Touggourt تقرت | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Entrance to the Ksar of Touggourt | |
 Location of Touggourt commune within Ouargla Province | |
  Touggourt Location of Touggourt within Algeria | |
| Coordinates:33°06′N6°04′E / 33.100°N 6.067°E /33.100; 6.067 | |
| Country |  Algeria |
| Province | Touggourt |
| District | Touggourt |
| Area | |
• Total | 216 km2 (83 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 62 m (203 ft) |
| Population (2008)[1] | |
• Total | 143,270 |
| • Density | 663/km2 (1,720/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Postal code | 30002 |
Touggourt (Arabic:ﺗﻗﺮت or تڤرت;Berber languages:ⵜⵓⴳⵓⵔⵜ,romanized: Tugurt,lit. 'the gateway' or 'the gate') is a city andcommune, former sultanate and capital ofTouggourt District, inTouggourt Province,Algeria, built next to anoasis in the Sahara. As of the 2008 census, the commune had a population of 39,409 people,[1] up from 32,940 in 1998,[2] and an annual growth rate of 1.8%.[1] Touggourt's urban area includes the communes ofNezla,Tebesbest andZaouia El Abidia, for a total population of 146,108.[1]
Touggourt is notable for itsdate trees. It was formerly surrounded by amoat, which theFrench filled up.[3]Bradt Travel Guides describe it as "largely a modern town of block architecture" and "largely unattractive. The centre is quiet most of the day due to the heat but is more active at night when people take to the streets."[4]
Sultanate of Tunis pre 1414
Sultanate of Tuggurt 1414–1552
Sultanate of Tuggurt, (tributary of theOttoman Empire) 1552–1830
Sultanate of Tuggurt 1830–1844France, (French Algeria) 1844–1871
Mokrani Revolt 1871–1872
In 1414 theSultanate ofTuggert was founded in southern Algeria. The knownSultans (and one female ruler) were:
TheTuggurt Expedition (1552) is also a notable historical event.
In 1854 the sultanate was abolished by French colonial authorities in Algeria.
Touggourt, as it is now spelled, became one of the initial six (1902), then four (1905) autonomous administrative districts of theTerritoires du Sud [fr] (Southern Territories), which in 1957 were first joined, then reorganized into two regular Frenchdépartements. Tuggert became part of Oasis (prefecture seatOuargla).
Touggourt lies on the western side of an extensive system ofoases which supportspalm plantations and other agriculture in an area 50 kilometres (31 mi) from north to south. Other towns around the oases areSidi Slimane andMegarine to north, andTamacine andBalidat Ameur to the south. The system is also associated with more oases further north inEl Oued Province including the towns ofDjamaa andEl M'Ghair. Beyond the oases, the land is arid and barren, with extensivesand dunes both to the west and east of the city.
Touggourt has ahot desert climate (Köppen climate classificationBWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short, warm winters. Average high temperatures are consistently over 40 °C (104 °F) during June, July, August and September and reach a maximum of nearly 45 °C (113 °F) in July. Average low temperatures in summer are also very high, above 26 °C (82.4 °F) and routinely above 29 °C (86 °F) in the hottest month. Average annual rainfall is around 55 mm (2,16 in) and summers are especially dry. On 30 July 2023, a maximum temperature of 50.3 °C (122.5 °F) was registered in Touggourt.[5]
| Climate data for Touggourt (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 26.4 (79.5) | 35.4 (95.7) | 39.8 (103.6) | 41.0 (105.8) | 45.6 (114.1) | 50.2 (122.4) | 50.3 (122.5) | 49.0 (120.2) | 46.2 (115.2) | 40.7 (105.3) | 34.9 (94.8) | 28.6 (83.5) | 50.3 (122.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.7 (67.5) | 23.9 (75.0) | 28.3 (82.9) | 33.5 (92.3) | 38.5 (101.3) | 41.8 (107.2) | 41.0 (105.8) | 35.8 (96.4) | — | 22.9 (73.2) | 18.3 (64.9) | — |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.9 (55.2) | 17.0 (62.6) | 21.3 (70.3) | 26.3 (79.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 34.3 (93.7) | 33.7 (92.7) | 29.2 (84.6) | — | 16.4 (61.5) | 12.0 (53.6) | — |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) | 6.1 (43.0) | 10.2 (50.4) | 14.2 (57.6) | 19.1 (66.4) | 23.9 (75.0) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.4 (79.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | — | 9.9 (49.8) | 5.6 (42.1) | — |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.8 (28.8) | −1.6 (29.1) | 0.6 (33.1) | 4.2 (39.6) | 9.2 (48.6) | 13.4 (56.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 11.8 (53.2) | 7.4 (45.3) | −1.8 (28.8) | −1.8 (28.8) | −1.8 (28.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 12.3 (0.48) | 4.3 (0.17) | 7.0 (0.28) | 6.9 (0.27) | 3.3 (0.13) | 0.7 (0.03) | 0.5 (0.02) | 2.3 (0.09) | 7.1 (0.28) | 4.5 (0.18) | 6.3 (0.25) | 5.0 (0.20) | 60.2 (2.37) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1 mm) | 1.3 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 10.9 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 244.8 | 243.2 | 268.0 | — | 322.0 | — | 359.4 | 338.5 | 275.1 | — | 243.9 | 235.6 | — |
| Source:NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
Touggourt lies at the junction of the N3 and N16 roads, 161 kilometres (100 mi) northeast of the provincial capital ofOuargla.[7] It is connected by railway toBiskra and is served by theSidi Madhi Airport.[8]
The N3 highway connects toMegarine,Sidi Slimane, andBiskra to the north andHassi Messaoud andIllizi to the south. The N16 connects toTaibet andEl Oued to the east. Another road, theRoute Messaad Tougourt, connects toMessaâd andDjelfa to the northwest. Local roads connect to nearby towns Megarine andTamacine.
The commune is composed of nine localities:[9]
Places adjacent to Touggourt | |
|---|---|
Capital:Ouargla | ||
| Ouargla District | .svg) | |
| El Borma District | ||
| El Hadjira District | ||
| Hassi Messaoud District | ||
| Mégarine District | ||
| N'Goussa District | ||
| Sidi Khouïled District | ||
| Taïbet District | ||
| Témacine District | ||
| Touggourt District | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
