African Folklore: An Encyclopedia - Marshalls University

See Diaspora
A
AFRICAN AMERICANS
AKAN/ASHANTI
See Beadwork; Chief; Color Symbolism: The Akan of Ghana; Concert Parties;
Gender Representation in African Folklore; Jokes and Humor; Queen Mothers;
Rattray; Tricksters in African Folklore
ALGERIA
One of Africa’s largest countries, Algeria is bordered by the Mediterranean to the north,
Tunisia and Libya to the east, Niger and Mali to the south, Mauritania, Western Sahara,
and Morocco to the west. Since the late twentieth century, Algeria has suffered from
much politically motivated violence. As early as 1830, when the French first invaded,
there was fierce opposition to foreign control. Algeria remained a province of France
until the liberation movement arose in the 1950s. Independence was finally granted in
1962. Within several years, there was another revolution led by the Algerian military,
which ruled for ten years until elections in 1976. Then, Colonel Houari Boumedienne,
who had led the military government, was formally elected president. With his death in
1978, the Revolutionary Council took over once again until the 1990 elections, when the
gains made by the Islamic fundamentalist movement were nullified by the military,
which seized power in 1992. Virtual civil war has continued ever since, with thousands of
Algerians being killed. Fortunately, a majority of the population accepted the elections of
2001 and a relative peace has been maintained.
The new constitution officially recognizes those of Arab and of Berber identity, the
latter being the original inhabitants of the country. The Berber language is also officially