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Khenchela

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(Redirected from Khenchla) This article is about the Algerian city. For the district, see Khenchela District. For the province, see Khenchela Province. City in Algeria
Khenchela
City
City of Khenchela
North view of the town.North view of the town.
Location of Khenchela within Khenchela ProvinceLocation of Khenchela within Khenchela Province
Khenchela is located in AlgeriaKhenchelaKhenchelaLocation of Khenchela within Algeria
Coordinates: 35°25′N 7°8′E / 35.417°N 7.133°E / 35.417; 7.133
Country Algeria
ProvinceKhenchela (seat)
DistrictKhenchela (coextensive)
Government
 • PMA Seats33
Elevation1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population
 • Total114,472
Time zoneUTC+01 (CET)
Postal code40000
ONS code4001
ClimateCsb

Khenchela (Arabic: خنشلة; Berber languages: Tixencelt; anciently Mascula) is the capital city of the administrative Khenchela Province (Wilaya), in the north east of Algeria. Situated in the Aures Mountains, 1200 m above sea level. The city is mainly populated by Berber Chaouis.

History

Statue of Queen Kahina in Baghai, Khenchela province

Queen Kahina led a decades long war against the Islamic conquest in the 7th century and built a castle here. During the Barbary period there were many inter-town conflicts over water resources.

The French army reached Khenchela in 1850 after heavy fighting and strenuous resistance and set up a military administration. Organization of work on the city was undertaken. The first French settlers were allowed from 1878. Farms and plantations were built. In the process, farmers cleared a path for vegetation at the valley of Wadi Boughegal which in turn gave birth to natural grasslands, allowing cattle breeding and feeding the population with fresh dairy products.

In October 1905, the inauguration of the meter-gauge railway line from Aïn Beïda to Khenchela provided daily service with the north of the country. Military administration lasted until 1912.

In 1982, a mass grave containing more than 1200 corpses from the war of Algeria was discovered. It would be the largest ever discovered in Algeria. The authorities and the Algerian press attributed it to the French army, while others disputed this and suggested the victims may have been French harkis.

Geography

Climate

Located in the Aurès Mountains (part of the Atlas Mountains), at 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level, Khenchela has warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csb), with an average annual precipitation of 446 millimetres (17.6 in). Summers are warm and dry and winters are chilly and wetter, with the possibility of snowfall.

This is one of the coldest cities in Algeria.

Khenchela in winter
Climate data for Khenchela
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 9.0
(48.2)
10.6
(51.1)
13.9
(57.0)
17.6
(63.7)
21.2
(70.2)
26.6
(79.9)
30.1
(86.2)
29.4
(84.9)
25.7
(78.3)
19.7
(67.5)
14.5
(58.1)
10.2
(50.4)
19.0
(66.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1)
0.4
(32.7)
2.0
(35.6)
4.1
(39.4)
7.0
(44.6)
11.1
(52.0)
13.1
(55.6)
13.1
(55.6)
11.7
(53.1)
7.8
(46.0)
4.1
(39.4)
0.7
(33.3)
6.2
(43.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 43
(1.7)
44
(1.7)
63
(2.5)
40
(1.6)
49
(1.9)
25
(1.0)
12
(0.5)
17
(0.7)
32
(1.3)
37
(1.5)
46
(1.8)
38
(1.5)
446
(17.7)
Source: Climate-data.org

Demographics

Since the 20th century, Khenchela's population has grown particularly fast: 12 000 inhabitants in 1954, 28,000 in 1962, 70,000 in 1987 and 87,196 in 2002. This increase is partly explained by population displacement during the war in Algeria, the area being a refuge for resistance fighters. This has posed and continues to pose planning problems (housing, water, sewer, electricity).

Sports

USM Khenchela is the most well-known sports club from the city. It currently plays in the Ligue 1, the first tier of the Algerian football pyramid, and hosts its games in Amar Hamam Stadium.

Education

References

  1. "Tixencelt : tqelleɛ teẓrigt tis 5 n Tmesrit taɣelnawt n usewlef" [5th National Photography Exhibition kicks off in Khenchela] (in Tamazight). Khenchela, Algeria: aps.dz (Algeria Press Service). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 10 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  2. A propos de l’énigme de Khenchela (1982-....) (2009) [archive], Guy Pervillé, guy.perville.free.fr, 2 février 2009.
  3. "Climate: Khenchela". Retrieved 2 September 2013.
Khenchela Province
Capital: Khenchela
Khenchela District
Kaïs District
Aïn Touila District
El Hamma District
Bouhmama District
Chechar District
Ouled Rechache District
Babar District
Provincial seats of Algeria
Flag of Algeria
Flag of Algeria
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