Algeria is a beautiful North African country with a rich history and culture. Algerians love riddles and use them frequently in conversation. Here are 42 riddles about Algeria along with their answers.
Geography Riddles
Riddle 1
I’m a desert that covers much of Algeria. Many camel caravans have crossed my sands over the centuries. What am I?
Answer: The Sahara Desert
Riddle 2
I’m a mountain range that runs along the northern coast of Algeria. My peaks rise dramatically from the Mediterranean Sea. What am I?
Answer: The Tell Atlas Mountains
Riddle 3
I’m a high plateau region in eastern Algeria near the Tunisian border. Nomads herd their animals across my grassy plains. What am I?
Answer: The High Plateaus
Riddle 4
I’m a desert west of the Sahara with large sand dunes and oases fed by artesian wells. Algeria’s oil and gas reserves lie beneath my sands. What am I?
Answer: The Grand Erg Occidental
Riddle 5
I’m a range of the Atlas Mountains in northeast Algeria near the coast. My peaks trap moisture blowing in from the Mediterranean, making my slopes forested. What am I?
Answer: The Tellian Atlas Mountains
Riddle 6
I’m a salt lake in northeast Algeria. Flamingos flock to my shallow, salty waters. What am I?
Answer: Lake Melrhir
Riddle 7
I’m the longest river in Algeria, arising in the Saharan Atlas Mountains and flowing north to the Mediterranean Sea. What am I?
Answer: The Chelif River
Riddle 8
I’m a port city on Algeria’s Mediterranean coast that was largely rebuilt by the French in the 19th century. What am I?
Answer: Algiers
History Riddles
Riddle 9
I was an ancient North African kingdom that ruled much of present-day Algeria. My most famous king was Jugurtha. What was I called?
Answer: Numidia
Riddle 10
I’m an ancient port city founded by the Phoenicians on Algeria’s Mediterranean coast. The French later renamed me Bone. What’s my original name?
Answer: Hippo Regius
Riddle 11
I was a 3rd century BC Carthaginian general from present-day Algeria who led troops, including war elephants, against Rome in the Punic Wars. Who am I?
Answer: Hannibal
Riddle 12
I’m a fortified coastal city dating back to Phoenician times that resisted French control until 1832. What city am I?
Answer: Ghardaia
Riddle 13
I led the resistance against French colonial rule in Algeria in the 19th century and am considered the national hero. Who am I?
Answer: Abd al-Qadir
Riddle 14
I’m an eight day battle in 1830 that allowed France to gain a foothold in Algeria. What am I called?
Answer: The Battle of Staouéli
Riddle 15
I’m a bloody conflict between Algerian independence groups and the French colonial forces that took place between 1954-1962. What am I called?
Answer: The Algerian War
Culture Riddles
Riddle 16
I’m a traditional Algerian gown worn by women. My loose shape keeps the wearer cool in hot weather. What am I called?
Answer: A haik
Riddle 17
I’m a type of music originating in the ports and urban centers of Algeria and mixing Arabic, Spanish, and French influences. What am I?
Answer: Rai music
Riddle 18
I’m a traditional Algerian meal served on Friday after midday prayers. I feature a meat and vegetable stew served over couscous. What am I?
Answer: Couscous
Riddle 19
I’m a popular Algerian dessert made of fried balls of semolina dough soaked in honey syrup. What sweet treat am I?
Answer: Zlabia
Riddle 20
I’m an annual multiday festival unique to Algeria celebrating popular culture through music, food, parades, and more. What festival am I?
Answer: Yennayer
Riddle 21
I’m an Algerian rug handwoven in bold colors with geometric designs, named for a coastal region of Algeria. What type of rug am I?
Answer: A Kabyle rug
Food Riddles
Riddle 22
I’m a thin, crunchy deep-fried pastry sometimes filled with potatoes, tuna, or cheese. Algerians often eat me for breakfast. What am I?
Answer: A beghrir
Riddle 23
I’m a steamed semolina cake traditionally served at Algerian weddings. What sweet cake am I?
Answer: Ksra
Riddle 24
I’m a sandwich made from French bread stuffed with tuna, harissa, vegetables, and eggs. I’m a popular Algerian street food. What am I called?
Answer: A thon sandwich
Riddle 25
I’m a slightly fermented butter sometimes flavored with herbs and spices that is spread on bread or used in Algerian cooking. What am I called?
Answer: Smen
Riddle 26
I’m a refreshing chilled Algerian soup made from boiled chickpeas blended with olive oil, garlic, and lemon. What soup am I?
Answer: Chorba Frik
Riddle 27
I’m a common Algerian spice mixture containing herbs like thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, and chili peppers. I flavor many stews and tagines. What am I called?
Answer: Râs el hanout
Animal Riddles
Riddle 28
I’m a large mammal with humped back and long eyelashes well adapted to desert life in the Sahara. What animal am I?
Answer: The dromedary camel
Riddle 29
I’m a small tan-colored reptile that blends into the sands of the Sahara desert. What am I?
Answer: Desert horned viper
Riddle 30
I’m a small saltwater fish fried and served in sandwiches across coastal Algeria. What fish am I?
Answer: Sardines
Riddle 31
I’m a large wild cat with tufted ears that preys on Barbary sheep in Algeria’s Aures Mountains. What fearsome feline am I?
Answer: The Barbary lion
Riddle 32
I’m a large species of lizard with a spiny tail found in the rocky deserts of Algeria. What am I?
Answer: Uromastyx
Riddle 33
I’m a migratory bird recognizable by my pink feathers that flock to Lake Melrhir in Algeria. What bird am I?
Answer: The greater flamingo
Plant Riddles
Riddle 34
I’m a slow-growing native North African tree with thorny branches and small edible fruits. What am I?
Answer: The jujube tree
Riddle 35
I’m a squat, spiny desert plant that stores water in my leaves and stems. Algerian nomads value me greatly. What am I?
Answer: Prickly pear cactus
Riddle 36
I’m a fruit tree that thrives in Mediterranean climates like those along the Algerian coast. My blossoms scent the air in spring. What tree am I?
Answer: Orange tree
Riddle 37
I’m the national tree of Algeria, grown for my hard, durable timber. What sturdy tree am I?
Answer: The Algerian oak
Riddle 38
I’m a humble grain frequently used in Algerian cooking to make breads and porridges. In Algeria I’m even eaten green and fried. What grain am I?
Answer: Wheat
People Riddles
Riddle 39
I was a famous Algerian revolutionary and the first president of Algeria. I led the country to independence from France. Who am I?
Answer: Ahmed Ben Bella
Riddle 40
I was an Algerian writer and philosopher who wrote in French. My influential essay “The Algerian War and Individual Rights” defended armed resistance. Who am I?
Answer: Frantz Fanon
Riddle 41
I was a famous Algerian singer who helped popularize rai music in the 1980s and 90s. I was killed tragically young in a plane crash. Who am I?
Answer: Cheb Hasni
Riddle 42
I was an Algerian novelist and philosopher who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. My novels criticized French colonial rule. Who am I?
Answer: Albert Camus
Conclusion
How did you do with these riddles? Algeria has a deep and multidimensional culture and geography beyond these 42 puzzles, but hopefully this provides a fun and challenging glimpse into this North African country. Let me know if you have any other riddles about Algeria!
