Algeria

Algiers is the capital of Algeria, its political and economic hub on the Mediterranean coast. The name comes from Arabic al-jazā’ir, “the islands,” once lying just offshore. As the largest city, it hosts the presidency, parliament, and ministries, and its hillside Casbah (a UNESCO site) reflects Ottoman and French colonial history; the city is nicknamed “Algiers the White” for its sunlit facades. To remember: Algeria and Algiers share the “Alg-” root—ALGeria’s capital is ALGiers. Don’t confuse it with other major Algerian cities: Oran is a western port known for raï music, Constantine is a dramatic cliff-top city linked by bridges, and Annaba sits near the Tunisian border.