Adrar (Arabic: ولاية أدرار, Berber languages: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ) is a province (wilaya) in southwestern Algeria, named after its capital Adrar. It is the second-largest province, with an area of 254 000 km2, roughly the size of the US state of Wyoming. It had 401.297 inhabitants at the 2008 population census.[1]
Adrar Province
ولاية أدرار | |
|---|---|
 | |
.svg) Map of Algeria highlighting Adrar | |
| Coordinates: 27°52′50″N 0°17′50″W / 27.88056°N 0.29722°W | |
| Country |  Algeria |
| Capital | Adrar |
| Government | |
| • PPA president | Mr. Menad Mehdi (FLN) |
| • Wāli | Mr. Ali Bouguerra |
| Area | |
• Total | 242,139 km2 (93,490 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 276 m (906 ft) |
| Population (2008)[1] | |
• Total | 401,297 |
| • Density | 1.7/km2 (4.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01 (CET) |
| Area Code | +213 (0) 49 |
| ISO 3166 code | DZ-01 |
| Districts | 6 |
| Municipalities | 16 |
| Website | www |
The provincial capital, named Adrar, serves as the administrative and economic center of the region. Historically, the province's oases—such as Timimoun—have served as waypoints for Saharan caravan routes. These settlements are well known for their red mud-brick architecture and longstanding traditions in Islamic scholarship and desert agriculture.[2]
The economy of Adrar Province relies primarily on agriculture, particularly date palm cultivation and cereal farming. Between 2021 and 2022, the area under cultivation increased by over 22%, with more than 20,300 hectares now dedicated to crops including durum wheat, barley, oats, and vegetables. The government has also promoted sustainable irrigation to support desert farming. Beyond agriculture, Adrar possesses mineral wealth such as phosphates and has been involved in limited oil and gas exploration projects. The University of Adrar, established in 2001, has been instrumental in expanding access to higher education and conducting research on Saharan ecology and indigenous cultures.[3]
It is bordered by six other wilayas: to the west by Tindouf, to the northwest by Béni Abbès, to the north by Timimoun, to the east by In Salah, to the southeast by Tamanrasset, To the south by Bordj Badji Mokhtar, and to the southwest by Mauritania.
Adrar is composed of three natural and cultural regions: Touat (Adrar, Zaouiet Kounta), Gourara (Aougrout, Timimoune) and Tidikelt (Aoulef), and 299 ksour.
History
editThe province was created from parts of the Oasis Province and Saoura Province in 1974.
On 26 November 2019, Adrar was split into 3 provinces: Timimoun, Adrar, and Bordj Badji Mokhtar.
Geography
editLocation
editThe province of Adrar is located in south-west Algeria. It is entirely located in the Sahara Desert.
Administrative divisions
editThe province comprises 6 districts (daïras) and 16[4] communes or municipalities (baladiyahs) The following table shows the list of districts in the province of Adrar and all the communes in each district.
| District | Number of communes |
Communes | Area (km2) |
Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrar | 3 | Adrar • Bouda • Ouled Ahmed Timmi | 9,423 | 64,547 |
| Aoulef | 4 | Akabli • Aoulef • Timokten • Tit | 23,936 | 40,036 |
| Fenoughil | 3 | Fenoughil • Tamentit • Tamest | 20,970 | 24,532 |
| Reggane | 2 | Reggane • Sali | 140,981 | 25,483 |
| T'Sabit | 2 | Sebaa • Tsabit | 19,446 | 13,821 |
| Zaouiet Kounta | 2 | Zaouiet Kounta • In Zghmir | 15,100 | 28,593 |
Districts
editCommunes
edit| No.[5][6] | Commune[5][6] | Arabic[5] | Population [6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Adrar | أدرار | 43,903 |
| 02 | Tamest | تامست | 6,658 |
| 03 | Reggane | رقان | 14,179 |
| 04 | In Zghmir | ان زقمير | 14,062 |
| 05 | Tit | تيط | 3,160 |
| 06 | Tsabit | تسابيت | 11,832 |
| 07 | Zaouiet Kounta | زاوية كنتة | 14,531 |
| 08 | Aoulef | أولف | 15,229 |
| 09 | Timokten (Timoktene, Timekten, Tamekten) | تمقطن | 14,134 |
| 10 | Tamentit (Tamantit) | تمنطيط | 7,912 |
| 11 | Fenoughil | فنوغيل | 9,962 |
| 12 | Sali | سالى | 11,304 |
| 13 | Akabli | أقبلى | 7,513 |
| 14 | Ouled Ahmed Timmi (Ouled Ahmed Temmi) | أولاد أحمد تيمى | 11,976 |
| 15 | Bouda | بودة | 8,668 |
| 16 | Sebaa (Sbaa) | السبع | 1,989 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Office National des Statistiques, Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat 2008 Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Preliminary results of the 2008 population census. Accessed on 2008-07-02.
- ^ "Adrar : Perspectives prometteuses pour les filières agricoles stratégiques, fruit de 60 ans de labeur". APS.dz (in French). 5 July 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ "Université d'Adrar – Accueil". Université d’Adrar (in Arabic). Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ (in French)"CONVENTIONS ET ACCORDS INTERNATIONAUX - LOIS ET DECRETS ARRETES, DECISIONS, AVIS, COMMUNICATIONS ET ANNONCES" (PDF). Journal Officiel de la République Algérienne Democratique et Populaire.
- ^ a b c (in French) "Code Geographique National" (PDF). 5ème Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat (in Arabic). 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-13.
- ^ a b c "Répartition des Sièges des Assemblées Populaires Communales: 01 — Wilaya d'Adrar" (PDF). Journal Officiel de la République Algérienne (in French) (47). 10 July 2002.