Much of the history of Algeria has taken place
on the fertile coastal plain of North Africa which is often called
the Maghreb (or Maghrib). North Africa served as a transit region
for people moving towards Europe or the Middle East thus the
region's inhabitants have been influenced by populations from other
areas including the Carthaginians Romans and Vandals. The region
was conquered by the Muslims in the early 8th century AD but broke
off from the Umayyad Caliphate after the Berber Revolt of 740.
Later various Berbers Arabs Persian Muslim states Sunni Shia or
Ibadi communities were established that ruled parts of modern-day
of Algeria: including the Rustamids Ifranids Fatimids Maghrawas
Zirids Hammadids Almoravid Almohads Hafsids and Ziyyanids. During
the Ottoman period Algiers was the center of the Barbary slave
trade which led to many naval conflicts. The last significant
events in the country's recent history have been the Algerian War
and Algerian Civil War.
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