Ouargla Province

Ouargla Province ولاية ورقلة
Province
Map of Algeria highlighting Ouargla
Coordinates: 31°57′N 5°19′E / 31.950°N 5.317°ECoordinates: 31°57′N 5°19′E / 31.950°N 5.317°E
Country	Algeria
Capital	Ouargla
Area
• Total	211,980 km^2 (81,850 sq mi)
Population (2008)[1]
• Total	552,539
• Density	2.6/km^2 (6.8/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+01)
Area Code	+213 32
ISO 3166 code	DZ-30
Districts	10
Municipalities	21

Ouargla or Warqla (Arabic: ولاية ورقلة‎‎) is a province (wilaya) in eastern Algeria. Its capital is Ouargla. Other localities include Touggourt, and Hassi Messaoud. It contains the Issaouane Erg desert.

History

In the past Ouargla was the center of trading of gold and slaves, as well as being an important center of Ibadi Islam. However, the Ibadis have left for the M'zab valley.

Administrative divisions

The province is divided into 10 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 21 communes or municipalities.^[2]

Districts

1. El Borma
2. El Hadjira
3. Hassi Messaoud
4. Mégarine
5. N'Goussa
6. Ouargla
7. Sidi Khouiled
8. Taïbet
9. Témacine
10. Touggourt

Communes

1. Ain Beida
2. Balidat Ameur
3. Benaceur
4. El Allia
5. El Borma
6. El Hadjira
7. Hassi Ben Abdellah
8. Hassi Messaoud
9. Mégarine
10. M'Naguer
11. Nezla
12. N'Goussa
13. Ouargla
14. Rouissat
15. Sidi Khouiled
16. Sidi Slimane
17. Taïbet
18. Témacine
19. Tebesbest
20. Touggourt
21. Zaouia El Abidia

Geology

The region lies within the Algerian Triassic Sedimentary basin containing numerous oil and gas fields, including the Alrar gas field.^[3] Production is from Triassic sandstones with Andesitic seals and the Gothlandian shale as a source rock.^[4] Major fields include the Hassi R'Mel gas field, Haoud-Berkaolu, Ben-Kahla, and the Guellala.^[4]

References

1. Office National des Statistiques, Recensement General de la Population et de l’Habitat 2008 Preliminary results of the 2008 population census. Accessed on 2008-07-02.
2. "Official website of the province of Ouargla - state" (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 February 2013.
3. Hamouda, A., 1980, Petroleum Potential-Ourgla Region Triassic Basin, Algeria, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade: 1968-1978, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, ISBN 0891813063, p. 539
4. Hamouda, A., 1980, Petroleum Potential-Ourgla Region Triassic Basin, Algeria, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade: 1968-1978, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, ISBN 0891813063, p. 540