Algeria is a country in Africa, with about 47.4 million people (2025) and an area of 2,381,740 square kilometres. Its capital is Algiers, and it shares land borders with 6 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of AlgeriaAlgeria in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Algeria's 17, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 17
The largest country in Africa is mostly empty
Algeria is Africa's largest country by area at 2.4 million square kilometers, but roughly 80 percent of that is Saharan desert. Nearly all of its 47 million people live along the narrow Mediterranean coastal strip. The Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas run parallel to the coast, separating the fertile north from an interior that stretches to Mali, Niger, and Libya. Size on the map is misleading: the inhabited country is a coastal ribbon backed by one of the most inhospitable landscapes on Earth.
More on Tell Atlas
The Tell Atlas is the northern range of the Atlas Mountains. It traps moisture blowing off the Mediterranean, which is why rain falls on the coastal plains and not behind them. South of the range, rainfall drops sharply and the Sahara begins.
16 more lenses on Algeria in the app
STORY The war that defined modern Algeria never really ended
NOW Europe wants Algerian gas, but Algeria cannot deliver enough
THREAD Algeria's neighborhood is a map of unresolved conflicts
PLACE The pitch on the desert edge
STORY The match that changed the rules
NOW Champions of Africa, back at the top
THREAD A talent pipeline through France
PLACE Where Africa meets the Sahara
STORY A team born from independence
NOW Back among the best, still short of 2014
THREAD Four North African sides, four different endings
PLACE The Sahara keeps a record of its rain
STORY The language Algeria spent decades refusing to recognize
NOW A budget written in barrels and cubic meters
THREAD A highway and a pipeline across the Sahara
PLACE Five towns built to catch a rare flood
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Algeria?
The capital of Algeria is Algiers. Algiers lies at about 36.8 degrees north and 3.0 degrees east. Algeria is in Africa. It is home to about 47.4 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Algeria?
About 47.4 million people live in Algeria, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 33rd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 2,381,740 square kilometres, that is about 20 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Algeria?
Algeria shares land borders with 6 countries: Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger and Tunisia. The map on this page outlines each of them around Algeria. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is Algeria?
Algeria covers 2,381,740 square kilometres, or about 919,595 square miles. That makes it the 10th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 47.4 million gives a density of 20 people per square kilometre.
Algeria is a country in Africa, with about 47.4 million people (2025) and an area of 2,381,740 square kilometres. Its capital is Algiers, and it shares land borders with 6 countries.
Capital
Algiers
Continent
Africa
Population
47,435,312 2025, World Bank. 33rd of 195.
Area
2,381,740 km² (919,595 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 10th largest of 195.
Algeria is Africa's largest country by area at 2.4 million square kilometers, but roughly 80 percent of that is Saharan desert. Nearly all of its 47 million people live along the narrow Mediterranean coastal strip. The Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas run parallel to the coast, separating the fertile north from an interior that stretches to Mali, Niger, and Libya. Size on the map is misleading: the inhabited country is a coastal ribbon backed by one of the most inhospitable landscapes on Earth.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/algeria/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Algeria
NameDate
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Colour Algeria on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/algeria/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
