Lahmar

Lahmar (Arabic: اﻻﺣﻤﺮ‎) is a town and commune, and capital of Lahmar District, in Béchar Province, western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 1,969, up from 1,404 in 1998, and its population growth rate is 3.5%, the highest in the province. The commune covers an area of 820 square kilometres (320 sq mi).

Geography

Lahmar lies at an altitude of 939 metres (3,081 ft) on a rocky plain with scattered higher mountains to the east. One prominent range of hills is just to the east, and separates Lahmar from the nearby locality of Sfissifa.

Climate

Lahmar has a hot desert climate, with very hot summers and cool winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year. Winter nights can be quite chilly due to Lahmar's altitude.

Economy

Agriculture is the main industry in Lahmar. The commune has a total of 2,371 hectares (5,860 acres) of arable land, of which 930 hectares (2,300 acres) is irrigated. There are a total of 57,000 date palms planted in the commune. As of 2009 there were 8,430 sheep, 2,003 goats, and 80 cattle, the highest number of cattle for any commune in the province. There were also 106,800 chickens in 3 buildings, and 165 bee hives.