Presentation of the wilaya

The wilaya of Béjaïa (in Berber : Tanebḍit n Bgayet; in tifinagh: ⵜⴰⵏⴻⴱⴹⵉⵜ ⵏ ⴱⴳⴰⵢⴻⵜ ; in Arabic : ولاية بجاية          ) is an Algerian wilaya , located in the northeast of the country, in the region of Kabylia on its Mediterranean coast. It is administratively divided into 52 municipalities and 19 daïras.      

The wilaya of Bejaia has an area of 3 268 km 2 . The resident population as estimated in the 2008 census is 912 577 inhabitants.    

 The wilaya has 19 daïras out of 52 municipalities.

GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION (Relief-Climate…) 

The wilaya of Béjaïa is located in the northeast of Algeria , in the region of Kabylia . It is delimited :  

• to the west by the wilayas of Tizi-Ouzou and Bouira ;    
• to the south by the wilayas of Bouira and Bordj-Bou-Arreridj ;  
• to the east by the wilayas of Sétif and Jijel ;   
• to the north by the Mediterranean Sea . 

Relief:

 The long coastal zone of more than 120 km , alternating rocky creeks and fine sandy beaches from east to west. 

The wilaya of Béjaïa is located between the large massifs of Djurdjura , Bibans and Babors , the 3,268 km 2 of the region are distributed with great diversity in terms of its relief and its resources.       

The fact that there are a multitude of mountains in the area means that the villages are hidden in the valleys and plains of the coast.

Weather :

As all parts of the coast Algerian wilaya of Bejaia has a temperate climate with a mild winter areas feature Mediterranean with a temperature of 15 ° C on average. The summer, cooled by sea winds, has an average temperature of 25 ° C approximately.          

On the heights, the climate is much harsher, with sometimes negative temperatures and abundant snow in winter and hot summers, in the Soummam valley , the corridor through which the sirocco passes, the rainfall is around 1,200 mm/year. It is among the wettest regions of Algeria .     

ECONOMIC POTENTIALITIES

The wilaya of Béjaïa has long kept the image of a region dedicated to industrial activity, which it was indeed the first pole of Algeria in the agrifood industry , packaging and printing. The establishment of new industrial zones in relation to port development gives an impetus to the logistics sector, in particular with the presence of the port of Béjaïa , the second port at the national level after that of Algiers, while urban growth in the center and to the east of the department is accompanied by the growth of new activities which are no longer only industrial, but also tertiary : large-scale shopping centers in Béjaïa , El-kseur , Akbou . Moreover, several large food companies are present there, in particular the Cevital group , Soummam dairy , Danone , Ifri , Toudja and, etc., with production sites, research centers, head offices. The wilaya is also in a position of strength in the field of trade, textiles and services. Textile and leather industries, made up of 6 large complexes, with a partnership with Turkish textile companies. The leather industry then turned to luxury .               

Finally, the development of the economic poles of Béjaïa , El-Kseur and Akbou , has encouraged the establishment of large companies, as well as a large number of small and medium-sized performing industries. The assets are numerous and promote the dynamism of the economy, certain factors are natural such as the central geographical position, the attractive climate. These poles, by their dynamism and their geographical location, come out on top in terms of attracting national and foreign investors.    

 Agricultural Potentials

The wilaya of bejaia is dominated by arboriculture , especially olive and fig trees , the region has many traditional oil mills.  

Beni Maouche dried fig : 

The dried figs sold in the region have been known for a long time. According to Rebour, 1968 [1], citing Mauri, 1942 [2], the Taamriout variety gives " remarkable results in the valley of Soummam and Guergour, in particular in the douar of Beni Maouche ". October 24, 1996, date of the first fig festival organized in Beni Maouche, it obtains, on September 22, 2016, as well as the deglet nour de Tolga , the IG label (Geographical Indication) under the name dried fig of Beni Maouche .     

Industry

Bejaia has a significant industrial fabric where almost all branches are present with a predominance of manufacturing and processing activities which has more than 220 units in operation.

       - Industrial Zones : 03 zones with an area of ​​203 ha.  

       - Activity Zones : 07 zones with an area of ​​129 ha. 

ECONOMIC, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURES

Hydraulic 

Being part of a fairly watered coastal region, the wilaya of Béjaïa is crossed by several rivers draining surface water runoff to the sea, the most important rivers are : 

• Oued Soummam : 90 km  
• Oued Agrioun : 80 km  
• Oued Djemaa : 46 km  
• Oued Dass : 30 km  

The Black Lake is a lake in the mountains of the Akfadou west of the wilaya of Bejaia in Algeria .    

This wilaya includes the following dams :     

• Tichy-haf dam .
• Ighil Emda dam in Kherrata. One of the Algerian dams that produce electricity

Road network 

National roads 444 Kms including 28 Kms unpaved
Wilaya paths 659 Kms
Communal paths 3,179.8 Kms including 425.9 km unpaved.

Railway network: 

Length of the railway line: 90 km Number of stations: 09 stations and 04 stops 
 

Maritime infrastructure:

 - Jetty 3,400 ml

-Quays 2,730 ml

- Oil wharf: 2 with 3 posts -
Surface area of ​​water bodies 156 Ha -
Surface area of ​​open land 50 Ha

Airport infrastructure: 

1 international airport located in the capital of Wilaya 

Health

 The wilaya has 7 hospitals, 21 polyclinics and 167 treatment rooms 

TOURIST ACTIVITIES

One of the major assets which gives Bejaia its tourist vocation lies in the relief (sea, mountain, forests) added to a coastal zone with real curiosities which constitute certain tourist potentialities.

The wilaya of Bejaia has important natural sites valued in the field of climatic tourism and hydrotherapy, such as the national park of Gouraya or the gorges of Kherrata.

 The wilaya has among others : 

  - 5 hotels classified for 550 beds 

  - 51 unclassified hotels with 3,445 beds

  - 31 beaches including 29 authorized for swimming 

  - 3 important thermal spas