Boukaïs
Commune and town in Béchar Province, Algeria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boukaïs (Arabic: بوقايس) is a town and commune in Lahmar District, Béchar Province, in western Algeria. According to the 2008 census its population is 970,[2] up from 890 in 1998,[3] and its annual population growth rate is 0.9%.[2] The commune covers an area of 1,760 square kilometres (680 sq mi).[1]
Boukaïs
بوقايس | |
|---|---|
Commune and town | |
 Location of Boukaïs commune within Béchar Province | |
  Boukaïs Location of Boukaïs within Algeria | |
| Coordinates: 31°55′24″N 2°27′49″W | |
| Country |  Algeria |
| Province | Béchar Province |
| District | Lahmar District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,760 km2 (680 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 851 m (2,792 ft) |
| Population (2008)[2] | |
| • Total | 970 |
| • Density | 0.55/km2 (1.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
Geography
Boukaïs lies at an elevation of 851 metres (2,792 ft) on a rocky plain at the edge of a region of higher, darkly colored rocky hills. There is an even higher range of lightly colored hills to the west. The Oued Ihrassa passes by the town to the east; water from this river is used to irrigate the palm grove found to the southwest of the town.
Climate
Boukaïs has a hot desert climate, with very hot summers and cool winters, and low precipitation throughout the year, especially in summer.
| Climate data for Boukaïs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
18.4 (65.1) |
21.4 (70.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
30.8 (87.4) |
34.6 (94.3) |
39.3 (102.7) |
38.3 (100.9) |
33.2 (91.8) |
26.6 (79.9) |
19.7 (67.5) |
15.4 (59.7) |
26.6 (79.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.6 (47.5) |
11.3 (52.3) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.6 (65.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31 (88) |
26.2 (79.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
9.2 (48.6) |
19.6 (67.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.0 (35.6) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
16.4 (61.5) |
20.3 (68.5) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.8 (74.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
13.5 (56.3) |
7.4 (45.3) |
2.6 (36.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13 (0.5) |
12 (0.5) |
13 (0.5) |
12 (0.5) |
8 (0.3) |
4 (0.2) |
2 (0.1) |
4 (0.2) |
10 (0.4) |
16 (0.6) |
17 (0.7) |
16 (0.6) |
127 (5.1) |
| Source: climate-data.org[4] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Agriculture is a significant industry in Boukaïs. The commune has a total of 300 hectares (740 acres) of arable land, of which 110 hectares (270 acres) is irrigated.[5] There are a total of 19,000 date palms planted in the commune.[6] As of 2009 there were 1,613 sheep, 1,815 goats, 613 camels, and 8 cattle.[7]
Infrastructure and housing
100% of Boukaïs's population is connected to drinking water,[8] 99% is connected to the sewerage system,[9] and 91% (including 210 buildings) have access to electricity.[10] There is no fuel service stations in the town.[11]
Boukaïs has a total of 239 houses, of which 163 are occupied, giving an occupation rate of 6.0 inhabitants per occupied building.[12]
Transportation
A local road connects the town to Lahmar, 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the east, and then continues south to the provincial capital Béchar, 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Boukaïs.[13]
There is a total length of 11.3 kilometres (7.0 mi) of roads in the commune.[14]
Education
There is one elementary school, with 8 classrooms including 5 in use.[15] There are a total of 97 elementary and middle school students; secondary school students attend education in Lahmar.[16]
6.0% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 20.6% has competed secondary education.[17] The overall literacy rate is 79.7%, and is 86.7% among males and 73.2% among females.[18]
Health
Boukaïs only has one room care facility; for medical treatment residents must travel to a clinic in Lahmar or the hospital in Béchar.[19]
Religion
Boukaïs has one operational mosque, with another one under construction.[20]
Localities
The commune is composed of just one locality – the town of Boukaïs itself.[21]
References
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