M'Sila Province

M'Sila Province

ولاية المسيلة
M'Sila Province ولاية المسيلة
Province
	Map of Algeria highlighting M'Sila
	Coordinates: 35°42′N 4°33′E / 35.700°N 4.550°E
Country	Algeria
Capital	M'Sila
Area
• Total	18,718 km2 (7,227 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	991,846
• Density	53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Area Code	+213 (0) 35
ISO 3166 code	DZ-28
Districts	15
Municipalities	47

M'Sila (Berber languages: ⵎⵙⵉⵍⴰ Msila) is a province (wilaya) of northern Algeria. It has a population of 1 million people and an area of 18,718 square kilometres (7,227 sq mi), while its capital, also called M'Sila, home to M'Sila University, has a population of about 100,000.

Localities include Bou Saada and Maadid. Chott El Hodna, a salt lake, crosses into M'Sila. However, most of the region is semi-arid and undeveloped.

Additionally, M'Sila was the location of the first village constructed as part of a government-run program to transition nomadic Algerians to sedentary life using local materials.

The village, now complete, was dubbed Maader and consists of houses, public and trading areas, and a mosque.

History

The province was created from parts of Batna (département), Médéa (département) and Sétif (département) in 1974.

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 15 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 47 communes or municipalities.

Districts

Communes

The districts and communes of the province of M'Sila

1. Aïn El Hadjel

2. Aïn El Melh

3. Aïn Errich

4. Aïn Fares

5. Aïn Khadra

6. Belaïba

7. Ben Srour

8. Beni Ilmane

9. Benzouh

10. Berhoum

11. Bir Foda

12. Bou-Saâda

13. Bouti Sayeh

14. Chellal

15. Dehahna

16. Djebel Messaad

17. El Hamel

18. El Houamed

19. Hammam Dhalaa

20. Khoubana

21. Khatouti Sed Eldjir

22. Maadid

23. Maarif

24. Magra

25. M'cif

26. Medjedel

27. M'sila

28. M'Tarfa

29. Ouled Atia

30. Mohamed Boudiaf

31. Ouanougha

32. Ouled Addi Guebala

33. Ouled Derraj

34. Ouled Madhi

35. Ouled Mansour

36. Ouled Sidi Brahim

37. Ouled Slimane

38. Oultene

39. Sidi Aïssa

40. Sidi Ameur

41. Sidi Hadjeres

42. Sidi M'hamed

43. Slim

44. Souamaa

45. Tamsa

46. Tarmount

47. Zarzour

Zawiya

Zawiyet El Hamel

The creation of the Zaouïa complex dates back to the 19th century, founded by Sidi Mohammed Ben Belqacem [ar] born in 1823 in the vicinity of Hassi Bahbah in the Djelfa Province. After he died in 1897, his daughter Lalla Zaynab succeeded him until 1904.

The zaouïa consists of a mosque, a Koranic school, and the mausoleum where the founder and his successors rest.

References

^ "Recensement General de la Population et de l'Habitat 2008" [Preliminary results of the 2008 population census]. Office National des Statistiques (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-07-02.

External links

Encyclopaedia of the Orient - a brief description of M'Sila, focusing on its capital
BBC - a news article about some recent violence in M'Sila
Archnet - focuses on the Maader village project
Wetlands International - an in-depth description of M'Sila's wetland

[Alg2008RGPH-1] "Recensement General de la Population et de l'Habitat 2008" [Preliminary results of the 2008 population census]. Office National des Statistiques (in French). Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-07-02.

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