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,[1] up from 1,404 in 1998,[2] and its population growth rate is 3.5%, the highest in the province.[1] The commune covers an area of 820 square kilometres (320 sq mi).[3]
Lahmar
اﻻﺣﻤﺮ | |
|---|---|
Commune and town | |
Location of Lahmar commune within Béchar Province | |
Lahmar Location of Lahmar within Algeria | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′53″N 2°15′30″W | |
| Country | |
| Province | Béchar Province |
| District | Lahmar District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 820 km2 (320 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 939 m (3,081 ft) |
| Population (2008)[1] | |
| • Total | 1,961 |
| • Density | 2.4/km2 (6.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
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.
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.
| Climate data for Lahmar | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 14.9 (58.8) |
18.1 (64.6) |
21 (70) |
25.4 (77.7) |
30.6 (87.1) |
34.4 (93.9) |
39.1 (102.4) |
38.1 (100.6) |
33.0 (91.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
26.3 (79.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
11.0 (51.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
18.1 (64.6) |
23.4 (74.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
31.4 (88.5) |
30.8 (87.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
13.3 (55.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
19.4 (66.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
10.9 (51.6) |
16.2 (61.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
13.2 (55.8) |
7.1 (44.8) |
2.3 (36.1) |
12.4 (54.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12 (0.5) |
11 (0.4) |
14 (0.6) |
12 (0.5) |
8 (0.3) |
4 (0.2) |
1 (0.0) |
4 (0.2) |
10 (0.4) |
17 (0.7) |
18 (0.7) |
16 (0.6) |
127 (5.1) |
| Source: climate-data.org[4] | |||||||||||||
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.[5] There are a total of 57,000 date palms planted in the commune.[6] 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.[7]
100% of Lahmar's population is connected to drinking water,[8] 100% are connected to the sewerage system,[9] and 99% (including 562 buildings) have access to electricity.[10] There are no fuel service stations in the town; the nearest is in Béchar.[11]
Lahmar has a total of 607 houses, of which 361 are occupied, giving an occupation rate of 5.5 inhabitants per occupied building. This is the lowest such rate in Béchar Province.[12]
A local road leads to the provincial capital of Béchar, 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south.[13] Other tracks lead 25 kilometres (16 mi) north to the town of Mogheul, and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) west to the town of Boukaïs.
There is a total length of 39.4 kilometres (24.5 mi) of roads in the commune.[14]
There are 2 elementary schools, with 11 classrooms including 9 in use.[15] There are a total of 539 school students.[16]
3.3% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 16.3% has competed secondary education.[17] The overall literacy rate is 88.1%, and is 92.7% among males and 83.2% among females - all the highest in the province.[18]
Lahmar has a polyclinic, a room care facility and a maternity ward. The nearest hospital is in Béchar.[19]
Lahmar has 3 operational mosques, with another 1 under construction.[20]
Lahmar consists of two localities:[21]
Sfissifa is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of Lahmar.[22]
| ||
|---|---|---|
Capital: Béchar | ||
| Béchar District | ||
| Abadla District | ||
| Béni Abbès District | ||
| Béni Ounif District | ||
| El Ouata District | ||
| Igli District | ||
| Kénadsa District | ||
| Kerzaz District | ||
| Lahmar District | ||
| Ouled Khodeïr District | ||
| Tabelbala District | ||
| Taghit District | ||