Algeria

Algeria, Africa's largest country in terms of surface area, is almost 80% covered by the Sahara Desert. Algeria's rich history continues to shape the way land is accessed. Over time, the Algerian territory passed from Roman to Arab control, then to the Ottoman Empire and the French, before gaining independence in 1962. Independent Algeria has also gone through several phases in terms of land governance, ranging from the self-management of the former colonial domains to the agrarian revolution, followed by liberalisation of the land market and a return to the concession model. Since the 1980s, modern technologies drawing water from the water table have enabled the development of agriculture in desert and steppe areas.