Béchar

(Arabic: بشار‎‎) is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627, up from 134,954 in 1998 with an annual growth rate of 2.1%.^[The commune covers an area of 5,050 square kilometres (1,950 sq mi).

Before coal was found here in 1907, Béchar was a small populated town like many others in the region. It thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum production seized the market.

Leatherwork and jewellery are notable products of Béchar. Dates, vegetables, figs, cereals and almonds are produced near Béchar. There are bituminous coal reserves near Béchar, but they are not exploited to their greatest potential because of transportation costs are too high relative to that from the oil and gas fields of eastern Algeria. The city was once the site of a French Foreign Legion post.

The Kenadsa longwave transmitter, whose masts are the tallest structures in Algeria at 357 metres (1,171 ft), is found near Béchar.

 

Tipaza

Tipaza (formerly Tefessedt, Chenoua: Bazar, Arabic: تيپازة‎‎) is a Berber-speaking town on the coast of Algeria, capital of the Tipaza Province. When it was part of the Roman Empire, it was called Tipasa. The modern town, founded in 1857, is remarkable chiefly for its sandy beach, and ancient ruins.

Annaba

Annaba (Arabic: عنابة‎‎, ‘Annābah), informally known as Balad al-Unnâb (بلد ألعنب, lit "Jujube Town"), is a city in the north-eastern corner of Algeria near the Seybouse River, located in an eponymous province. With a population of 257,359 (2008), it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria.^{[citation needed]}

Annaba is a coastal city and has undergone significant growth. Annaba has a metropolitan area with a higher population density than the other metropolises of the Algerian coastline such as Oran and the capital Algiers. Much of eastern and southern Algeria seeks the services, equipment, and infrastructure of the city. Economically, it is the centre for various dynamic activities, such as industry, transport, finance and tourism.

 

Algiers

Algiers (Arabic: الجزائر‎‎, al-Jazā’er; Algerian Arabic pronunciation: دزاير Dzayer, Berber: Dzayer tamaneɣt, French: Alger) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. In 2011, the city's population was estimated to be around 3,500,000. An estimate puts the population of the larger metropolitan city to be around 5,000,000. Algiers is located on the Mediterranean Sea and in the north-central portion of Algeria.

Sometimes nicknamed El-Behdja (البهجة) or alternatively Alger la Blanche ("Algiers the White") for the glistening white of its buildings as seen rising up from the sea, Algiers is situated on the west side of a bay of the Mediterranean Sea. The modern part of the city is built on the level ground by the seashore; the old part, the ancient city of the deys, climbs the steep hill behind the modern town and is crowned by the casbah or citadel, 122 metres (400 ft) above the sea. The casbah and the two quays form a triangle.

 

Oran

Oran (Arabic: وهران‎‎ Wahrān; Berber: ⵡⴻⵀⵔⴰⵏ Wehran) is an important coastal city that is located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city after the capital Algiers, due to its commercial, industrial, and cultural importance. It is 432 km (268 mi) from Algiers. The total population of the city was 759,645 in 2008 (2008), while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest city in Algeria.

The name "Wahran" (Oran in Arabic) is derived from the Berber word "uharan" (two lions).

Legend says that in 900 AD, lions still lived in the area. The last two lions were hunted on a mountain near Oran and are elsewhere referred to as "mountain lions"

 

Tamanrasset

Tamanrasset /tæmᵻnræsᵻt/ (Arabic: تمنراست , also known as Tamenɣest, Tamanghasset or Tamenghest, Tuareg: ⵜⵎⵏⵘⵙⵜ ) is an oasis city and capital of Tamanrasset Province in southern Algeria, in the Ahaggar Mountains. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg. It is located an altitude of 1,320 metres (4,330 ft). As of the 2008 census, it has a population of 92,635, up from 72,741 in 1998 with an annual growth rate of 2.5%.

Tamanrasset was originally established as a military outpost to guard the trans-Saharan trade routes. Surrounded by the barren Sahara Desert, very high temperatures of over 47 °C (117 °F) have been recorded here. Tamanrasset is located at an oasis where, despite the difficult climate, citrus fruits, apricots, dates, almonds, cereals, corn, and figs are grown. The Tuareg people are the town's main inhabitants. Tamanrasset is a popular^{[citation needed]} tourist attraction during the cooler months. Visitors are also drawn to the Museum of the Hoggar, which offers many exhibits depicting Tuareg life and culture.

The city is served by Tamanrasset Airport and the Trans-Sahara Highway.

 

Tlemcen

Tlemcen (Berber: Tlemsan or Třemsan; Algerian Arabic: تْلمسان, Tlemsan; Arabic: تلمسان‎‎ Tilimsān) is a city in north-western Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it ships to the port of Rashgun for export. It had a population of 140,158 at the 2008 census, while the province had 949,135 inhabitants.