HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Adrar (
Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ''Adrar''; ) is the administrative capital of Adrar Province, the second largest province in
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
. The commune is sited around an
oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentTouat region of the
Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
. According to a 2008 census, it has a population of 64,781, up from 43,903 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 4.0%. Adrar is mainly an
agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...
town, characterized by its traditional irrigation system, the '' Foggara''.


History

Adrar is located in the Touat region, which was historically an important trade region for caravans crossing the Sahara to
Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
. Around the 17th century, the Adrar area became part of Morocco, remaining so for about three hundred years. The oasis was captured by the French from Moroccan forces in 1900. In 1906, the city was founded by the French. Since Algerian independence, the city has witnessed much growth due to infrastructure, social, and housing projects.


Geography

Adrar lies at an elevation of above sea level. A large oasis lies to the southwest of the town; this oasis lies in the Tuat region, a string of oases running from Bouda in the north to Reggane in the south. A vast area of sand dunes, the Erg Chech, lies to the west, while a large rocky plateau, the Tademaït, lies to the east.


Climate

Adrar has a
hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BWh''), with severely long and hot summers and short, mild winters, and averages just of rainfall per year. Summer temperatures are consistently high as they commonly approach 46 °C (114 °F). temperatures at night are still hot at around 27 °C (81 °F). Even in early May or in late August, daytime temperatures can rise to 48 °C (118 °F). Winter nights can be chilly and frost is by no means unknown but the days are pleasantly warm, sunny and dry. During the summer, the Sahara region of Algeria is the source of a scorching, sometimes dusty and southerly wind called the Sirocco. These winds parch the plateaus of northern Algeria up to 40 days and reach the Tell coastal region for as many as 20 days.


Culture

The settlement in the region (also known as Touat) is quite ancient and the area provides for several different cultures and includes several historic monuments. This intermingling gave birth to a body of traditions and of cultural and hand-crafted practices that are still present today in the life of its inhabitants, translating into a wealth of the folklore and cultural heritage.


Transportation

Touat Cheikh Sidi Mohamed Belkebir Airport (or simply ''Adrar Airport'') is located 10 kilometers away from center of the city. Airlines include Air Algérie flight to
Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...
, Bordj Badji Mokhtar,
Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...
and Ouargla in addition to Tassili Airlines flights to In Aménas. Adrar is on the N6 national highway, which leads north to Béchar and south to Reggane and Timiaouine.


Demographics


Education

9.2% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 19.8% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 84.1%, and is 89.9% among males and 78.1% among females (the second highest among all the communes in the province).


Nuclear testing

Adrar was the site of one of the In Ekker series, French nuclear tests during the 1960s.


Localities

As of 1984, the commune was composed of the following eight localities: *Adrar *Adgha *Ouguedim *Barbaa *Ouled Oungal *Ouled Ouchen *Ouled Ali * Tililane * Meraguen


References


External links


Adrar Province
{{Authority control Communes of Adrar Province Oases of Algeria Province seats of Algeria Populated places with year of establishment missing