Guelma Province

Guelma Province
ولاية قالمة
Province

Guelma Valley as seen from Ben Djerrah, partially showing the metropolitan area of Guelma with the cities of Boumahra Ahmed, Belkheir, and Guelma visible (from right to left/east to west)

Map of Algeria highlighting Guelma
Coordinates: 36°28′N 07°27′E / 36.467°N 7.450°E / 36.467; 7.450Coordinates: 36°28′N 07°27′E / 36.467°N 7.450°E / 36.467; 7.450
Country  Algeria
Capital Guelma
Area
  Total 4,101 km2 (1,583 sq mi)
Population (2008)[1]
  Total 482,261
  Density 120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01)
Area Code +213 (0) 37
ISO 3166 code DZ-24
Districts 10
Municipalities 34

Guelma Province (Arabic: ولاية قالمة) is a province (wilaya) in eastern Algeria. Its namesake is its seat and most populous municipality: Guelma.

History

Its civilians suffered heavy casualties during the 1945 Sétif massacre by the French Army. The province itself was established on 1974. Before that, it was part of Annaba Province. In 1983, the province lost its south-eastern half in favor of the creation of Souk Ahras Province.

Demographics

It has 429,998 inhabitants as of the 1998 census, one of the lower populations in the country, which gives it 39 seats in the APW, the province's assembly. The population density is 105 inhabitants per square kilometre (272/sq mi). Of them, 54,4% live in urban areas and 87% have access to safe drinking water, lower than the national average of 89%. . Of the active population of the province, 23,3% work in agriculture, 17,9% in constructions, 9,9% in industry, and 48,9% in the services sector. 21,1% of the population is unemployed.

Geography

The territory of the province (4,101 km2 (1,583 sq mi) is mainly composed of arable lands (about 49%) or 1,890 km2 (730 sq mi) of which about 100 km2 (39 sq mi) is irrigated, and the rest is rainfed. In the area surrounding Guelma, around 130 km2 (50 sq mi) is irrigable, 110 km2 (42 sq mi) in the area between Oued Zenati and Tamlouka, and 20 km2 (8 sq mi) around Bouchegouf. Forests cover about 31% of the total area, which equals 0.9 km2 (0 sq mi) composed mainly of Aleppo Pine, Algerian Oak and Cork Oak. Areas dedicated for future industrial development, called activity zones in Algeria cover 2 km2 (1 sq mi).

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 10 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 34 communes or municipalities.[2]

Districts

Communes

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. Office National des Statistiques, Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat 2008 Preliminary results of the 2008 population census. Accessed on 2008-07-02.
  2. Journal Officiel de la Republique Algerienne, No. 41, Page 1307. 4 September 1991.
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