Djelfa

Djelfa الجلفة
City
Sand storm in Djelfa
Djelfa Location in Algeria
Coordinates:
Country	Algeria
Province	Djelfa Province
District	Djelfa District
Population (2008)
• Total	339,248
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)

Djelfa (Arabic: الجلفة‎‎) is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria. It has a population of 339,248 (2008 census). The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46.

Geography

It is a pleasant medium-size city, north-central Algeria, in the Ouled Nail Mountains at an elevation of 3,734 feet (1,138 m). It is situated between the towns of Bousaada and Laghouat. Djelfa town is at a point of transition between the dry, steppe-like High Plateaus of the north, with their chotts (intermittent salt lakes), and the Sahara (south). The town was founded in 1852 as a French military post on a geometric plan. It serves as an important livestock market centre for the semi-nomadic Ouled Nail confederation. Djelfa is on the 12,000 mile Africa Trail.

Neolithic art in Djelfa

The surrounding region for centuries has been the meeting place of the Ouled Naïl people, who live in black-and-red striped tents and claim descent from the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.

The area is notable for its abundance of Neolithic rock carvings dating from 7000 to 5000 BC. North of Djelfa town there is an imposing physical feature known as Salt Rock (Rocher de Sel) that resulted from the erosion of rock salts and marls by rain. To the west of the town Megalithic funerary structures are found.

• See separate article, Rock art of the Djelfa region.

During Philippe Pétain's period, a concentration camp was placed in Djelfa.

History

In the 11th century, the Fatimids sent the Banu Hilal to the Tripolitania, Tunisia and Constantine areas against the Zirids.

Culture

The inhabitants are also Ouled Naïl living in Biskra, M'Sila and in Saharan Atlas.

Climate

Djelfa has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), with hot, fairly dry summers and cool, somewhat moist winters. Snow is not unusual in winter.

Climate data for Djelfa
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	22.0 (71.6)	25.5 (77.9)	29.3 (84.7)	33.2 (91.8)	38.4 (101.1)	39.6 (103.3)	41.8 (107.2)	39.2 (102.6)	37.0 (98.6)	38.0 (100.4)	28.8 (83.8)	24.5 (76.1)	41.8 (107.2)
Average high °C (°F)	9.8 (49.6)	11.4 (52.5)	14.1 (57.4)	18.1 (64.6)	23.1 (73.6)	29.3 (84.7)	33.7 (92.7)	32.6 (90.7)	27.5 (81.5)	20.4 (68.7)	14.4 (57.9)	10.8 (51.4)	20.43 (68.77)
Daily mean °C (°F)	5.0 (41)	6.4 (43.5)	8.3 (46.9)	11.9 (53.4)	16.3 (61.3)	22.0 (71.6)	25.7 (78.3)	24.9 (76.8)	20.4 (68.7)	14.3 (57.7)	9.1 (48.4)	5.9 (42.6)	14.18 (57.52)
Average low °C (°F)	0.1 (32.2)	1.4 (34.5)	2.3 (36.1)	5.7 (42.3)	9.5 (49.1)	14.7 (58.5)	17.6 (63.7)	17.1 (62.8)	13.2 (55.8)	8.2 (46.8)	3.8 (38.8)	1.0 (33.8)	7.88 (46.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−12.0 (10.4)	−9.0 (15.8)	−7.2 (19)	−3.9 (25)	0.3 (32.5)	3.6 (38.5)	9.0 (48.2)	8.0 (46.4)	2.0 (35.6)	0.0 (32)	−11.0 (12.2)	−8.0 (17.6)	−12 (10.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	33.4 (1.315)	32.4 (1.276)	38.1 (1.5)	30.8 (1.213)	36.1 (1.421)	29.7 (1.169)	9.4 (0.37)	18.6 (0.732)	25.7 (1.012)	25.1 (0.988)	37.2 (1.465)	30.9 (1.217)	347.4 (13.678)
Average relative humidity (%)	72.9	66.8	58.0	53.9	47.3	36.5	30.3	33.8	49.0	57.3	69.1	77.2	54.34
Source #1: NOAA (1972-1990)
Source #2: climatebase.ru (extremes, humidity)

External links

• (Arabic) Djelfa Forums
• (French) Djelfa - The capital of the Algerian Highlands