Learning about Algeria for Kids

Our next stop on our nations of the world tour is Algeria. The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is located in northern Africa.

Algeria Basics

Albania is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and the nations of Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco. It is the largest nation in Africa and the tenth largest in the world by area, covering 919,595 square miles, or 2,381,741 square kilometers. It is more than 200 times larger than the smallest country in Africa! (Which is Gambia, by the way.)

At 44 million residents it is only the tenth most populous nation in Africa. The capitol is Algiers, and the languages spoken there are mostly Algerian Arabic and Berber. The country has 58 provinces.

Algeria was a colony of France from 1830 until it gained independence in 1962. Read more about Algerian history at Britannica Kids. Because of the French influence, that language is still spoken a lot in Algeria, but it is not an official language of the country.

National Symbols

The Algerian flag is half green and half white, with a red crescent and star in the middle. These represent Islam, which is the religion of most people in the country. Green is also a symbol of Islam, and red represents the blood spilled in the struggle for independence, while white is for purity and peace gained through independence.

The national motto is “By the people and for the people,” and the national anthem is called “We Pledge.”

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-CBPYBA_Qc?si=CN_2ZDMc3ywm64Dq]

The national currency is the dinar.

Algeria Activities for Kids

Learn more about Algeria and download the worksheets from KidsKonnect to test your knowledge.

Algeria has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the kasbah (ancient walled city) in Algiers. You can learn more about the site and check out photos and videos at the UNESCO site.

Another heritage site is Tassili N’Ajjer National Park, which features amazing prehistoric rock art. Read more at National Geographic.

Other than this Reddit post I couldn’t find much on traditional games in Algeria, so if you know about them let me know in the comments!

Couscous is a popular dish in Algeria, which I saw referred to as the unofficial national dish. This recipe from Halal Home Cooking uses lamb, but you can use other meats if you prefer, or just try it with vegetables. And check out this post from Very Hungry Nomads to learn about other popular dishes from Algeria.

Read more about Algeria with the book My First Book: Algeria, or check out this Algeria coloring book that also includes facts about the nation.

[Algeria map via Encyclopaedia Britannica]

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Learning About Albania for Kids

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

Algeria Basics

National Symbols

Algeria Activities for Kids

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