Biskra Province

Biskra Province

ولاية بسكرة
Biskra Province ولاية بسكرة
Province
	Map of Algeria highlighting Biskra
	Coordinates: 34°52′N 05°45′E / 34.867°N 5.750°E
Country	Algeria
Capital	Biskra
Government
• PPA president	Mr. Slimani Azeddine (RND)
• Wāli	Mr. Karoum Ahmed
Area
• Total	21,509 km2 (8,305 sq mi)
Population (2015)
• Total	869,215
• Density	40/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC 01 (CET)
Area Code	213 (0) 33
ISO 3166 code	DZ-07
Districts	12
Municipalities	33

Biskra (Arabic: ولاية بسكرة, Berber: ⴱⴻⵙⴽⵔⴰ) is a province (wilaya) of Algeria. Its capital is Biskra. It is located on the northern edge of the Algerian Sahara, south of the Atlas Mountains.

Geographically, Biskra Province is arid, but oases and rivers can be found, such as the Djedi River which flows through the province. The mountainous Aurès region also extends into the province.

Biskra Province is home to the district of Tolga, which is well-known internationally for its high-quality Deglet Nour dates. Other localities include Lichoua, Sidi Okba, Sidi Khaled, El-Kantara and Ouled Djellal.

History

Berber tribes

The Biskra area has been inhabited since at least the 3rd millennium BC, when the Gaetuli, an ancient Berber tribe, arrived in North Africa. They settled in the Aurès region, where they posed problems to Roman infiltration in the 3rd century BC as they were stellar horsemen and became dreaded in combat. Eventually, Roman politician Gaius Marius negotiated exploration of the South against concessions of agricultural land around Cirta and Setifis (at the time under Roman rule), and dispersed them and diminished their strength.

Roman occupation

The Biskra area experienced many violent wars during Roman colonization, including the resistance war led by the Berber leader Tacfarinas, followed by his successor, the militant Jugurtha "Youghorta". With the help of the inhabitants of the city of Biskra, who provided human and material support, Jugurtha destroyed the Roman army at the end of the so-called Numidia region.

The Romans also established the city of Tolga and during their rule in the second century A.D, Syrian archers guarding the town of El Kantara were thought to have planted the first date palm grove in the region.