CAPITAL ALGIERS - POPULATION 33.8 MILLION - AREA 2,381, 740 SQ KM - OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ARABIC
This is the African continent's second- largest country, after massive Sudan. Tourists have stayed away from Algeria for the last decade or so as civil war raged wild. Though terrorist attacks do continue to occur - with suicide bombings occasionally rocking Algeria's major cities - travelers are tentatively returning to explore the vast Saharan wastes of the south and the historical remains sprinkled across the country. Assuming things stay reasonably calm in 2009, head straight to the lovely Saharan desert oasis town of Timimoun. Well set up for travelers, it currently offers a comfortable desert experience without the tourist hordes of Morocco or Tunisia. The time will come when Algeria is firmly back on the tourist map, so visit now to beat the tour buses. |
