Sidi Bel Abbès

Sidi Bel Abbès (Arabic: سيدي بلعباس‎), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital (2005 pop. 200,000)[1] of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya (2005 pop. 590,000), Algeria. It is named after Sidi bel Abbass, a Muslim marabout or noble man who is buried there.[1] The city is the commercial center of an important area of vineyards, market gardens, orchards, and grain fields. It was formerly surrounded by a wall with four gates, and today is home to a university. Sidi Bel Abbès is 75 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.

Sidi Bel Abbès

سيدي بلعباس
City
A street in Sidi Bel Abbès
Seal
Location of Sidi Bel Abbès in the Sidi Bel Abbès Province
Sidi Bel Abbès
Location of Sidi Bel Abbès in Algeria
Coordinates: 35°11′38″N 0°38′29″W
Country Algeria
ProvinceSidi Bel Abbès Province
DistrictSidi Bel Abbès District
APC2012-2017
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
Area
 • Total3,533.08 sq mi (9,150.63 km2)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total212,935
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
Postal code
22000
ISO 3166 codeCP
Ecole des beaux arts in Sidi Bel Abbès

History

The present city, on the Wadi Chelif River, developed around a French camp built in 1843. In 1849 a planned agricultural town was established around the existing military post. From the 1830s until 1962 the city was closely associated with the French Foreign Legion, being the location of its basic training camp, and the headquarters of its 1st Foreign Regiment. In the late 1890s the town, described as being of Spanish appearance, had a civilian population of about 30,000.[2] The main buildings were in the French military district of the Quartier Vienot.The training centre of the modern Algerian National Gendarmerie is located in Sidi Bel Abbès.

In the 1930s much of the old city walls were demolished. Wide boulevards and squares replaced the traditional quarters, causing the town to lose much of its former character.

Geography

The city sits astride both sides of the Mekerra River, and a Lake 'Sidi Mohamed' Benali Which is an important reserve of water in the area.

Climate

Sidi Bel Abbès has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa).

Climate data for Sidi Bel Abbès
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 18
(64)		 20
(68)		 24
(75)		 29
(84)		 34
(93)		 35
(95)		 30
(86)		 24
(75)		 18
(64)		 14
(57)		 22
(71)
Daily mean °C (°F) 8
(46)		 9
(48)		 11
(51)		 13
(55)		 16
(60)		 21
(69)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 21
(69)		 17
(62)		 12
(53)		 8
(46)		 15
(59)
Average low °C (°F) 1
(33)		 2
(35)		 4
(39)		 6
(42)		 8
(46)		 12
(53)		 15
(59)		 15
(59)		 13
(55)		 9
(48)		 6
(42)		 2
(35)		 7
(44)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 61
(2.4)		 48
(1.9)		 46
(1.8)		 41
(1.6)		 38
(1.5)		 10
(0.4)		 2.5
(0.1)		 5.1
(0.2)		 15
(0.6)		 38
(1.5)		 43
(1.7)		 64
(2.5)		 410
(16.1)
Source: Weatherbase [3]

Economy

The economy centers on agriculture, particularly the production of cereals such as wheat and barley and the grape industry. A farm machine manufacturing complex is located there.[1]

Transportation

Sidi Bel Abbès is well connected to other Algerian cities by roads and railroads. Oran is 70 kilometers north and Tlemcen is 90 kilometers west.

The closest international airport is Oran Es Sénia,[1] but the city is served by a domestic one: Sidi Bel Abbès Airport (IATA: BFW, ICAO: DAOS).

The Sidi Bel Abbès tramway line was opened on July 25, 2017.[4] The light rail line is 14.7 kilometers in length, with 22 stations covering most of the main points in the city.

Famous natives of Sidi Bel Abbès
  • René Raphaël Viviani (November 8, 1863 – September 7, 1925) was a French politician of the Third Republic, who served as Prime Minister for the first year of World War I.
  • Gaston Maurice Julia (February 3, 1893 – March 19, 1978) Mathematician famous for "Julia Set" in Chaos Theory.
  • Marcel Cerdan (1916–49): French boxer; known as Le Bombardier Marocain (The Moroccan Bomber).
  • Djillali Liabes (1948–93): Famous Algerian Sociologist, philosopher, Dr. status in literature and humanities.
  • Jean Boyer (1948–2004), French organist
  • Mohammed Bedjaoui: (21 September 1929) Foreign minister. Ex Minister of Justice (1964–70), Ambassador to France (1970–79) and Algerian permanent representative to the UN (1979–82). He was a judge on the International Court of Justice at The Hague (1982–2001).
  • Brigitte Giraud (born 1960), French writer
  • Kad Merad (1964): actor in Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis
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References
  1. Sidi Bel Abbes, lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article.
  2. Martin Windrow, page 138 Our Friends Beneath the Sands - The Foreign Legion in France's Colonial Conquests 1870-1935, ISBN 978-0-297-85213-1
  3. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Sidi-bel-abbes, Algeria". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  4. Barrow, Keith. "Sidi Bel Abbès opens first light rail line". Retrieved 2017-07-26.

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