SHIELD

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The seal of Algeria is the symbol used by the government as an identifying mark of the Algerian State. It is not considered a coat of arms as it is totally removed from traditional heraldic norms. In its current form, it was adopted on November 1, 1976.

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It is a circular seal whose main element is the waning crescent and the five-pointed red star that is also in the center of the state flag, a symbol of Islam. Above, a jamsa or hand of Fatima, a traditional symbol that already appeared in the previous emblem of 1971, with olive branches at the bottom. Behind the hand there is a representation of the Aurés and Kabylia mountains, on which a rising sun appears, a symbol of the new independent era.

To the left of the hand, a laurel branch, a fruity olive branch and a representation of the citadel of Algiers, a factory chimney and an oil well, symbols of the victory against French colonialism, the Mediterranean Area and the Berbers, the scene of the revolts prior to independence and the industry respectively. To the right of the hand, a ballot box, a symbol of democracy, and three ears of wheat and some oak leaves, alluding to agricultural and forestry wealth.

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The elements of the seal are surrounded by the official name of the country in Arabic: “Al Jumhūrīyah al Jazā'irīyah ad Dīmuqrāţīyah ash Sha'bīyah” (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria).