Boumerdès (; ; formerly ''Rocher Noir'') is the capital city of
Boumerdès Province,
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 ...
. It is located on the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. It had a population of 15,000 in 1987 and 28,500 in 1998.
Boumerdès is a seaside city located in the north of
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 ...
about 50 km east of
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 ...
and 50 km west of
Tizi Ouzou. During French occupation of Algeria, the city was named Rocher Noir, translated from French as Black Rock. The city became the capital of the province, having the same name, according to the administrative division in 1984.
It is the capital city of wilaya (province) of Boumerdès.
The city is famous as a scientific center, including a number of national institutes and the University of
M'hamed Bouguerra. The institutes include l'Institut Algérien du Pétrole (the
Algerian Petroleum Institute IAP),
Faculté des Hydrocarbures et de la Chimie (Faculty of Hydrocarbons and Chemistry FHC),
l'Institut National d'Électricité et d'Électronique (The National Institute for Electricity and Electronics INELEC),
l'Institut National de Génie mécanique (The National Institute of Mechanical Engineering ENGM),
l'Institut National des Industries légères (The National Institute for Light Industries INIL).
The city is also known as an industrial center containing the headquarters of
Sonatrach Exploration, l'
Entreprise Nationale de Géophysique (
ENAGEO), and le
Centre de Recherches et de Développement (Research and Development Center for Sonatrach CRD).
In 2003, a
devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake shook northern
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 ...
with a maximum
Mercalli intensity of X (''Extreme'').
The city was one of the most heavily hit places.
In total, more than 2,200 people were killed, over 10,000 were injured, and a moderate tsunami damaged boats at the
Balearic Islands.
[Magnitude 6.8 Northern Algeria]
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
Climate
Neighbourhoods
The neighbourhoods of ''Boumerdès'' are:
File:Boumerdes.jpg, Cité Ali Bouyahiaoui
File:Boumerdes بومرداس 2.jpg, Cité 11 décembre 1960
File:Boumerdès.JPG, Quartier du front de mer
File:Gare ferrouviaire de Boumerdès.jpg, Cité Ibn Khaldoun
File:Photo rocher noir 07012019.jpg, Cité du Rocher Noir
Rivers
This commune is crossed by several rivers:
*
Meraldene River
*
*
*
*
*
*
Geology
Several mountain peaks are found in this commune:
* (444 m)
* (420 m)
History
*
First Battle of the Issers (1837)
Health
*
Mohamed Bouyahiaoui Hospital
Sport
Notable people
*
Brahim Boushaki, Algerian theologian
*
Adel Djerrar, Algerian footballer
*
Mohamed Flissi, Algerian boxer
*
Ali Laskri, Algerian politician
* , Algerian lawyer
* , Algerian artist
* , Algerian academic
References
External links
*
*
*
Populated coastal places in Algeria
Populated places in Boumerdès Province
Province seats of Algeria
{{Boumerdès-geo-stub