Reggane (from Berber language "Argan"; ) is a town and commune, and the capital of Reggane District, in Adrar Province, central Algeria. Reggane lies in the Sahara near an oasis. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 20,402,
History
To the east of Reggane there was, until 1965, a
rocket launching site where numerous civilian and military ballistic rockets were launched. France began its
nuclear testing program in the vicinity of Reggane, conducting four such tests during the
Algerian War in 1960 and 1961, before independence.
Geography
The town of Reggane and its neighbouring villages lie next to the southernmost
oasis of the
Tuat region, which stretches northward to Adrar. The Tidikelt region, a plain with isolated oases, lies to the east, including towns such as
In Salah,
In Ghar,
Aoulef and Tit. To the west is the sandy
Erg Chech desert, while to the south lies the vast barren plain of the
Tanezrouft.
Climate
Reggane has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification
BWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very warm winters. The climate is torrid and almost rainless. Daytime temperatures consistently approach 50 °C (122 °F) in summer and nighttime temperatures routinely remain above 30 °C (86 °F). Average annual rainfall is extremely low, with only 10 mm (0.39 in). The sky is always clear and sunny throughout the year. The area in the heart of the
Algerian Desert bounded by Adrar - Reggane - In Salah is nicknamed the "triangle of fire" by local inhabitants due to the extreme heat that bakes the region from May to September.
Transportation
Reggane is the last town on the
Tanezrouft track heading south across the
Sahara Desert to
Mali. Customs and police inspection here are mandatory before crossing the
Sahara Desert. The Tanezrouft track is the southern part of Algeria's N6 national highway, which connects to Adrar to the north and Bordj Badji Mokhtar to the south. Another highway, the N52, leads through the
Tidikelt region to
Aoulef and eventually
In Salah.
The town is served by Reggane Airport,
Education
6.0% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 15.6% has completed secondary education.
The overall literacy rate is 75.9%, and is 85.0% among males and 66.3% among females.
Localities
As of 1984, the commune was composed of 11 localities:
-
Bahou
-
El Mestour
-
Zaouit Lahchef
-
Anzeglouf
-
Aït Massaoud
-
En Nefis
-
Timadanine
-
Taarabt
-
Tinoufel Djedida
-
Tinoufel Elgadima
-
Zaouit Reggani
-
Taourirt
-
Berriche
See also
External links
Neighbouring towns and cities
