Geography
Algeria is located in northern Africa, along the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco and Tunisia. It is bounded on the southwest by Mauritania and Mali, on the southeast by Niger, and the west by Libya. It is one of the largest countries in Africa at 2,381,741 square kilometers (919,595 square miles), a size comparable to slightly less than 3.5 times the size of the state of Texas.

Algiers, the capital, is on the Mediterranean coast in the north. Photos of this city can be viewedeelsewhere on this site.

Algeria's main physical regions stretch in parallel zones from east to west:

• The Tell: Located in the north along the Mediterranean coast and extending inland for 80 to 190 kilometers (50 to 120 miles). The area is narrow and backed by the Tell Atlas, a range of the Atlas Mountains system. Most of the country's arable land is located within the numerous valleys of this area. The Cheliff, Algeria's main river, rises in the Tell Atlas and flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
• The High Plateau: Located to the south and southwest, this is a highland region of level terrain. It has several basins, which collect water during the rainy seasons, forming large, shallow lakes. At other times, the basins are dry, becoming salt flats.
• The Algerian Sahara: The desert comprises over 90 percent of Algeria's total area. The Ahaggar Mountains are in the south, rising above the desert. Mount Tahat, the country's highest peak at 3,003 meters (9,852 feet) is located in this mountain range.

You can view a map of Algeria by clicking on the description.