Algeria is a North African country with a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. Many empires have left their legacies here, including the ancient Roman ruins in the seaside town of Tipaza. In the capital city of Algiers, Ottoman landmarks such as the Ketchaoua Mosque, built around 1612, line the hillside Casbah quarter, which is known for its narrow alleys and stairways. The city's Neo-Byzantine basilica, Notre Dame d'Afrique, dates back to French colonial rule.
Officially known as the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the country is located in the Maghreb region of North Africa and is home to almost 40 million people. From the 16th century, Algeria was an eyalet (province) of the Ottoman Empire until 1830, when France invaded. Algeria became an integral part of France in 1848, but gained independence in 1962.
When France occupied the country, the franc replaced the budju as the currency. The franc was equivalent to the French franc and was revalued in 1960 at a rate of 100 old francs = 1 new franc to maintain the equivalence. Following Algerian independence in 1962, the new franc was replaced at par by the dinar in 1964.
The dinar is the current monetary currency of Algeria and is subdivided into 100 centimes. However, centimes are now obsolete due to their extremely low value.
