Presentation of the wilaya

The wilaya of Djelfa (in Arabic: ولاية الجلفة ) is an Algerian wilaya located in the highlands, 300 km south of Algiers.

It spreads over the vast steppe plains which catch up with the southern piedmont of the Tell Atlas

The wilaya is made up of 12 daïras and 36 municipalities. It is known for the quality of its sheep and the vast spaces of esparto .

GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION (Relief-Climate…)

The wilaya is located in the central part of northern Algeria. It is limited by the following wilayas :
■          In the North: Médéa and Tissemsilt
■          In the South: Ouargla, El Oued and Ghardaïa
■          In the East: M'sila and Biskra
■          In the West: Laghouat and Tiaret

relief :

Ensuring the transition between the North and the South of Algeria, the Wilaya of Djelfa is characterized by 4 inhomogeneous zones which follow the foothills of the Tell Atlas. The plain of Ain Oussera , a flat area of 500,000 ha, whose altitude ranges from 650 to 850 m precedes the depression of the chotts, Zahrez Gharbi and Zahrez Chergui. Then the Ouled mountain range Naïl oriented South-West - North-East whose main mountains are the Jebel Senalba , Jebel Zerga and Jebel Azreg , with plains, the most important of which are those of Maâlba and Ain Mouilah . Finally in the South the desert plateau also called "Saharan plateau" which plunges into the depression formed by the Djeddi wadi considered as the natural limit of the Sahara .

The highest point of the department is located east of Benyagoub in the daïra of Charef with an altitude of 1,613 m and the lowest 150 m in the extreme south of the wilaya.

Weather :

The Wilaya of Djelfa enjoys a semi-arid climate characterized by cold and harsh winters and hot and dry summers.

The thermal amplitude is high. The department receives an average of 350 mm of rainwater per year but irregularly from North to South; higher in the agricultural regions of Ain Oussera and Hassi Bahbah than in the Saharan plateau in the south of the wilaya. The snow cover is 4 to 13 days on average.

Winds are characterized by their intensity and frequency. Orientation North-East and South-East of oceanic and northern origin. Note the frequency of siroccos of desert origin, the duration of which varies from 20 to 30 days a year.

ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

Agricultural Potentials

As the region is pastorally oriented, the town of Djelfa is an important center for the sheep market in the run-up to the Muslim festival of Aid-el-Kebir .

The wilaya of Djelfa is in the process of "discovering" new vocations by realizing during the year 2018 which is ending indices deemed positive in agriculture, likely to promote it in agricultural region par excellence; a significant development achieved in many important agricultural sectors, such as the potato sector, whose production exceeded 1.265 million tonnes during the 2017/2018 campaign, compared to no more than 721,000 tonnes during the past campaign

Other experimental crops have been crowned with great success in the wilaya, such as almonds, whose harvest in Ain Ouessara has been estimated at 8,390 quintals . Added to this are other conclusive experiments carried out in the cultivation of apples, pears and plums, in the north of the wilaya.

Olive growing is the other sector that has recorded a clear prosperity in the wilaya in recent years. Olive production exceeded 280,000 qx during the past campaign.

Djelfa, particularly the Messaad region , is also renowned for its superior quality apricots and grenadines, according to the same officials, who believe these two agricultural products likely to contribute to obtaining the quality label, for the benefit of the wilaya.

These agricultural crops together have earned the wilaya of Djelfa a ranking in 10th place in terms of contribution to the value of national agricultural production.

Industry

DJELFA - An envelope of 1.5 billion DA has been allocated to the construction of an industrial zone in the capital of the wilaya of Djelfa as part of the investment promotion efforts, we learned from services of the wilaya . an area of 71 ha of the area in question will be allocated to agro-food processing units, against 93 ha intended for construction materials projects, 57 ha for the mechanical industry, 6 ha for the chemical industry, and 30 ha for multiple investments.

■          Mining resources: limestone, clays, gypsum, rock salt, construction sand.
■          Existing industries: Agro-food industries, Manufacturing industries, Electrical and electronic industries, Chemical and plastic industries, Brickworks, construction materials industries.

ECONOMIC, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURES

Hydraulic

Endoreic -type hydrology except in the far north of the department with the Ourak and Touil wadis . There are three large layers, Aïn Oussera , Djelfa and Zahrez . In Djelfa the average flow is 400 hm3 per year. This wilaya includes the following dams :

·         Ain Dam Maabed .

·         Charef dam .

·         Oum Eddhrou Dam

Road network

Railway network :
■ Currently, there is only a narrow and non-functional railway linking Djelfa to Blida via the Chiffa Gorges .

The city has a Terminus station of the Algiers -Djelfa railway line, used mainly for freight.

Health

·         Djelfa Hospital.

·         Ain Hospital Usara .

·         Messaad Hospital .

·         Hassi Hospital Bahbah .

TOURIST ACTIVITIES

The region of Djelfa is very rich in prehistoric sites , it has a real archaeological richness , rock engravings and paintings are nearly 1000 dating from 7500 to 10,000 years, representing various animals: antelopes, rhinoceros , ostriches.

·         Zaccar rock carvings

·         Messaad Roman ruins

·         The salt rock

·         Senalba Forest

·         Chott Zahrez Gharbi

·         Hassi dune cord Bahbah

 The work of wool and the weaving of kachabias ; carpets and burnous from the Messaad region are renowned.