Méridja (, ''little swamp'') is a town and
commune in
Kénadsa District
Kénadsa is a district in Béchar Province, Algeria. It was named after its capital, Kénadsa. According to the 2008 census, the total population of the district was 14,084 inhabitants. The district covers the area directly west of the province's ...
,
Béchar Province
Béchar () is a Provinces of Algeria, province ''(Wilayah, wilaya)'' in Algeria, located on the border with Morocco in the Algerian Desert, Algerian Sahara. It is the second least-densely populated province in Algeria, with a population of 353591 ...
, in western
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 ...
. As of 2008 the population of the commune was 592,
up from 532 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 1.1%.
This makes it the smallest commune by population in Béchar Province. The commune covers an area of .
Geography
Méridja is located at an elevation of on the extensive
hamada
A hamada (, ) is a type of desert landscape consisting of high, largely barren, hard rocky (basalt) plateaus, where most of the sand has been removed by Aeolian processes#Wind erosion, deflation. The majority of the Sahara is hamada. Other e ...
west of
Béchar
Béchar () 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% ...
, about west of the
Djorf Torba dam on the
Oued Guir
Oued Guir is an intermittent river or wadi that flows through the Drâa-Tafilalet and Oriental regions in southeastern Morocco and Béchar Province in western Algeria.
Course
The Oued Guir originates high in the Atlas Mountains northeast of the ...
. Some low, rocky hills rise both to the north and south of the town, but there are no significant mountains in the immediate vicinity of the town.
Climate
Méridja 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 extremely hot summers and cool winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.
Economy
Agriculture
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
is an important industry in Méridja. The commune has a total of of
arable land
Arable land (from the , "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the purposes of a ...
, of which is
irrigated
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has be ...
. There are a total of 10,020
date palms
''Phoenix dactylifera'', commonly known as the 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 East, ...
planted in the commune. Animal husbandry is particularly significant; as of 2009 there were 1,758
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal 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 d ...
, 2,182
goat
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly 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 ...
s, 2,033
camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
s, and 180
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
. There were also 52,800
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
s in 6 buildings.
Infrastructure and housing
100% of Méridja's population is connected to drinking water, 100% is connected to the sewerage system, but only 81% (including 135 buildings) have access to electricity, the equal lowest rate of electrification in the province with
El Ouata
El Ouata () is a town and commune in Béchar Province, western Algeria. The commune is coextensive with El Ouata District, which is named after the town. According to the 2008 census its population is 7,343, up from 7,014 in 1998, with an annual ...
. There are no fuel service stations in the town; the nearest is in
Kénadsa
Kénadsa is a town and Communes of Algeria, commune in the Sahara Desert of south-western Algeria, and is the capital of Kénadsa District, Béchar Province. As of 2008, Kénadsa had a population of 13,492, up from 11,667 in 1998, and an annual gr ...
.
Méridja has a total of 148 houses, of which 103 are occupied, giving an occupation rate of 5.7 inhabitants per occupied building.
Transportation
A road leads west out of the town past the
Djorf Torba dam to
Kénadsa
Kénadsa is a town and Communes of Algeria, commune in the Sahara Desert of south-western Algeria, and is the capital of Kénadsa District, Béchar Province. As of 2008, Kénadsa had a population of 13,492, up from 11,667 in 1998, and an annual gr ...
and the provincial capital
Béchar
Béchar () 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% ...
, which is away.
There is a total length of of roads in the commune.
Education
There is 1 elementary school, with 6 classrooms, all of which are in use. There are a total of 103 school students. Secondary students must travel to
Kénadsa
Kénadsa is a town and Communes of Algeria, commune in the Sahara Desert of south-western Algeria, and is the capital of Kénadsa District, Béchar Province. As of 2008, Kénadsa had a population of 13,492, up from 11,667 in 1998, and an annual gr ...
to study.
2.6% of the population has a tertiary education (the second lowest in the province), and another 11.9% has competed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 76.6%, and is 83.3% among males and 68.0% among females.
Health
Méridja has 2 polyclinics and a room care facility. The nearest hospital is in
Béchar
Béchar () 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% ...
.
Religion
Méridja has one operational
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
.
Sports
The town is home to
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club
JS Saoura
Jeunesse Sportive de la Saoura (), known simply as JS Saoura or JSS for short, is an Algerian football club founded in the town of Méridja in the Béchar Province. They take their name from the Saoura valley of southwestern Algeria. The club w ...
which currently plays in the
Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1
The Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1 (), known as Championnat National de Première Division or Ligue 1 for short, and formerly known as the Championnat National 1, is the Algerian professional league for association football clubs. It is the co ...
.
Localities
The commune is composed of two localities:
*Meridja
*Tibarbatine
References
Neighbouring towns and cities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meridja
Communes of Béchar Province
Cities in Algeria