Saturday 4 August 2012

The Wilaya of Guelma





ولاية قالمة
—  Province  —
Guelma Valley as seen from Ben Djerrah, partially showing the metropolitan area of Guelma with the cities of Boumahra Ahmed, Belkheir, and Guelma visible (from right to left/east to west)
Map of Algeria highlighting Guelma
Coordinates: 36°28′N 07°27′ECoordinates36°28′N 07°27′E
Country Algeria
CapitalGuelma
Government
 • PPA president
 • Wāli
Area
 • Total4,101 km2 (1,583 sq mi)
Population (2008)[1]
 • Total482,261
 • Density120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zoneCET (UTC+01)
Area Code+213 (0) 37
ISO 3166 codeDZ-24
Districts10
Municipalities34

Guelma (Arabicڨالمة‎) is the capital ofGuelma Province and Guelma District, located in northeastern Algeria, about 65 kilometers from the Mediterraneancoast. It is home to the titular see ofCalama.

Antiquity

Though Guelma was settled from early prehistory, it was first established as a town under the Phoenicians, who called it Malaca, probably a Phoenician word meaning "salt" (sharing a common etymology with Málaga in Spain). Later, the Romans settled the area and renamed it Calama, part of the Roman province of Numidia. Calama prospered during the rise ofChristianitySaint Possidius was bishop of Guelma during the 5th century. Later, the Vandal invasion devastated the area until the coming of the Byzantines, who settled the area and built city walls to protect it from further invasions. It was located in the Byzantine Exarchate of Africa. However, after the successful Islamic conquest of Algeria, the area was abandoned as a formal settlement, even later, during Ottoman rule.

Geography and climate

GM Guelma Maouna02.jpg
Guelma is situated at the heart of a major agricultural region, 290 m above sea level and surrounded by mountains (Maouna, Dbegh, Houara). The region is very fertile thanks to the Seybouse River and a large dam that provides a vast irrigation scheme. It occupies a strategic geographic position as a crossroads in northeastern Algeria, linking the coast of Wilaya of AnnabaEl Taref andSkikda to inland areas such as Wilaya of Constantine, Oum El Bouagui and Souk-Ahras.

[edit]Industry

The city's industries include the manufacture of cycles and mopeds, sugar refinement, ceramics, canning, and semolina milling. Guelma is also known for some traditional industries such as knitting and pottery.
GM Guelma Hammam legend01.jpg

[edit]Tourism

Nearby tourist attractions include hot springs, Hammam Debagh (20 minutes away from Guelma), and Hammam Ouled Ali, which contains two resorts and provides services for tourists. Local hotels include: Hotel Mermoura, Hotel Tarik, Hotel Chelala (Hammam Debagh), Hotel la Couronne, the tourist complex of El Baraka (includes hotel A/B), and the tourist complex of Bouchahernie.
Guelma's Olympic Stadium

[edit]Sports

The city has various sports facilities: the Olympic Stadium, Municipal Stadium, an Olympic swimming pool and a multi-sports hall. Football is the most popular sport in the city, as in all the cities of the country. Guelma has several football clubs:
  • Espérance Sportive de Guelma konwn as ES Guelma (founded in 1939)
  • The Olympic Football Guelma (founded in 1947)
  • L'Ettardji Sarri Madinet Guelma (founded on 8 September 1977)

[edit]Music

Folk and traditional music is always present in the city. The city has been musically influenced by Constantine and Annaba. In addition to traditional folk Algerian musicians, the city has rap artists, blues-rock musicians (Nouba), pop-rock musicians (Malaka) and heavy metal groups (Dark Storm, Headhome).(eskrem)rock Many musical activities have been organized in the city, including at the Palace of Culture (Abdel Almajidd Chafii).

[edit]Media

There are no local TV channels or newspapers in Guelma, however, Radio Algérieoperates a radio channel in Guelma[1].

[edit]Notable people

  • Chafaa Abdelmajid, author, playwright and teacher; one of the leaders of Algeria
  • Slimane Benaissa, playwright, dramatist
  • Kateb Yacine (Kateb's is his family name, Yacine his first name) is an Algerian writer; born in Constantine August 2, 1929, died October 28 in Grenoble 1989
  • Houari Boumediene, President of Algeria from 1965 to 1978; helped the country to stand up after the liberation war against the French
  • Abdallah Baali, Algerian diplomat
  • Taieb Boulahrouf, FLN militant ; pre-independence FLN and Algeria successively ambassador to Rome, Lima, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, La Paz and Lisbon after independence
  • Saddek Boussena, former energy minister, former president of OPEC


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