Kerzaz

Kerzaz (Arabic: آﺮزاز‎) is a town and commune, and capital of Kerzaz District, in Béchar Province, western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 5,028, up from 4,276 in 1998, and its annual growth rate is 1.7%. The commune covers an area of 10,520 square kilometres (4,060 sq mi).

Geography

Kerzaz lies on the left (northeast) bank of the Oued Saoura in the Saoura valley. The Grand Erg Occidental, a large area of continuous sand dunes lies to the east, while the rocky ridges of the Ougarta Range rise to the west, running from northwest to southeast along the opposite side of the river from the town.

Climate

Kerzaz has a hot desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in Kerzaz. The commune has a total of 541 hectares (1,340 acres) of arable land, of which 332 hectares (820 acres) is irrigated. There are a total of 63,570 date palms planted in the commune. As of 2009 there were 1,145 sheep, 575 goats, 228 camels, and 20 cattle.