French Algeria ( to 1839, then afterward; unofficially , , ) 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 of
French North Africa, was never considered part of France. One of France's longest-held overseas territories,
Algeria became a destination for hundreds of thousands of
European immigrants, known as and later, as . However, indigenous
Muslims remained a majority of the territory's population throughout its history. Gradually, dissatisfaction among the Muslim population with its lack of political and economic status fueled calls for greater political autonomy, and eventually independence, from France. Tensions between the two population groups came to a head in 1954, when the first violent events of what was later called the
Algerian War began. The war concluded in 1962, when Algeria gained complete independence following the March 1962
Evian agreements and the July 1962
self-determination referendum.