory within which it may wander. 



During the summer months the sirocco, a 

 hot, dry wind, blows across Algeria, filling the 

 air with fine sand. 



There is an extraordinary boiling spring, 

 called by the natives "the accursed bath," 

 which legend declares came into existence sud- 

 denly to punish a sheikh who had sinned. 



There are many cork trees in Algeria, and 

 the income from cork is considerable. 



In the central part of the country there are 

 numerous salty lakes, known as shots, which 

 dry up in summer and leave a layer of silt. 



The name Tell, applied to the most populous 

 region, is an Arab word meaning hill. 



The coast of Algeria has always been known 

 as an unusually dangerous stretch the ancient 

 Romans spoke of its "savage sea and inhospit- 

 able shore." But the French government, by 

 its excellent lighthouse system, has done much 

 to lessen its dangers. 



Forest fires do great damage in Algeria. Gov- 

 ernment reports state that in some years 

 6,000,000 trees are damaged or ruined. 



The highest point in Algeria is 7,600 feet 

 above sea lev. ! 



re are 60,000 more asses than horses in 

 Algeria, despite the fact that Arabs are always 

 thought of as riding "fiery steeds." 



Goats and sheep are by far the most numer- 

 ous animals, there being almost eight times as 

 many sheep and more than three times as 

 many goats as cattle. EJ>.F. 



Consult Stall's The Real Algeria; Wllklns's 

 ng the Berbers of Algeria. These are Eng- 

 publlcatix are no American book* 



for roromin. n.l iti.n. owing lo the remote Ameri- 

 can Interest in the subject. 



Outline and Questions on 

 Algeria 



I. Position 



(1) Lalilude. 30' lo 37' north 



(2) Longitude, 2 10' west to 8 50' 



II. Slxe 



550 miles 



from 



to 



(1) Length. 



west 



(2) Breadth. 320 to 380 miles 



(3) Area, 225,000 square miles 



III. Country and Inhabitant* 



(1) Fertile coast region 



(2) Atlas Mountains 



(3) Desert regions 



(4) The natives 



i\. Climate 



( 1 ) In mountains and uplands 



(2) In lower sections 



V. Resource* 



(1) Minerals 



(2) Fisheries 



(3) Agriculture 



VI. Government and History 



( 1 ) Early conquests 



(2) Piracy 



(3) Interference by the United Stales 



and France 

 i I i French governmenl 



Questions 



What is the "Tell," and why is it so 

 called? 



Why are Algeria and the other coun- 

 trit-s of North Africa known as the 

 Barbary Stales? 



How does Ihis counlry compare In 

 size with the Canadian province of 

 Saskatchewan? With the largest stale 

 in the American union? 



Compare its population with thai of 

 each of Ihese divisions. 



How do Ihe Berbers compare moral- 

 h the Arabs? 



Why did Ihe French inlerfere in Al- 

 geria? 



What are ahatsf 



Give two reasons why it would be 

 safer to approach the Algerian coast 

 now than a century ago. 



What la the "accursed bath"? 



Why southern Algeria as 



thickly-settled aa the northern part? 



with \vh:it .-mrirnt country was Al- 

 geria identified? 



Has Algeria always been a profit- 

 able colony to its owner? 



change la taking place in this 

 respect? 



What la the attitude of France 

 toward the Arab chief a? 



Does Algeria make its own lawa? 



What MS has the country to 



to tourlsta? 



