Tamacine ( ar, ﺗﻤﺎﺳﻴﻦ) (sometimes written Témacine) is a town and

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

, and capital of Témacine District, in

Touggourt Province The Wilaya of Touggourt ( ar, ولاية تقرت) is an Algerian province created in 2019, previously, a delegated wilaya created in 2015. It is in the Algerian Sahara. Geography The wilaya of Touggourt is in the Algerian Sahara; its area i ...

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 20,067, up from 15,933 in 1998, and an annual growth rate of 2.4%. It is around south of

Touggourt Touggourt ( ar, ﺗﻗﺮت or تڤرت; ber, ⵜⵓⴳⵓⵔⵜ, Tugurt, lit=the gateway or 'the gate') is a city and commune, former sultanate and capital of Touggourt District, in Touggourt Province, Algeria, built next to an oasis in the Sa ...

. The

Tugurt language Tugurt, also known as Oued Righ Berber and Temacine Tamazight, is a Zenati Berber variety spoken in some of the oases of the northeastern Oued Righ region around Touggourt in Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthogra ...

is spoken by some residents of Tamacine.

History

The mosque in the town of Témacine, the Mosque of Si al-Hajj, dates to 1431.

Geography

Tamacine lies at an elevation of within the system of oases near Touggourt. These oases feature extensive

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

groves and other agriculture. Beyond this is the arid and barren landscape of the Sahara, featuring areas of sand dunes (

ergs The erg is a unit of energy equal to 10−7joules (100 nJ). It originated in the Centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS). It has the symbol ''erg''. The erg is not an SI unit. Its name is derived from (), a Greek word meaning 'work' o ...

) and flat rocky plains ( regs). Lake Tamacine, a small lake covering and long, lies along the eastern side of the town, and is notable for its variety of birds and fish.

Climate

Tamacine, like other towns in the Saharan region, has a hot

desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in deser ...

with very hot summers and mild winters, and very little precipitation.

Economy

The most significant sector in Tamacine's economy is agriculture, in particular the farming of

date palms ''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, Arecaceae, cultivated for its edible sweet fruit called dates. The species is widely cultivated across northern Africa, the Middle Eas ...

; over 200,000 palms are planted across the commune. Other fruit trees are also cultivated, including olives,

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world ...

, apricots,

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

s and plums. Livestock reared in the commune are mainly

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

s and

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated ...

. Tamacine also has various traditional industries, such as

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and ...

jewellery Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...

textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

industries including

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...

and knitting, and blacksmithing. Tourism is another important industry for Tamacine. The most notable attractions include Lake Tamacine, as well as the various mosques and palaces in the town.

Infrastructure

Drinking water is available to 99% of the population, and access to the sewerage network is available to 95%.

Health

Tamacine has two municipal health clinics, a private health clinic, and several pharmacies.

Education

Tamacine's educational facilities include 8 municipal elementary schools, a vocational training center, apprenticeships, and an educational center for mentally handicapped children. 8.3% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 20.9% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 83.4%, and is 88.5% among males and 78.5% among females.

Transportation

Tamacine is connected by local roads to

to the north and the N3 national highway to the west. From Touggourt, major highways lead north to

Biskra Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&n ...

, east to

El Oued El Oued ( ar, اﻟﻮادي, ber, Suf meaning ''the River''), Souf or Oued Souf is a city, and the capital of El Oued Province, in Algeria. The oasis town is watered by an underground river, hence its name is El Oued which enables date palm cult ...

, and south to

Ouargla Ouargla (Berber: Wargrən, ar, ورقلة) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune o ...

and

Illizi Illizi ( ar, إيليزي) is a town and commune, coextensive with Illizi District, situated in the south-eastern part of Algeria, and capital of Illizi Province. According to the 2008 census it is the largest commune by population in the provin ...

. The town is served by the Sidi Madhi Airport near Touggourt. The road network of Tamacine covers .

Localities

The commune is composed of five localities: *Temacine *El Behour *Sidi Ameur *El Ksour * Tamellaht

References

External links

Neighbouring towns and cities

{{Ouargla Province Communes of Ouargla Province