Méridja

Méridja (Arabic: ﻣﺮﻳﺠﺔ‎, little swamp) is a town and commune in Kénadsa District, Béchar Province, in western Algeria. As of 2008 the population of the commune was 592, up from 532 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 1.1%. This makes it the smallest commune by population in Béchar Province. The commune covers an area of 2,270 square kilometres (880 sq mi).

Geography

Méridja is located at an elevation of 782 metres (2,566 ft) on the extensive hamada west of Béchar, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of the Djorf Torba dam on the Oued Guir. Some low, rocky hills rise both to the north and south of the town, but there are no significant mountains in the immediate vicinity of the town.

Climate

Méridja 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 an important industry in Méridja. The commune has a total of 240 hectares (590 acres) of arable land, of which 132 hectares (330 acres) is irrigated. There are a total of 10,020 date palms planted in the commune. Animal husbandry is particularly significant; as of 2009 there were 1,758 sheep, 2,182 goats, 2,033 camels, and 180 cattle. There were also 52,800 chickens in 6 buildings.