Sidi Bel Abbès

Sidi Bel Abbès
سيدي بلعباس
City

Aerial view of Sidi Bel Abbès

Seal

Location of Sidi Bel Abbès in the Sidi Bel Abbès Province
Sidi Bel Abbès

Location of Taher in the Algeria

Coordinates: 35°11′38″N 0°38′29″W / 35.19389°N 0.64139°WCoordinates: 35°11′38″N 0°38′29″W / 35.19389°N 0.64139°W
Country  Algeria
Province Sidi Bel Abbès Province
District Sidi Bel Abbès District
APC 2012-2017
Government
 • Type Municipality
Area
 • Total 3,533.08 sq mi (9,150.63 km2)
Population (2008)
 • Total 212,935
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
Postal code 22000
ISO 3166 code CP
Ecole des beaux arts in Sidi Bel Abbès

Sidi Bel Abbès (Arabic: سيدي بلعباس‎) is capital (2005 pop. 200,000)[1] of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria. It is named after Sidi bel Abbass, a Muslim marabout or noble man who is buried there.[1] The city is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. It was formerly surrounded by a wall with four gates and there is a university there. Sidi Bel Abbès is 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.

History

The city, on the Wadi Mékerra River, developed around a French camp built in 1843.[1] In 1849 a planned agricultural town was established around the existing military post. From the 1830s until 1962, the city was closely associated with the French Foreign Legion, the location of its basic training camp, and the headquarters of its 1st Foreign Regiment. In the late 1890s the town, described as being of Spanish appearance, had a civilian population of about 30,000.[2] The main buildings were in the French military district of the Quartier Vienot. The training centre of the modern Algerian National Gendarmerie is located in Sidi Bel Abbès.

In the 1930s much of the old city walls were demolished. Wide boulevards and squares replaced the traditional quarters, causing the town to lose much of its former character.

Geography

Climate

Climate data for Sidi-bel-abbes
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 18
(64)		 20
(68)		 24
(75)		 29
(84)		 34
(93)		 35
(95)		 30
(86)		 24
(75)		 18
(64)		 14
(57)		 22.9
(73.1)
Average low °C (°F) 1
(33)		 2
(35)		 4
(39)		 6
(42)		 8
(46)		 12
(53)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 13
(55)		 9
(48)		 6
(42)		 2
(35)		 7.8
(45.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 61
(2.4)		 48
(1.9)		 46
(1.8)		 41
(1.6)		 38
(1.5)		 10
(0.4)		 3
(0.1)		 5
(0.2)		 15
(0.6)		 38
(1.5)		 43
(1.7)		 64
(2.5)		 412
(16.2)
Source: Weatherbase [3]

Economy

The economy centers on agriculture, particularly the production of cereals such as wheat and barley and the grape industry. A farm machine manufacturing complex is located there.[1]

Transports

Sidi Bel Abbès is well connected to other Algerian cities by roads and railroads. Oran is 70 kilometers north and Tlemcen is 90 kilometers west of. The closest international airport is Oran Es Sénia,[1] but the city is served by a domestic one: Sidi Bel Abbès Airport (IATA: BFW, ICAO: DAOS).

Famous natives of Sidi Bel Abbès

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Sidi Bel Abbes, lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article.
  2. ↑ Martin Windrow, page 138 Our Friends Beneath the Sands - The Foreign Legion in France's Colonial Conquests 1870-1935, ISBN 978-0-297-85213-1
  3. ↑ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Sidi-bel-abbes, Algeria". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.

External links

Media related to Sidi Bel Abbès at Wikimedia Commons

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sidi Bel Abbes.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sidi Bel Abbès.