Stidia is a small town and commune in Hassi Mamèche District,

Mostaganem Province Mostaganem () is a province (''wilaya'') of Algeria, with a population of 892165 inhabitants in 2019, with a density of 393/square kilometers. Its capital is Mostaganem. Geography The land relief in Mostaganem Province can be divided into four ...

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 ...

. In 1998 the commune had a total population of 10,688.

Situation

Stidia is located from

Mostaganem Mostaganem () is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem (province), Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of Oran. It is consi ...

, the

wilaya A wilayah ( or ''wilāya'', plural ; Urdu, Pashto and ; ) is an administrative division, usually translated as "state", "province" or occasionally as "governorate". The word comes from the Arabic root "''w-l-y''", "to govern": a ''wāli''—"g ...

(province) capital, and from

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, the country's second largest city. A four-lane highway links both cities, via Stidia. The city is located on the

Greenwich meridian The Greenwich meridian is a prime meridian, a geographical reference line that passes through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, in London, England. From 1884 to 1974, the Greenwich meridian was the international standard prime meridian, ...

Name

The name of Stidia derives from an old fountain named ''Aïn Stidia''. The town was first named ''La Stidia'', before being renamed ''

Georges Clémenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who was Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A physician turned journalist, he played a central role in the poli ...

'' by the French, after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. According to Salim Ammar who was born in the territory of Stidia, this town was named in the 15th century by the Moors Istija (إستجة) in honor of their lost city in Andalucia, the current

Écija Écija () is a city and municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is in the countryside, 85 km east of the city of Seville. According to the 2008 census, Écija had a total popula ...

. The German settlers later in the 19th century mispronounced the Arabic name and it became Stidia or Stidya.

History

Before the foundation of the European settlement down the hill, the Moors who were expelled from Spain after 1492, founded the original Stidia on the hill and it is called now "Douar" Stidia to differentiate it from " Village" Stidia which is the part built during the French occupation. The moorish influence is obvious in the territory of Stidia and Fornaka. The ethnic groups living in the territory keep the remembrance of the epic History of the fighting against the Spanish crusades. Although the fountain ''Aïn Stidia'' existed for some time, the town was founded in 1846, by German settlers who tried to emigrate to South America, but were directed to Algeria, after being abandoned in

Dunkerque Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

by a dishonest conveyor. The settlement was first helped by French soldiers who left in 1948. Although Algeria was a French colony at the time, the inhabitants continued to speak German until about the first World War. At the independence of Algeria (1962), the town was renamed ''Stidia'' (from ''Georges Clémenceau'').

Demographics

* 1866 : 486 * 1958 : 1.301 * 2002 : 11.500

Attractions

Beaches

The beaches in the Stidia region attract many tourists (mainly Algerians from Mostaganem and surroundings) during the summer. Although not the best ones of the western Algerian coast, they still offer good recreation opportunities. There is often a guarded parking (for a small fee) in front of the beach. The nearest accommodation is in Mostaganem (15 km), or, to a greater extent, in Oran (65 km). There are no hotels in Stidia.

Greenwich meridian

A plate indicates the crossing of the Greenwich meridian, on the Mostaganem-Oran highway.

References

{{Authority control Communes of Mostaganem Province Cities in Algeria