In a nation of abstaining Muslims, lush vineyards flourish. . . . Stripped of fruit, vines near El Bordj serve as fodder for sheep. Generations of French vintners converted Algeria's best land to grape cultivation and made their colony the world's major wine exporter. The heady vintage was usually mixed with a lighter French product to create the vin ordinaire that appeared on almost every family table in France. At independence most colons fled the country, taking their skills and capital. Algerian farm laborers assumed management of the estates, later nationalized but still operated by the workers.

—From "Algeria: Learning to Live With Independence," August 1973, National Geographic magazine