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Algeria: North Africa
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The native Berber population of Algeria has been under the rule of foreign occupants for much of the last 3000 years. The Phoenicians (1000 BC) and the Roman Republic (200 BC) were the most important of these, until the coming of the Arabs in the 8th century. However, the flow of conquests was not all one-way; in medieval times the Berber Fatimid dynasty, originating in Algeria, took over Egypt, although it soon afterwards abandoned North Africa.
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Algeria is a leading military power in North Africa and has its force oriented toward its western (Morocco) and eastern (Libya) borders. Its primary military supplier has been the former Soviet Union, which has sold various types of sophisticated equipment under military trade agreements, and the People's Republic of China. Algeria has attempted, in recent years, to diversify its sources of military material. Military forces are supplemented by a 45,000-member gendarmerie or rural police force under the control of the president and 30,000-member Sûreté nationale or Metropolitan police force under the Ministry of the Interior.
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In addition to its activities in Algeria, Patch has a major investment interest in Pharmaxis (PXS: Australian Stock Exchange) where it is the company's second largest shareholder with 11.2 million shares. Others include CIBC, HSBC, and the Rothschild Group. Patch is involved in oil and gas projects in Saskatchewan, Texas, and the East Corning area in Northern California.
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Algeria has a landmine problem dating back to World War II, when German and Italian troops laid mines in the northern coastal regions. French troops laid mines on the borders with Tunisia and Morocco until 1962, mainly along the electrified “Challe et Morice” Line.
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Algeria's journey to attend the 2010 World Cup and African Nations Cup 2010 finals in South Africa and Angola respectively. Algeria was drawn in Group 6 along with Senegal, the Gambia and Liberia. In this first round of qualifying, the group winners and the 8 best runners-up progress to the second qualifying round. Details on format of qualifiers and full group standings for the African continent ( CAF) can be found in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF) section.
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The northern sections of Algeria have suffered from centuries of deforestation and overgrazing. Remnants of forests exist in a few areas of the higher Tell Atlas and Saharan Atlas. Trees include pines, Atlas cedar, and various oaks, including cork oak. Lower slopes are bare or covered with a scrub vegetation of juniper and other shrubs. Much of the High Plateau is barren, but tracts of steppe vegetation containing esparto grass and brushwood are present. Plant life in the Sahara is widely scattered and consists of drought-resistant grasses, acacia, and jujube trees.
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