Aïn Beïda
Encyclopedia
Aïn Beïda is a city and municipality (baladiyah) located in Oum El Bouaghi Province
, Algeria
, south east of Constantine
and north of Khenchla, inhabitated by Chaoui
s. As of 1998 its population was 88,300.
, while Beïda means white. Thus, Aïn Beïda literally means "White spring". The "whiteness" refers to the purity of the water that springs from the said spring.
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Oum El Bouaghi Province
Oum El Bouaghi or Oum el-Bouaghi is a province of Algeria. The capital is Oum el-Bouaghi, which was named Can Robert , Sidi R'Ghis a few years later, and Oum El Bouaghi before independence....
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, south east of Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
and north of Khenchla, inhabitated by Chaoui
Chaoui
The Shawia people, or Chaouis are a Berber people who live mainly in the Aurès, Nememcha and Belezma Region in the Aurès Mountains, a large part of eastern Algeria known in ancient times as Numidia...
s. As of 1998 its population was 88,300.
Etymology
Aïn is Arabic and means springSpring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, while Beïda means white. Thus, Aïn Beïda literally means "White spring". The "whiteness" refers to the purity of the water that springs from the said spring.
History
The town center still features a garden that houses Roman ruins, which indicates that the town has a rich long history that is, unfortunately, still ignored by historians of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
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| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 18,900 |
| 1966 | 30,800 |
| 1977 | 42,600 (town) 44,300 (municipality) |
| 1987 | 62,000 |
| 1998 | 88,300 |
| 2011 | 220,000 |