Berriane (from Tamazight: ''Bergan'') () is a medium-sized town and commune in the south of

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

, coextensive with Bérianne District, in Ghardaïa Province,

. It is located in the north of the Sahara desert, in the extreme North of the wilaya of Ghardaïa, south of

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

and north of Ghardaïa City. As of the 2008 census it has a population of 30,200, up from 24,802 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.0%. It occupies an area of 2.250 km².

History

Archaeological, prehistoric and historical testimonies indicate that the area of Berriane was inhabited since at least the Neolithic era. The population of Berriane are principally of Zenata Mozabite origin. The town of Berriane forms an integral part of the history of the area of

M'zab The M'zab, or Mzab (Mozabite language, Mozabite: ''Aghlan'', ), is a natural region of the northern Sahara Desert in Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. It is located south of Algiers and has approximately 360,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate). Geolog ...

. It is chronologically the youngest of all the cities of the M'zab region.

Recent events

Although an ancient Berber town, with a majority Zenata Ibadi population, in recent years many Chaambi (Bedouin) Arabs have settled there. In March 2008 and February 2009 it was the scene of heavy riots between Berbers and Arabs, in which at least 4 native Berbers were killed.

Geography

In addition to its regional importance from the demographic, economic and cultural point of view, the commune of Berriane occupies a strategic position, connecting the cities of the South to those of the North. Its green palm grove forms a beautiful

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment microclimate A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square m ...

in an area characterized by an arid climate.

Climate

Berriane 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 desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

''BWh''), with very hot summers and mild winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.

Transportation

Berriane is crossed by the National Road 01, one of the country's important communication lines, and part of the Trans-Sahara Highway. The road leads north to Laghouat and Djelfa, and south to Ghardaïa, In Salah and Tamanrasset.

Culture

Berriane is known for its pretty handicraft carpets and its artisanal products manufactured by highly qualified creators. It is also known for its folklore, culture heritage, ancestral culinary art and architecture.

Economy

In addition to its agricultural economy centered around date palms, Berriane is also an attractive city for tourists, featuring engravings and rock

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s dating from prehistory, inscriptions in the Tamazight alphabet called ''Tifinagh'', and historic buildings and architecture similar to other cities of the internationally famous M'Zab. The M'Zab region has classified by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

as a world cultural heritage on its World Heritage List.

Education

6.3% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 15.3% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 88.3% (the second highest in the province), and is 93.3% among males and 83.2% among females (also the second highest in the province).

Localities

The commune of Berriane is composed of two localities: *Vieux Ksar de Berriane *Quartiers périphériques et Palmeraie

References

Neighbouring towns and cities

{{Ghardaïa Province Communes of Ghardaïa Province Oases of Algeria