Akfadou is a
commune in northern
Algeria in the
Béjaïa Province
The Béjaïa Province ( Kabyle: ''Tawilayt n Bgayet''; ar, ولاية بجاية, Latn, ar, Wilāyat Bijāyah; french: wilaya de Béjaïa or ) is a province of Algeria in the Kabylie region. The province's capital city is Béjaïa, the terminus ...
. This locale is noted for its local population of
Barbary macaque
The Barbary macaque (''Macaca sylvanus''), also known as Barbary ape, is a macaque species native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, along with a small introduced population in Gibraltar.
It is the type species of the ...
s, ''Macaca sylvanus''.
[C. Michael Hogan, 2008]
Etymology
The name Akfadou is a contraction of the words "akfuḍ̣̣" and "aḍ̣̣U" which respectively mean "multiple or excess" and "wind".
This name recalls the harsh climate in this region especially in winter when the cold winds gust and heavy snows often isolate small villages. During the exploration of Kabylia by the French occupation in 1850, the word Akfadou was translated as the top wind ().
Economy
The Akfadou economy is based mainly on the
retail and
transport.
It is also characterized by agriculture based on
polyculture and
animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...
. The herd is made up of cattle, most of which are raised for dairy or meat production. Sheep and goats are also raised here.
References
* C. Michael Hogan (2008
''Barbary Macaque: Macaca sylvanus'', Globaltwitcher.com, ed. Nicklas StrombergUNESCO Biosphere Reserve: Gouraya National Park (2006)
Line notes
Communes of Béjaïa Province
Berber populated places
{{Béjaïa-geo-stub