Touggourt

Touggourt ﺗﻮﻗﺮت
City
Monument de Citroen, Touggourt
Location of Touggourt commune within Ouargla Province
Touggourt Location of Touggourt within Algeria
Coordinates: 33°06′N 6°04′E / 33.100°N 6.067°E / 33.100; 6.067Coordinates: 33°06′N 6°04′E / 33.100°N 6.067°E / 33.100; 6.067
Country	Algeria
Province	Ouargla
District	Touggourt
Population (2008)[1]
• City	39,409
• Urban[1]	146,108
Time zone	CET (UTC+01)

Touggourt (Arabic: ﺗﻮﻗﺮت‎; Berber: , lit. the gateway or the gate) is a city and commune, and capital of Touggourt District, in Ouargla Province, Algeria, built next to an oasis in the Sahara. As of the 2008 census, the commune had a population of 39,409 people,^[1] up from 32,940 in 1998,^[2] and an annual growth rate of 1.8%.^[1] However, Touggourt's urban area includes the communes of Nezla, Tebesbest and Zaouia El Abidia, for a total population of 146,108.^[1]

Touggourt is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, which the French filled up. Bradt Travel Guides describe it as "largely a modern town of block architecture and as such is largely unattractive. The centre is quiet most of the day due to the heat but is more active at night when people take to the streets."^[3]

History

In 1414 the Sultanate of Touggourt was founded in southern Algeria. In 1854 the sultanate was abolished by the French colonial authorities. The known Sultans (and one Sultana) were:

Geography

Touggourt lies on the western side of an extensive system of oases which supports palm plantations and other agriculture in an area 50 kilometres (31 mi) from north to south. Other towns around the oases are Sidi Slimane and Megarine to north, and Tamacine and Balidat Ameur to the south. The system is also associated with more oases further north in El Oued Province including the towns of Djamaa and El M'Ghair. Beyond the oases, the land is arid and barren, with extensive sand dunes both to the west and east of the city.

Climate

Touggourt, like all of Saharan Algeria, has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk), with very hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is very light throughout the year.

Transportation

Touggourt lies at the junction of the N3 and N16 roads, 161 kilometres (100 mi) northeast of the provincial capital of Ouargla.^[6] It is connected by railway to Biskra and is served by the Sidi Madhi Airport. ^[7]

The N3 highway connects to Megarine, Sidi Slimane, and Biskra to the north and Hassi Messaoud and Illizi to the south. The N16 connects to Taibet and El Oued to the east. Another road, the Route Messaad Tougourt, connects to Messaâd and Djelfa to the northwest. Local roads connect to nearby towns Megarine and Tamacine.

Localities

The commune is composed of nine localities:^[8]

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press 

	Djelfa Messad	Biskra El M'Ghair (El Oued) Djamaa (El Oued) Sidi Slimane Megarine	Tebesbest
	Ghardaia		El Oued Taibet
	Touggourt
	El Hadjira Ouargla	Nezla Tamacine Balidat Ameur Hassi Messaoud	Grand Erg Oriental

v t e Ouargla Province Capital: Ouargla Ouargla District Ouargla Rouissat El Borma District El Borma Rhoud El Baguel El Hadjira District El Hadjira El Allia Hassi Messaoud District Hassi Messaoud Haoud El Hamra Gassi Touil Mégarine District Megarine Meggarine Guedima Sidi Slimane El Har Ihira Moggar N'Goussa District N'Goussa El Bour Sidi Khouïled District Ain Beida Adjadja Chott Hassi Ben Abdellah Sidi Khouiled Taïbet District Taibet El Khoubna M'Naguer Oum Zebed Benaceur Témacine District Tamacine Tamellaht Balidat Ameur Goug Touggourt District Touggourt Nezla Tebesbest Zaouia El Abidia