Béni Ikhlef () is a town and commune in

Kerzaz District Kerzaz is a district in Béchar Province, Algeria. It was named after its capital, Kerzaz. According to the 2008 census, the total population of the district was 9,876 inhabitants. Almost all of the population is settled near the Oued Saoura, whic ...

Béchar Province Béchar () is a Provinces of Algeria, province ''(Wilayah, wilaya)'' in Algeria, located on the border with Morocco in the Algerian Desert, Algerian Sahara. It is the second least-densely populated province in Algeria, with a population of 353591 ...

, in western

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 ...

. As of the 2008 census, its population was 2,459, up from 2,280 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 0.8%. The commune covers an area of .

Geography

Béni Ikhlef lies on the left (northeast) bank of the

Oued Saoura Oued Saoura is an intermittent river, or wadi, formed from the confluence of the Oued Guir and Oued Zouzfana at Igli, forming the Saoura valley. While in the past the flow of the river was steady and plentiful, in recent years it has diminished ...

in the

Saoura The Saoura () is a valley in southwestern Algeria. It is formed by the wadi known as Oued Saoura, formed from the confluence of the Oued Guir and Oued Zouzfana at Igli.] From Igli it runs through Béchar Province past the towns of Béni Abbès ...

valley. The

Grand Erg Occidental The Grand Erg Occidental (, al-ʿIrq al-Gharbī al-Kabīr), (also known as the Western Sand Sea) is the second largest erg in northern Algeria after the Grand Erg Oriental. It covers an area of approximately . The sand dunes in the erg are formed ...

, a large area of continuous

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

lies to the east, while the rocky ridges of the Ougarta Range rise to the west, running from northwest to southeast along the opposite side of the river from the town.

Climate

Béni Ikhlef 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 ...

, with extremely hot summers and warm winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in Béni Ikhlef. The commune has a total of of

arable land Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...

, of which is

irrigated Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has be ...

. There are a total of 36,420 date palms planted in the commune. As of 2009 there were 614 sheep, 347 goats, 45

camel A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...

s, and 13 cattle. There were also 6700 chickens. Tourist attractions include sand dunes, palm groves and an ancient fort.

Infrastructure and housing

95% of Béni Ikhlef's population is connected to drinking water, 95% is also connected to the sewerage system, and 91% (including 560 buildings) have access to electricity. Béni Ikhlef has a total of 436 houses, of which 302 are occupied, giving an occupation rate of 8.1 inhabitants per occupied building.

Transportation

Béni Ikhlef is on the N6 national highway between

Béchar Béchar () is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627, up from 134,954 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.1% ...

to the northwest and Adrar to the southeast. Towns accessible to the north via the N6 include El Ouata, Béni Abbès and Igli, while to the south the towns of

Kerzaz Kerzaz () is a town and commune, and capital of Kerzaz District, in Béchar Province, western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 5,028, up from 4,276 in 1998, and its annual growth rate is 1.7%. The commune covers an area ...

Timoudi Timoudi (Arabic: ﺗﻴﻤﻮدى) is a town and commune in Kerzaz District, Béchar Province, in western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 2,389, up from 2,116 in 1998, with an annual population growth rate of 1.2%. The ar ...

and

Ouled Khoudir Ouled Khoudir () is a town and Communes of Algeria, commune in Ouled Khoudir District, Béchar Province, in western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 4,251, up from 3,893 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 0.9%. The comm ...

can be accessed. Béni Ikhlef is from the provincial capital,

. There is a total length of of roads in the commune.

Education

There are 3 elementary schools, with 20 classrooms including 15 in use. There are a total of 706 school students. 9.1% of the population has a tertiary education (the second highest in the province), and another 21.9% has competed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 81.8%, and is 90.6% among males and 72.6% among females.

Health

Béni Ikhlef has one room care facility. There are no hospitals, clinics, or pharmacies. The nearest clinics are in Kerzaz and El Ouata, and the nearest hospital is in Béni Abbès.

Religion

Béni Ikhlef has 2 operational

mosques A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were simple p ...

, with another 1 under construction.

Localities

The commune is composed of two localities: *Béni Ikhlef * Guerzim Guerzim also lies on the N6 highway, northwest of the main town of Beni Ikhlef.

References

Neighbouring towns and cities

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beni Ikhlef Communes of Béchar Province