For the region of Mauritania, see Adrar (region). For the Adrar Province (Wilaya), see Adrar Province.
Adrar
City
Native nameⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ
أدرار
CountryAlgeria
ProvinceAdrar Province
DistrictAdrar District
Area total633 km²
Population as of2008
Population total64781
Time zoneCET (UTC+1)
Coordinates27°52′N 0°17′W
Elevation258 m
Postal code01000
Area code0101
ClimateBWh

Adrar (Tamazight: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ romanized: Adrar, Arabic: أدرار)[1] is the administrative capital of Adrar Province, the second largest province in Algeria. The commune is sited around an oasis in the Touat region of the Sahara Desert. According to a 2008 census, it has a population of 64,781,[2] up from 43,903 in 1998,[3] with an annual growth rate of 4.0%.[2]

Adrar is mainly an agricultural town, characterized by its traditional irrigation system, the Foggara.

Name

The city's name means "mountain" in Berber.[4]

History

Adrar is located in the Touat region, which was historically an important trade region for caravans crossing the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa.[5][6] Since Algerian independence, the city has witnessed much growth due to infrastructure, social, and housing projects.

Geography

Adrar lies at an elevation of 258 metres (846 ft) 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 (Köppen climate classification BWh), with severely long and hot summers and short, mild winters, and averages just 15 millimetres (0.59 in) 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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[vague]

Transportation

Touat Cheikh Sidi Mohamed Belkebir Airport (or simply Adrar Airport)[9] is located 10 kilometers away from center of the city. Airlines include Air Algérie flight to Algiers, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Oran 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

YearPopulation[2][3][10]
1936800
196613,300
198728,600
199843,903
200864,781

Education

9.2% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 19.8% has completed secondary education.[11] 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).[12]

Nuclear testing

Adrar was the site of one of the In Ekker series, French nuclear tests during the 1960s.[13]

Localities

As of 1984, the commune was composed of the following eight localities:[14]

References

  1. ^ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69b1739195b7465160349650/Algeria_Toponymic_Factfile.pdf
  2. ^ "Population: Wilaya d'Adrar" (in French). Office National des Statistiques Algérie. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  3. ^ "Algeria Communes". Statoids. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  4. ^ Room, Adrian (2008). African placenames : origins and meanings of the names for natural features, towns, cities, provinces, and counties. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland & Co. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-7864-3546-3.
  5. ^ "Adrar | Sahara Desert, Berber, Nomads | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  6. ^ Everett-Heath, John (2019-09-19). The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-260254-1.
  7. ^ The Times Books World Weather Guide, E.A Pearce and C.G. Smith, TIMES BOOKS, The New York Times Book Co., Inc.
  8. ^ The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: Scott Fetzer Co., 2007.
  9. ^ "Touat Cheikh Sidi Mohamed Belkebir Airport". OurAirports. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  10. ^ populstat.info Archived March 3, 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Structure relative de la population résidente des ménages ordinaires et collectifs âgée de 6 ans et plus selon le niveau d'instruction et la commune de résidence." (in French). Office National des Statistiques Algérie. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  12. ^ "Taux d'analphabétisme et taux d'alphabétisation de la population âgée de 15 ans et plus, selon le sexe et la commune de résidence ." (in French). Office National des Statistiques Algérie. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  13. ^ Agency, International Atomic Energy (2005). Radiological Conditions at the Former French Nuclear Test Sites in Algeria: Preliminary Assessment and Recommendations. International Atomic Energy Agency. ISBN 978-92-0-113304-5.
  14. ^ "Décret n° 84-365, fixant la composition, la consistance et les limites territoriale des communes. Wilaya d'Adrar" (in French). Journal officiel de la République Algérienne. 19 December 1984. p. 1472. Archived 14 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 June 2013.