El Oued (), Souf or Oued Souf is a city, and the capital of El Oued Province, in Algeria. The oasis town is watered by an underground river, hence its name is El Oued which enables date palm cultivation and the rare use (for the desert) of brick construction for housing. As most roofs are domed, it is known as the "City of a Thousand Domes".
El Oued is located south east of Algiers (the capital city of Algeria), near the border. The population of El Oued was 134,699 as of the 2008 census,
History
In the 11th century, the Fatimids sent
Banu Hilal to the
Tripolitania,
Tunisia and Constantine areas to fight against the
Zirid dynasty.
Culture
The inhabitants belong to
Teroud tribe (
Arabic: بنو طرود) living in and near Oued Souf area.
Climate
El Oued has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification
BWh), with very hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is light and sporadic, and summers are particularly dry.
Transportation
The N16 highway connects El Oued to
Touggourt to the southwest and
Tebessa Province to the northeast. The N48 connects El Oued to the town of Still to the north, from which the N3 may be used to reach
Biskra.
El Oued lies about south of Guemar Airport.
Education
7.4% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 17.5% has completed secondary education.
The overall literacy rate is 86.1% (second highest in the province), and is 91.2% among males (second highest in the province) and 80.6% among females (equal highest in the province).
Localities
The commune of El Oued is composed of six localities:
External links
