The Hautes Plaines ("High Plains", ar, الهضاب العليا), also known as Hauts Plateaux, is a
steppe
In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes.
Steppe biomes may include:
* the montane grasslands and shrublands biome
* the temperate grasslands, ...
-like
natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecology, ecological point of view, the naturally occurring fl ...
located in the
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through Moroc ...
in northern Algeria. It stretches more than in an
east northeast –
west southwest direction from northeastern
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
to the
Aures. It is a high
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...
area consisting of undulating, steppe-like
alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...
s lying between the
Tell and
Saharan Atlas Saharan may refer to:
* Someone or something from the Sahara desert
* Sahrawi people (also spelled Saharawi), the indigenous people of Western Sahara
* Saharan languages
The Saharan languages are a small family of languages across parts of the ea ...
ranges.
Geography
The ''Hautes Plaines'' region averages between 1,100 and 1,300 m in elevation in the west, dropping to 400 m in the east. The climate is characterized by very dry summers and cold winters. Generally the climate is so dry that these plains are sometimes thought of as part of the
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
.
The plateau area is covered by
alluvial
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
debris formed when the mountains eroded. An occasional ridge projects through the alluvial cover to interrupt the monotony of the landscape.
Water collects during the wet season on its level terrain, forming large shallow salt lakes which become
salt flats Salt flats, Salt flat, Salt Flats, or Salt Flat may refer to: Geology
*Salt pan (geology), a flat expanse of ground covered with salt and other minerals
* Dry lake, an ephemeral lakebed that consists of fine-grained sediments infused with alkali sal ...
as they dry. The largest of such lakes is the
Chott Ech Chergui with a length of about 160 km located in the central section of the plains. The
Hodna
The Hodna (french: Le Hodna) is a natural region of Algeria located between the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges at the eastern end of the ''Hautes Plaines''. It is a vast depression lying in the northeastern section of M'Sila Province and the weste ...
region, with the
Chott el Hodna
The ''Chott el Hodna'' ( ar, شط الحضنة) is a very shallow saline lake in Algeria. It is located within an endorheic basin in the Hodna region, towards the eastern end of the ''Hautes Plaines''. The ''Chott el Hodna'' includes seasonal bra ...
lies at the eastern end of the ''Hautes Plaines''.
The main towns of the plateau are
Bordj Bou Arreridj,
Sétif
Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
,
Tiaret
Tiaret ( ar, تاهرت / تيارت; Berber: Tahert or Tihert, i.e. "Lioness") is a major city in northwestern Algeria that gives its name to the wider farming region of Tiaret Province. Both the town and region lie south-west of the capital o ...
,
Djelfa
Djelfa ( ar, الجلفة, link=no, al-Ǧilfah) is the capital city of Djelfa Province, Algeria and the site of ancient city and former bishopric Fallaba, which remains a Latin catholic titular see.
It has a population of 490,248 (2018 census). T ...
and
M'sila
M'sila (also spelled Msila) ( ar, المسيلة); is the capital of M'Sila Province, Algeria, and is co-extensive with M'sila District. It has a population of 132,975 as per the 2008 census. M'sila University is also located in this city.
Hist ...
. The limits of the plains are not clearly defined, but administratively the territory falls within the following Algerian provinces:
* Eastern part: The plateau on this side falls within the provinces of
Sétif
Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...
,
Bordj Bou Arreridj,
Batna,
Khenchela
Khenchela ancient Mascula ( ar, خنشلة) is the capital city of the administrative Khenchela Province (''Wilaya''), number 40, in the north east of Algeria. Situated in the Aures Mountains, 1200 m above sea level. The city is mainly popu ...
,
Tébessa
Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the w ...
and
Oum El Bouaghi
Oum El Bouaghi ( ar, أم البواقي) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Oum El Bouaghi Province
Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi ( ar, ولاية أم البواقي) is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria in the Aures re ...
.
* Central part:
Djelfa
Djelfa ( ar, الجلفة, link=no, al-Ǧilfah) is the capital city of Djelfa Province, Algeria and the site of ancient city and former bishopric Fallaba, which remains a Latin catholic titular see.
It has a population of 490,248 (2018 census). T ...
,
Laghouat
Laghouat ( ar, الأغواط; en, Laghwat) is the capital of the Laghouat Province, Algeria, south of the Algerian capital Algiers. Located in the Amour Range of the Saharan Atlas, the town is an oasis on the north edge of the Sahara D ...
,
M’Sila and
Tissemsilt
Tissemsilt ( ar, تسمسيلت, Tissamsīlt) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Tissemsilt Province
Tissemsilt ( ar, ولاية تسمسيلت) is the 38th province of Algeria with the capital being Tissemsilt. Théniet El Ha ...
provinces.
* Western part:
Tiaret
Tiaret ( ar, تاهرت / تيارت; Berber: Tahert or Tihert, i.e. "Lioness") is a major city in northwestern Algeria that gives its name to the wider farming region of Tiaret Province. Both the town and region lie south-west of the capital o ...
,
Saida Saida may refer to:
Places
* Saïda, Algeria, a city in Algeria
* Saïda Province, a province of Algeria
* Saida, Lebanon, the Arabic name for Sidon, a city in Lebanon
* Saida, a village in Helan, Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab province, Pakistan
* Sai ...
,
Naâma
Naâma (Arabic: النعامة or نعامة) is a municipality in Naâma Province, Algeria, of which it is the province seat. It is coextensive with the district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is ...
and
El Bayadh
El Bayadh () is a municipality of Algeria. It is the capital of El Bayadh Province. This town was known as ''Géryville'' during the French colonization of Algeria.
Geography
The Ksour Range is a mountainous
A mountain is an elevated po ...
provinces.
Agriculture includes grazing of sheep and goats on grass in better-watered high plateau areas and the cultivation of some crops such as dry-land
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...
.
Les hautes plaines steppiques
/ref>
See also
*Geography of Algeria
Algeria comprises square kilometers of land, more than 80% of which is desert, in North Africa, between Morocco and Tunisia. It is the largest country in Africa. Its Arabic name, Al Jazair (the islands), is believed to derive from the rocky ...
*Hodna
The Hodna (french: Le Hodna) is a natural region of Algeria located between the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges at the eastern end of the ''Hautes Plaines''. It is a vast depression lying in the northeastern section of M'Sila Province and the weste ...
References
External links
Persée : L'évolution du nomadisme dans les hautes plaines
Introduction: Les hautes plaines de l'Est de l'Algérie
{{Cultural regions of Algeria
Cultural regions of Algeria
Geography of Algeria
Natural regions of Africa
Geography of Bordj Bou Arréridj Province
Geography of Batna Province
Geography of Djelfa Province
Geography of El Bayadh Province
Geography of Khenchela Province
Geography of Laghouat Province
Geography of M'Sila Province
Geography of Naâma Province
Geography of Oum El Bouaghi Province
Geography of Saïda Province
Geography of Sétif Province
Geography of Tébessa Province
Geography of Tiaret Province
Geography of Tissemsilt Province