Béchar Province

Béchar Province ولاية بشار
Province
Map of Algeria highlighting Béchar
Coordinates: 31°37′N 2°13′W / 31.617°N 2.217°WCoordinates: 31°37′N 2°13′W / 31.617°N 2.217°W
Country	Algeria
Capital	Béchar
Government
• Wāli	Mr. Mecheri Azzedine
Area
• Total	161,400 km^2 (62,300 sq mi)
Elevation	605 m (1,985 ft)
Population (2008)[1]
• Total	274,866
• Density	1.7/km^2 (4.4/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+01)
Area Code	+213 (0) 29
ISO 3166 code	DZ-08
Districts	12
Municipalities	21

Béchar (Arabic: ولاية بشار‎‎, Tifinagh: ⴱⴻⵛⴰⵔ) is a province (wilaya) in Algeria, named after its capital Béchar.

The greater part of the province is uninhabitable sand dune fields (ergs), in particular the Great Western Erg and the Erg Er Raoui, or dry plains (hamadas) suitable for grazing but with insufficient surface water to support agriculture. Most settlement is therefore concentrated in oases along the Saoura valley and its tributaries. An aquifer under the Erg Er Raoui supports the main exception, Tabelbala. Natural resources include coal deposits in the north around Bechar and Kenadsa and copper in the south in Djebel Ben Tagine.^[2]

The oases' traditional economic basis was agriculture, notably growing date palms and grain. The inhabitants of several oases, notably Igli, Ouakda, Lahmar and Boukais, speak Berber languages, while the rest speak Arabic; in one oasis, Tabelbala, a Songhay language, Korandje, continues to be spoken. Many of the oases had significant populations of haratin or shurfa. There are notable zaouias, traditional religious schools, at Kenadsa and Kerzaz. The region also supported a substantial mainly Arab pastoralist nomadic population, notably the Doui-Menia, Ouled Djerir, Ghenanma, Chaamba, and Reguibat; some of these still remain nomadic, but most have settled in the oases.

Trans-Saharan trade routes passing through this region played an important role in its economy in pre-modern times, but have at present been superseded. A small tourism industry exists, focused particularly on Taghit. Bechar, whose growth from a minor village began only in the early 20th century, has become the principal urban and administrative centre.

The region has a distinctive musical scene influenced by sub-Saharan African rhythms, whose best known representative is the Gnawi singer Hasna El Becharia. Another locally well-known group is El Sed, from Kenadsa.

Disagreements between Morocco and Algeria over their mutual border in this province and Tindouf led to conflict after Algeria's independence, the so-called Sand War.

Administrative divisions

The province is made up of 12 districts and 21 municipalities.^[3]

The districts are:

1. Abadla
2. Béchar
3. Béni Abbès
4. Béni Ounif
5. El Ouata
6. Igli
7. Kénadsa
8. Kerzaz
9. Lahmar
10. Ouled Khodeïr
11. Tabelbala
12. Taghit

The municipalities are:

1. Abadla
2. Béchar
3. Beni Abbes
4. Beni Ikhlef
5. Beni Ounif
6. Boukais
7. El Ouata
8. Erg Ferradj
9. Igli
10. Kenadsa
11. Kerzaz
12. Ksabi
13. Lahmar
14. Mechraa Houari Boumedienne
15. Meridja
16. Mogheul
17. Ouled Khoudir
18. Tabelbala
19. Taghit
20. Tamtert
21. Timoudi

References

1. Office National des Statistiques, Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat 2008 Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Preliminary results of the 2008 population census. Accessed on 2008-07-02.
2. http://www.mem-algeria.org/mining/map_pot.htm
3. "Dairas Et Communes" (in French). Site Officiel de la Wilaya de Bechar. Retrieved 9 March 2013.