Zouaoua
Encyclopedia
Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
finding homes in the mountains of the Djurdjura
Djurdjura
Djurdjura is a mountain range situated in Kabylia within the Djurdjura National Park. Famous mediaeval explorer Ibn Batuta went to Béjaïa through this mountain range. Actually he was heading towards Tunis with a caravan on his jorney for Hajj...
range. They were part of the Kabyle
Kabyle people
The Kabyle people are the largest homogeneous Algerian ethno-cultural and linguistical community and the largest nation in North Africa to be considered exclusively Berber. Their traditional homeland is Kabylie in the north of Algeria, one hundred miles east of Algiers...
-speaking populations.
From 1831, during the period of French rule in Algeria
French rule in Algeria
French Algeria lasted from 1830 to 1962, under a variety of governmental systems. From 1848 until independence, the whole Mediterranean region of Algeria was administered as an integral part of France, much like Corsica and Réunion are to this day. The vast arid interior of Algeria, like the rest...
, they were recruited by the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
to form the Zouaves. They had a great reputation for bravery, and formed the elite of the French Army.