Abadla

Abadla (Arabic: ﺑﻨﻰ ﻳﺨﻠﻒ‎) is a town and commune in western Algeria, and capital of Abadla District, Béchar Province. It is located on the Oued Guir southwest of Béchar. According to the 2008 census its population is 13,636, up from 10,845 in 1998, and an annual growth rate of 2.4%, making it the most populated commune in Béchar Province apart from the capital. The commune covers an area of 2,870 square kilometres (1,110 sq mi).

It is a major centre for the Arab Doui-Menia tribe.

Geography

Abadla's location on the Oued Guir allows the growing of grain, facilitated in recent decades by the Djorf Torba dam located upstream. The area south of the town is mostly a flat plain, but there are several rocky hills found to the north of the town.

Climate

Abadla has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with extremely hot summers and cool winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in Abadla. The commune has a total of 350 hectares (860 acres) of arable land, of which 233 hectares (580 acres) is irrigated. There are a total of 23,350 date palms planted in the commune. As of 2009 there were 9,814 sheep, 2,777 goats, 1,939 camels, and 80 cattle. There were also 4000 chickens in 3 buildings.