Béchar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 31°37′N 2°13′W / 31.617°N 2.217°W
| Commune of Béchar | |
| بلدية بشار | |
 Map of Béchar Province highlighting Béchar Municipality |
|
| ONS code | 0801 |
| Postal code | 08000 |
| Province | Béchar (seat) |
| District | Béchar (coextensive) |
| PMA Seats | 23 |
| Area | 5050 km² (1950 sq mi) |
| Altitude | 747 m (2454 ft) |
| Population | 134 954 (1998) |
| Density | 27/km² (69/sq mi) |
| Time Zone | Central European Time (UTC+1) |
Béchar (Arabic: بشار), formerly known as Colomb-Béchar, is a capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. The area is controlled by Algeria, though claims have also been made on it by Morocco. In 1998 the city had a population of 134,954.
Before coal was found her in 1907, Bechar was a small populated town. It thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum production seized the market.
The city is noted for its leatherwork and jewellery. Dates, vegetables, figs, cereals and almonds are produced near Béchar. Bituminous coal reserves in the region are not exploited to their greatest potential because of high transportation costs. The city was once the site of a French foreign Legion post.
Near Béchar, there is Kenadsa longwave transmitter, whose masts are the tallest structures in Algeria.
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[edit] Location
Béchar is located in northwestern region of Algeria roughly 58 km south of the Moroccan border.
[edit] Climate
| Weather data for Béchar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Average high °C (°F) | 14.8 (59) |
16.2 (61) |
18.8 (66) |
24.5 (76) |
29.0 (84) |
36.1 (97) |
37.0 (99) |
35.9 (97) |
29.7 (85) |
24.0 (75) |
18.7 (66) |
16.3 (61) |
|
| Average low °C (°F) | -2.9 (27) |
2.6 (37) |
4.7 (40) |
8.5 (47) |
13.6 (56) |
16.9 (62) |
19.4 (67) |
17.6 (64) |
13.4 (56) |
10.1 (50) |
7.8 (46) |
3.2 (38) |
|
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 29.9 (1.18) |
25.3 (1) |
15.8 (0.62) |
12.7 (0.5) |
4.4 (0.17) |
0.8 (0.03) |
0.9 (0.04) |
3.6 (0.14) |
20.0 (0.79) |
31.6 (1.24) |
28.2 (1.11) |
31.4 (1.24) |
|
| Source: National Weather Service 1974-2007 | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
It is served by a narrow gauge railway station of SNTF, which in 2008, may be replaced with a standard gauge railway.
[edit] Historical population
| Year | Population[1] |
|---|---|
| 1936 | 5,100 |
| 1954 | 43,300 |
| 1966 | 46,500 |
| 1977 | 56,600 (town) 72,800 (municipality) |
| 1987 | 107,300 |
| 1998 | 134,500 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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