| Béchar بلدية بشار |
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|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |
| Commune of Béchar | |
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Béchar
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Algeria |
| Province | Béchar (seat) |
| District | Béchar (coextensive) |
| Government | |
| • PMA Seats | 23 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5,050 km2 (1,949.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 747 m (2,451 ft) |
| Population (1998) | |
| • Total | 134,954 |
| • Density | 26.7/km2 (69.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
| Postal code | 08000 |
| ONS code | 0801 |
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 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 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.
Contents |
Béchar is located in northwestern region of Algeria roughly 58 km south of the Moroccan border.
| Climate data for Bechar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 15.9 (60.6) |
18.8 (65.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
30.6 (87.1) |
40.1 (104.2) |
40.1 (104.2) |
39.2 (102.6) |
34.2 (93.6) |
27.5 (81.5) |
20.9 (69.6) |
17 (63) |
27.74 (81.94) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) |
6.0 (42.8) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
21.9 (71.4) |
15.6 (60.1) |
9.2 (48.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
14.98 (58.96) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 9.0 (0.354) |
8.5 (0.335) |
8.8 (0.346) |
7.5 (0.295) |
5.3 (0.209) |
5.0 (0.197) |
0.7 (0.028) |
2.0 (0.079) |
7.4 (0.291) |
10.6 (0.417) |
13.6 (0.535) |
8.2 (0.323) |
86.6 (3.409) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN) | |||||||||||||
It is served by a narrow gauge 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.
| 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 |
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