Provinces of Algeria

Algeria, since December 18, 2019, is divided into 58 wilayas (provinces). Prior to December 18, 2019, there were 48 provinces. The 58 provinces are divided into 1,541 baladiyahs (municipalities). The name of a province is always that of its capital city.

According to the Algerian constitution, a wilaya is a territorial collectivity enjoying economic and diplomatic freedom, the APW, or Popular Provincial Parliament/Provincial Popular Parliament (the Assemblée Populaire Wilayale, in French) is the political entity governing a province, directed by the Wali (Governor), who is chosen by the Algerian President to handle the APW's decisions, the APW has also a president, who is elected by the members of the APW, which Algerians elect.

List

By 1984 the number of Algerian provinces was fixed at 48 and established the list of municipalities or "communes" attached to each province. In 2019, 10 new provinces were added.[1][2]

The province numbers are the first 31 provinces (see the second section) in Arabic alphabetical order, after the adding of 17 more provinces in 1983 and 10 more in 2019, the old numbering was kept and the 27 provinces created since 1984 have been assigned codes from 32 to 58, in Arabic alphabetical order.

The following table presents the list of provinces, showing for each its numerical code, its name (which is at all times the same as the name of the capital city of the province), the number of districts ("dairas"), the number of municipalities, its area, and its population.

MapCodeProvinceArabic nameNumber of
districts
Number of
municipalities
AreaPopulation
(2008[3])
Density (2008)
km2sq miper km2per sq mi
01Adrarأدرار616254,47198,252261,2581.032.7
02Chlefالشلف13354,7951,8511,002,088209540
03Laghouatالأغواط102425,0579,675455,6021847
04Oum El Bouaghiأم البواقي12296,7832,619621,61281210
05Batnaباتنة216112,1924,7071,119,79192240
06Béjaïaبجاية19523,2681,262912,577279720
07Biskraبسكرة10279,5763,697547,13757150
08Bécharبشار61160,85023,490219,8983.619.3
09Blidaالبليدة10251,5756081,002,9375911,530
10Bouïraالبويرة12454,4391,714695,583157410
11Tamanrassetتمنراست35336,839130,054115,0430.340.88
12Tébessaتبسة122814,2275,493648,70346120
13Tlemcenتلمسان20539,0613,498949,135105270
14Tiaretتيارت144220,6737,982846,82341110
15Tizi Ouzouتيزي وزو21672,9561,1411,127,608316820
16Algiersالجزائر13571,1904602,988,1452,5116,500
17Djelfaالجلفة123666,41525,6431,092,18446120
18Jijelجيجل11282,577995636,948247640
19Sétifسطيف20606,5042,5111,489,979229590
20Saïdaسعيدة6166,7642,612330,64149130
21Skikdaسكيكدة13384,0261,554898,680223580
22Sidi Bel Abbèsسيدي بلعباس15529,0963,512604,74466170
23Annabaعنابة6121,439556609,4994241,100
24Guelmaقالمة10344,1011,583482,430118310
25Constantineقسنطينة6122,187844938,4754271,110
26Médéaالمدية19648,8663,423819,93292240
27Mostaganemمستغانم10322,175840737,118325840
28M'Silaالمسيلة154718,7187,227990,59153140
29Mascaraمعسكر16475,9412,294784,073132340
30Ouarglaورقلة610194,55275,117311,3371.64.1
31Oranوهران9262,1218191,584,6076881,780
32El Bayadhالبيض82278,87030,450228,6243.28.3
33Illiziاليزي24198,81576,76334,7150.170.44
34Bordj Bou Arréridjبرج بوعريريج10344,1151,589628,475160410
35Boumerdèsبومرداس9321,356524802,0835041,310
36El Tarfالطارف7243,3391,289408,414122320
37Tindoufتندوف12159,00061,00049,1490.310.80
38Tissemsiltتسمسيلت8223,1521,217294,47693240
39El Ouedالوادي102245,73817,660647,54810.6127.5
40Khenchelaخنشلة8219,8113,788386,68340100
41Souk Ahrasسوق أهراس10264,5411,753438,12795250
42Tipazaتيبازة10281,605620591,010273710
43Milaميلة13323,4071,315766,886220570
44Aïn Deflaعين الدفلى14364,8911,888766,013156400
45Naâmaالنعامة71229,95011,560192,8916.517
46Aïn Témouchentعين تموشنت8282,379919371,239156400
47Ghardaïaغرداية7923,8909,220306,32212.8233.2
48Relizaneغليزان13384,8701,880726,180152390
49Timimounتيميمون41065,20325,175122,0191.94.9
50Bordj Badji Mokhtarبرج باجي مختار12120,02646,34216,4370.140.36
51Ouled Djellalأولاد جلال2611,4104,410174,2191539
52Béni Abbèsبني عباس610101,35039,13050,1630.491.3
53Ain Salahعين صالح23131,22050,66050,3920.380.98
54Ain Guezzamعين قزّام2288,12634,02611,2020.130.34
55Touggourtتقرت41117,4286,729247,2211436
56Djanetجانت1286,18533,27617,6180.20.52
57El M'Ghairالمغير288,8353,411162,2670.942.4
58El Meniaالمنيعة2462,21524,02157,2760.922.4
Total54715412,381,741919,59534,080,0301436

Since 2019

On 26 November 2019, the Cabinet of Algeria passed a bill to add 10 more provinces, by splitting some of the larger provinces in the south of Algeria into smaller ones.[4] Thus, the following provinces have been added on December 18, 2019:

1984–2019

Map of the provinces of Algeria numbered according to the official order.

In 1984 17 new provinces were added. These provinces included:

  1. El Bayadh
  2. Illizi
  3. Bordj Bou Arréridj
  4. Boumerdès
  5. El Taref
  6. Tindouf
  7. Tissemsilt
  8. El Oued
  9. Khenchela
  10. Souk Ahras
  11. Tipaza
  12. Mila
  13. Aïn Defla
  14. Naâma
  15. Aïn Témouchent
  16. Ghardaïa
  17. Relizane

1974–1983

The 15 departments were reorganized to form 31 provinces:

1957–1974

Immediately after independence, Algeria retained its 15 former French départements, which were renamed wilayas (provinces) in 1968, for the most part, with some name changes:

  • 8A-El Wahat (Currently Ouargla, formerly Oasis)
  • 8B-Saoura (Currently Béchar)
  • 9A-Alger (Algiers)
  • 9B-Batna
  • 9C-Annaba (Formerly Bône, English: Bona)
  • 9D-Constantine
  • 9E-Médéa
  • 9F-Mostaganem
  • 9G-Oran
  • 9H-Orléansville (Then El Asnam, now Chlef)
  • 9J-Sétif
  • 9K-Tiaret
  • 9L-Tizi-Ouzou
  • 9M-Tlemcen
  • 9R-Saïda

1954–1962

During the Algerian War of Independence, the FLN adopted an organizational system divided by 6 numbered wilayas:

  1. Aurès
  2. Constantine
  3. Kabylie
  4. Algiers
  5. Oran
  6. Sahara

See also

References

[1]

External links