Name: Algeria Continent: Africa Population: 32,800,000 Religion: Sunni Muslim 99%; Christians & Jews 1%

After a century of rule by France, Algeria became independent in 1962. The surprising first round success of the fundamentalist FIS (Islamic Salvation Front) party in the December 1991 balloting caused the army to intervene, crack down on the FIS, and postpone the subsequent elections. The FIS response has resulted in a continuous low-grade civil conflict with the secular state apparatus, which nonetheless has allowed elections featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties. FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded itself in January 2000 and many armed militants surrendered under an amnesty program designed to promote national reconciliation. Nevertheless, residual fighting continues. Other concerns include Berber unrest, large-scale unemployment, a shortage of housing, and the need to diversify the petroleum-based economy. Information from the CIA World Fact Book

Timeline of Events Date Event 1954 1 November 1954 The Algerian War of Independence: French forces fight Algerian guerrilla forces for 8 years before granting independence to Algeria Go here for timeline sources.