Boumerdès Province

Boumerdès Province ولاية بومرداس Tanebḍit n Bumerdas
Province
Map of Algeria highlighting Boumerdès
Coordinates: 36°46′N 03°29′E / 36.767°N 3.483°E / 36.767; 3.483
Country	Algeria
Capital	Boumerdès
Government
• Wāli	Yahia Yahiatene
Area
• Total	1,591 km2 (614 sq mi)
Population  (2008)[1]
• Total	795,019
• Density	500/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Area Code	+213 (0) 24
ISO 3166 code	DZ-35
Districts	9
Municipalities	32

Boumerdès (Arabic: ولاية بومرداس, Kabyle: Tanebḍit n Bumerdas) is a province (wilaya) of northern Algeria, located in the Kabylia region, between Algiers and Tizi-Ouzou, with its capital at the coastal city of Boumerdès (formerly Rocher-Noir) just east of Algiers.

Administrative divisions

It is made up of 9 districts and 32 communes or municipalities.

Districts

Communes

Neighbourhoods

The neighbourhoods of Boumerdès Province are:

• 
  Cité Ali Bouyahiaoui
• 
  Cité 11 décembre 1960
• 
  Quartier du front de mer
• 
  Cité Ibn Khaldoun
• 
  Cité du Rocher Noir

Villages

The villages of Boumerdès Province are:^[2]

Geology

Several mountain peaks are found in this province:

• Bouzegza Mountain (1032 m)
• Djerrah Mount [Wikidata] (740 m)
• Ighil Zenabir Mount [Wikidata] (630 m)
• Ben Norah Mount [Wikidata] (467 m)
• Sidi Fredj Mount [Wikidata] (452 m)
• Bouarous Mount [Wikidata] (444 m)
• Soumâa Mount [Wikidata] (430 m)
• Cap Blanc Mount [Wikidata] (420 m)

Geography

The province is largely mountainous, with a long coastline and a number of rivers, notably the Isser, Meraldene and Sebaou. Its western edges have in effect become suburbs of Algiers as the capital has expanded.

History

The three towns of Zemmouri El Bahri (Rusubbicari), Djinet (Cissi), and Dellys (Rusucurium), all of Phoenician foundation, were the province's principal ancient sites, although smaller Roman towns existed inland, as at Thenia called Nubel's Citadel [fr], at Taourga; at none do any significant classical ruins remain. Zemmouri El Bahri (under the name of Marsa-d-Dajaj) and Dellys both attained some significance in the Islamic period, beginning with Hammadid times; the largely Ottoman-era casbah of Dellys remains an attraction. Boumerdès itself, called Rocher-Noir in the colonial period, was expanded substantially following the establishment of the new wilaya in 1984.

2003 earthquake

The province was very hard hit by the 2003 Boumerdès earthquake, whose epicentre was near Zemmouri.

Since the occurrence of the El Asnam earthquake on October 10, 1980, this province has not ceased to feel minor earthquakes.

The occurrence of weak tremors was further accentuated in the aftermath of the Chenoua earthquake of October 29, 1989.

From the earthquake of Wednesday May 21, 2003, telluric aftershocks lasted for years before stabilizing at low magnitudes.

Since 2003, the area encompassing this province has been classified as a high seismic risk region to make adequate technical provisions during the construction of houses and buildings.

The technical control of buildings in this province has become more rigorous and strict with regard to construction materials and construction.

The victims of this earthquake, who were housed in chalets and prefabricated houses, were still in 2020 in the process of being relocated to new apartments.

Resistance against French invasion

During the French conquest of Algeria, the region of the current Boumerdès Province in Lower Kabylia was the scene of several battles of Algerian resistance fighters [ar] against French Troupes coloniales:

French invasion (1830–1870)

• Shipwreck of Dellys, which took place on May 15, 1830, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion [ar].

The region of the current Boumerdès Province was the first bulwark that faced from 1837 against the French invasion of Kabylia and eastern Algeria through several battles under the banner of the Mitidja resistance [ar] and the Emir Abdelkader resistance [ar]:

• Expedition of the Col des Beni Aïcha, which took place on May 18, 1837, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion [ar].
• First Battle of Boudouaou, which took place on May 25, 1837, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• First Battle of the Issers, which took place on May 27, 1837, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• First Assault of Dellys, which took place on May 28, 1837, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• Ammal battle (1840) [ar], which took place on April 18, 1840, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• Boudouaou battle (1840) [ar], which took place on September 18, 1840, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• Second Assault of Dellys, which took place on May 12, 1844, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.
• Battle of the Col des Beni Aïcha (1846), which took place on February 3, 1846, as part of the Algerian resistance against French invasion.

Mokrani Revolt (1871)

This region was the scene of the last battles of the Mokrani Revolt during the month of April 1871 at the gate of Algiers against the French invasion:^[3]

• Naciria battle (1871) [ar], which took place on April 17, 1871, as part of the Mokrani Revolt.
• Bordj Menaïel battle (1871) [ar], which took place on April 18, 1871, as part of the Mokrani Revolt.
• Issers battle (1871) [ar], which took place on April 18, 1871, as part of the Mokrani Revolt.
• Battle of the Col des Beni Aïcha, which took place on April 19, 1871, as part of the Mokrani Revolt.
• Battle of Alma, which took place on April 19, 1871, as part of the Mokrani Revolt.

Independence Revolution (1954–1962)

This province saw the creation of several clandestine torture centers during the Algerian revolution:

• Ferme Gauthier in Titouna within the commune of Souk El Had.
• Ferme Moll in the commune of Legata.
• Ferme Sabatier in the commune of Si Mustapha.
• Ferme Errol in the commune of Tidjelabine.
• Camp Bastos in the commune of Bordj Menaïel.
• Camp Cortès in the commune of Bordj Menaïel.
• Camp des Sénégalais in the commune of the Zemmouri.
• Camp Germain in the commune of Legata.
• Camp Gualota in the commune of Dellys.
• Camp Ouriacha in the commune of Naciria.
• Camp Stora in the commune of Kharrouba.

Resistance against Salafist terrorism

This province has suffered the horrors of dozens of terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC):

• List of terrorist incidents in 2005
  • 2005 Tidjelabine bombing (July 29, 2005)
• List of terrorist incidents in 2006
  • 2006 Tidjelabine bombing (June 19, 2006)
  • 2006 Boudouaou bombing (August 8, 2006)
• List of terrorist incidents in 2007
  • 2007 Souk El Had bombing (February 13, 2007)
  • 2007 Dellys bombing (September 8, 2007)
• List of terrorist incidents in 2008
  • 2008 Naciria bombing (January 2, 2008)
  • 2008 Thénia bombing (January 29, 2008)
  • 2008 Beni Amrane bombings (June 9, 2008)
  • 2008 Zemmouri bombing (August 9, 2008)
  • 2008 Issers bombing (August 19, 2008)
• List of terrorist incidents in 2010
  • 2010 Tidjelabine bombing (April 7, 2010)
  • 2010 Ammal bombing (June 11, 2010)
  • August 2010 Baghlia bombing (August 18, 2010)
  • 2010 Bordj Menaïel bombing (September 21, 2010)
• List of terrorist incidents in 2012
  • 2012 Thénia bombing (January 11, 2012)
  • 2012 Baghlia bombing (April 29, 2012)

Walis

Many Walis have passed through Boumerdès Province since its creation on February 4, 1984, through Executive Decree No. 84-09 that organizes the Algerian national territory within the framework of forty-eight wilayates.^[4]

Chronology of Walis in Boumerdès Province

N°	Wali	From	To	Province of birth
01	Abdelmalek Sellal	April 4, 1984	May 13, 1984	Constantine Province
02	Hachemi Djiar [ar]	May 13, 1984	September 20, 1987	Batna Province
03	Youcef ben Oudjit	September 20, 1987	July 29, 1990	Jijel Province
04	Kouider Djebli	July 29, 1990	August 21, 1991	Chlef Province
05	Mohamed Laïchoubi	August 21, 1991	April 15, 1994	Tlemcen Province
06	Mourad Hidouk	June 30, 1994	August 22, 1999	Jijel Province
07	Ali Bedrici [ar]	August 22, 1999	May 7, 2008	Tizi Ouzou Province
08	Brahim Merad	May 7, 2008	September 30, 2010	Batna Province
09	Kamal Abbas	September 30, 2010	July 22, 2015	Laghouat Province
10	Nouria Yamina Zerhouni	July 22, 2015	October 5, 2016	Tlemcen Province
11	Abderrahmane Madani Fouatih	October 5, 2016	October 3, 2018	Oran Province
12	Mohamed Slamani	October 3, 2018	April 22, 2019	Biskra Province
13	Yahia Yahiatene	April 22, 2019	Nowadays	Tizi Ouzou Province

Deputies

The deputies of this province during the legislative elections of May 4, 2017, are:^[5]

• Abdelkrim Djanati (Democratic National Rally)
• Ali Laskri (Socialist Forces Front)
• Belkacem Benamar (Socialist Forces Front)
• Hacene Bouzad (Independent)
• Mansour Abdelaziz (Movement of Society for Peace)
• Menouar Djaadi (National Liberation Front)
• Nadia Iheddadene born Amroune (Socialist Forces Front)
• Saliha Mekharef (Democratic National Rally)
• Salima Othmani (National Liberation Front)
• Yahia Mahsas (National Liberation Front)

Religion

Mosques

• Al-Fath Mosque
• Jabir ibn Hayyan Mosque
• Uthman ibn Affan Mosque
• Abderrahmane ibn Khaldoun Mosque
• Al-Baraka Mosque

Zawiyas

• Zawiya Thaalibia in the Issers.
• Zawiyet Sidi Amar Cherif in Sidi Daoud.
• Zawiyet Sidi Boumerdassi in Tidjelabine.
• Zawiyet Sidi Boushaki in Thenia.
• Zawiyet Sidi M'Hamed Saadi [ar] in Aafir.
• Zawiyet Sidi Ali Debbaghi [ar] in Beni Amrane.
• Zawiyet Sidi Ghobrini [ar] in Khemis El-Khechna.
• Zawiyet Sidi Salem [ar] in Boudouaou.

Education

• University of Boumerdès
• Faculty of Boudouaou
• Institut National de la Productivité et du Développement Industriel (INPED)
• Touzout brothers Lyceum
• Ahmed Rahmoune Lyceum
• Mohamed Bouchatal College
• Mohamed Boushaki School
• Draoui brothers Lyceum
• Emir Khaled Lyceum
• Mohamed Laïd Al-Khalifa Lyceum
• Frantz Fanon Lyceum

Health

• Mohamed Bouyahiaoui Hospital
• Thenia Hospital [fr]
• Amar Ouamrane Hospital [fr]
• Mohamed Boudaoud Hospital [fr]
• Boumerdès Orthopedic Emergency Hospital
• Boumerdès Hospital

Tourism

Hotels

• Albatros Beach Hotel
• El Amir Hotel
• La Villa Hotel
• Le Rocher Hotel
• Leïla Hotel
• Medina Hotel
• Soummam Hotel
• Timezrit Hotel

Beaches

• Seghirat Beach [ar]
• El Karma Beach
• Nakhlat Beach
• Miflah Beach
• Echatt Beach
• Corso Beach
• Souanine Beach
• Leghata Beach
• Aafir Beach

Transport

Transport accidents

• 2011 Boudouaou rail accident (August 22, 2011)

Ports

This province is home to the structures of several fishing ports:

• Dellys Port [Wikidata]
• Djinet Port [Wikidata]
• Zemmouri Port [Wikidata]
• Al-Qaous fishing shelter

Rivers

This province is crossed by dozens of rivers:

• Amara River [Wikidata]
• Arbia River [Wikidata]
• Beni Arab River [Wikidata]
• Boudouaou River [Wikidata]
• Boumerdès River [Wikidata]
• Chender River [Wikidata]
• Corso River [Wikidata]
• Djemâa River [Wikidata]
• Gheraba River [Wikidata]
• Hamiz River [Wikidata]
• Isser River
• Karma River [Wikidata]
• Keddache River [Wikidata]
• Keddara River [Wikidata]
• Lahsar River [Wikidata]
• Larbâa River [Wikidata]
• Menaïel River [Wikidata]
• Meraldene River
• Oubay River [Wikidata]
• Réghaïa River [Wikidata]
• Sebaou River
• Sidi Ali River [Wikidata]
• Tatarig River [Wikidata]

Dams

This province is home to the structures of several hydraulic dams:

• Keddara Dam
• Meraldene Dam
• Beni Amrane Dam [Wikidata]
• Chender Dam [Wikidata]
• Djinet Dam [Wikidata]
• El Allal Dam [Wikidata]
• Hamiz Dam [Wikidata]
• Merdjet El Feïat Dam [Wikidata]
• Oued Djemaa Dam [Wikidata]
• Sidi Daoud Dam [Wikidata]

Sport

The municipalities of this province are home to several sports clubs, especially football, including:

• CMB Thénia
• IB Khemis El Khachna
• JS Bordj Ménaïel
• RC Boumerdes
• CR Issers
• ES Baghlia
• ESM Boudouaou
• JS Naciria
• US Dellys

Notable people

References