Souk Ahras ( ar, ولاية سوق أهراس) is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

(''

wilaya A wilayah ( ar, وَلاية, wālāya or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu and fa, ولایت, ''velâyat''; tr, vilayet) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes fr ...

'') in the Aures region in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

, named after its capital,

Souk Ahras Souk Ahras (Berber: ''Tagast''; ancient name: ''Thagast''; ar, سوق أهراس) is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Souk Ahras Province. The Numidian city of Thagaste (or Tagaste), on whose ruins Souk Ahras was built, was the bi ...

. It stands on the border between Algeria and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Geography

Souk Ahras is situated in the extreme north east of

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. Its area is 4360 km². Its border to the north is the province of El Taref; in the east is

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

; westward is the province of Guelma and the province of

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 ...

; in the south the province of Tebessa Souk Ahras has a population of 450,000 people.

Relief

It is composed of three important areas: * In the north: mountainous region. * In the south: agricultural area. * In the centre: lowlands region.

Climate

The city of Souk Ahras has a semi continental and humid climate, heavy rains in the north in winter and very hot and dry in the south during summer. The rains are 350–750 mm/year and the temperatures vary from 1 °C to 14 °C in winter and from 25 °C to 38 °C in summer. The fauna is very rich in Souk Ahras, where species such as the hare, partridge, fox, sparrow, ferret, porcupine and barbarian hart can be found. The flora as well is very rich, with species such as: *

Cork oak ''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...

: 12,000 hectares * Zeen oak: 4,600 hectares * Ash-tree * Flowering ash * Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) *

Cypress tree Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

* Mastic-tree * Lavender * Heather

Trading activities

Trading activities are widespread in Sedrata and Zaarouria were many public and private companies have been set up: * National company of painting * National company of textile * Brick-making company * Sedrata metallic company * Mansouri paper factory * Hamada dairy * ALKALAM factory

Agriculture

The most important activities in this region are: agriculture, breeding and com cultivation. The total area is about 436,000 hectares. 235,000 hectares are consecrated to agriculture.

Infrastructure

Basic under structures and the railway system: Main roads: 600 km Secondary roads: 1600 km. The railway from Souk Ahras to Annaba is 138.8 km, among which 100 km are electrified.

History

The province was created from

Guelma Province Guelma Province ( ar, ولاية قالمة) is a province (''wilaya'') in eastern Algeria. Its namesake is its seat and most populous municipality: Guelma. History Its civilians suffered heavy casualties during the 1945 Sétif massacre by the Fr ...

in 1984.

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 10

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

s (''

daïra A daïra or daerah ( ''circle''; plural ''dawaïr'') is an administrative division in Algeria and Western Sahara in West Africa, as well as Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia. It is commonly translated in English as "district". West ...

s''), which are further divided into 26 ''communes'' or municipalities.

Districts

# Bir Bouhouche # Haddada #

M'Daourouch M'daourouch is a commune in Souk Ahras Province, Algeria, occupying the site of the Berber-Roman town of Madauros in Numidia. Demographics As of the 2008 census, Mdawrush has 36,351 inhabitants, which gives it 11 seats in the PMA. History It w ...

# Mechroha # Merahna # Ouled Driss # Oum El Adhaïm # Sedrata #

Taoura Taoura, known in antiquity as Thagora, is a town and commune in Souk Ahras Province in north-eastern Algeria. History Thagora was a Carthaginian and Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome ...

Communes

# Ain Zana # Ain Soltane # Bir Bouhouche # Drea # Haddada # Hanancha # Khedara # Khemissa #

# Mechroha # Merahna # Oued Keberit # Ouillen # Ouled Driss # Ouled Moumem # Oum El Adhaim # Ragouba # Safel El Ouiden # Sedrata # Sid Fredj #

# Terraguelt # Tiffech (Tiffeche) # Zaarouria # Zouabi

References

{{Authority control Provinces of Algeria States and territories established in 1984