<human>:  Why did the French colonize Algeria?
<bot>: The French colonized Algeria because they wanted to control the flow of oil from the Middle East. They needed to have a base of operations near the region so that they could protect the flow of oil from the region. The French government had been fighting against the Ottoman Empire for many years, and they felt that the French had to have a foothold in North Africa so that they could protect the flow of oil to their country.