The French policy of confiscating Algerian land in the coastal regions (1830-1870): The Metidja Plain as a Case Study

Abstract

Since its occupation of Algeria, the French colonial power has used various means and methods to confiscate land in order to encourage settlement and
stimulate the French economy. One of the most prominent strategies employed was the creation of a series of unjust laws and regulations that enabled it to take control of Algerian property. The coastal areas were among the first and most important regions where the French concentrated their presence, due to their strategic location and abundance of fertile land. The first attempts to seize land began in the M’tidja plain. Our central research question is therefore as follows What were the main means and methods used by the colonial administration to confiscate land in the M’tidja plain? What was the impact of these actions on Algerian society?