Algeria Flag

Algeria's national flag contains equally horizontal fields of green and white, along with a star and red crescent in the centre. The naval ensign of the country adds two crossed anchors in the top left-hand corner added to the national flag. This flag was officially adopted on 3 July 1962, a few months after the war of independence had ended. A very similar version of this banner had been in use by the Algerian government from 1958 until 1962, when they were based in Cairo in exile.

Green is symbolic of Islam and white is a symbol of purity. Both of these colours also have a significant political connotation within the Arab world regarding the struggle for independence. The star and crescent symbol in the centre of the flag has been a symbol of Islam since the later part of the 20th century. The crescent and star have also been used by former Ottoman Empire states such as Libya and Tunisia in their national flags as well as states such as Malaysia, Pakistan, and Singapore, who were never a part of the Ottoman Empire.

The original designer of the flag is unknown, although different schools of thought exist on the matter. Some claim that a similar flag was used by the liberation forces of Abd el-Kader from 1837-1847, but there is no conclusive proof. Others argue that the inspiration for the current flag came from a sketch in 1934, with the three colours symbolising the expected unification of three major countries of Northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). The design of the flag, including colours and positioning of the star and crescent, was officially laid out in 1999 by the government of Algeria and is now published online.

Algeria was known as French Algeria from 1830-1962, and therefore, the country flew the flag of France as their national banner for over 130 years. The lack of political freedom for the majority of citizens in the country lead to the Algerian War of Independence in which the French flag was seen as an oppressive symbol of colonial rule.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Algiers
Languages	Arabic (official), French (lingua franca), Berber or Tamazight (official); dialects include Kabyle Berber (Taqbaylit), Shawiya Berber (Tacawit), Mzab Berber, Tuareg Berber (Tamahaq)
Ethnic Groups	Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religion	Muslim (official; predominantly Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian and Jewish) <1% (2012 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	5 July 1962 (from France)
Area	2,381,741.00 km²
Land Area	2,381,741.00 km²
Population	40,263,711.00 The vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia
No. Bordering Countries	7
Bordering Countries	Libya 989 km, Mali 1,359 km, Mauritania 460 km, Morocco 1,900 km, Niger 951 km, Tunisia 1,034 km, Western Sahara 41 km
GDP(PPP)	$609,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$15,000.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its biggest export partners are Spain, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, France, and Italy.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include capital foods, foodstuffs, and consumer goods.
Climate	Arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain	Mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Learn More	Algeria

Algeria Flag

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