French Algeria, Former French territory in North Africa
French Algeria was a French-administered territory in North Africa stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara Desert. The region included major port cities, mountainous areas, and inland plains with varied climates and landscapes.
French rule began in 1830 through military invasion and lasted until 1962, ending after a long independence war. During this period, the territory was incorporated as overseas departments directly tied to France's administrative system.
The European settlers, known as pieds-noirs, developed separate neighborhoods from the Muslim population, creating distinct social and educational structures.
The region was a mix of urban centers along the coast and rural areas inland with varying infrastructure and development. Visitors would have encountered different transportation routes and trade paths linking the coastal cities with mountain regions and the desert.
The territory was legally treated not simply as a colony but as an integral extension of France itself, governed directly as departments. This structure was unusual in European colonial history, yet the local population remained distinctly separated from the French population in practice.
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