When South Sudan gained its independence from the Sudan in 2011, Algeria became the largest territorial country in Africa and 10th largest in the world. With four-fifths of Algeria consisting of arid deserts, it is easy to understand why over 90% of the country’s population lives in the cities fronting the cool Mediterranean coast.
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Sandstone Art - A rock painting of a cattle herding scene found in the Tassili n’Ajjer area of southeastern Algeria provides ample evidence of the northern area of the Sahara Desert once having sufficient rainfall to support a wide variety of wild animals: hippopotamus, giraffe, and buffalo. This environment also allowed the establishment of thriving communities able to raise domesticated animals and crops. The desertification of Africa is a continuing process stemming from mismanagement of land and global climate change.
