Béchar
Encyclopedia
Béchar 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 here 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 leather
work and jewellery
. Dates, vegetables, figs
, cereal
s 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.
border.
railway station of SNTF
, which in 2008, may be replaced with a standard gauge
railway. From 1941 to 1963 it was reached by the standard gauge Mediterranean-Niger-Railway.
Béchar Province
Béchar is a province in Algeria, named after its capital Béchar.The greater part of the province is uninhabitable sand dune fields , in particular the Great Western Erg and the Erg Er Raoui, or dry plains suitable for grazing but with insufficient surface water to support agriculture...
, 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...
. The area is controlled by Algeria, though claims have also been made on it by Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. In 1998 the city had a population of 134,954.
Before coal was found here in 1907, Bechar was a small populated town. It thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
production seized the market.
The city is noted for its leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
work and jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
. Dates, vegetables, figs
FIGS
FIGS is an acronym for French, Italian, German, Spanish. These are usually the first four languages chosen to localize products into when a company enters the European market....
, cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s 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
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
post.
Near Béchar, there is Kenadsa longwave transmitter
Kenadsa longwave transmitter
Kenadsa longwave transmitter is a longwave transmitter of the Algerian Broadcasting Company situated at Kenadsa near Bechar, which transmits the program of Chaine 1 with a power of 2000 kW on 153 kHz. Kenadsa longwave transmitter, among the most powerful broadcasting transmitters in the world, uses...
, whose masts are the tallest structures in Algeria.
Location
Béchar is located in northwestern region of Algeria roughly 58 km south of the MoroccanMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
border.
Climate
Transport
It is served by a narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railway station of SNTF
SNTF
National company for rail transport is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF, a state-owned company, currently has a monopoly over Algeria's network of , even though it is currently exploiting only...
, which in 2008, may be replaced with a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
railway. From 1941 to 1963 it was reached by the standard gauge Mediterranean-Niger-Railway.
Historical population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1936 | 5,100 |
| 1954 | 43,300 |
| 1966 | 46,500 |
| 1977 | 56,600 (town) 72,800 (municipality) |
| 1987 | 107,300 |
| 1998 | 134,500 |