Provinces of Algeria

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Algeria This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Algeria Constitution President Abdelaziz Bouteflika Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem Parliament Council of the Nation People's National Assembly Political parties Elections: 2007 Provinces (Wilayah) Foreign relations Other countries · Politics Portal view • talk • edit

Algeria is currently divided into 48 wilayas (provinces), 553 dairas (circles, or counties) and 1541 baladiyahs (municipalities, in French: commune). The capital city of a baladiyah, daïra, or province (which is also the largest city of those) always gives those entities their name, even Algiers, the capital of the country gave it its name (El Djazayar, the Arabic name for both the city and the country).

According to the Algerian constitution, a wilaya is a territorial collectivity enjoying economic and diplomatic freedom, the APW, or "Popular Provincal Parliament/Provincal Popular Parliament" (the Assemblé 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 is elected by Algerians.

The administrative divisions have changed several times since independence. When introducing new wilayas, the numbers of old provinces are kept, hence the non alphabetical order. With their official numbers, currently (since 1983) they are:

1. Adrar
2. Chlef
3. Laghouat
4. Oum el-Bouaghi
5. Batna
6. Béjaïa
7. Biskra
8. Béchar
9. Blida
10. Bouira
11. Tamanghasset
12. Tébessa
13. Tlemcen
14. Tiaret
15. Tizi Ouzou
16. Algiers
17. Djelfa
18. Jijel
19. Sétif
20. Saida
21. Skikda
22. Sidi Bel Abbes
23. Annaba
24. Guelma
25. Constantine
26. Médéa
27. Mostaganem
28. M'Sila
29. Muaskar
30. Ouargla
31. Oran
32. El Bayadh
33. Illizi
34. Bordj Bou Arréridj
35. Boumerdès
36. El Tarf
37. Tindouf
38. Tissemsilt
39. El Oued
40. Khenchela
41. Souk Ahras
42. Tipasa
43. Mila
44. Aïn Defla
45. Naama
46. Aïn Témouchent
47. Ghardaïa
48. Relizane

[edit] 1974-1983

The 15 departments were reorganized to form 31 departments:

1. Adrar
2. Algiers
3. Annaba
4. Batna
5. Béchar
6. Béjaïa
7. Biskra
8. Blida
9. Bouira
10. Constantine
11. Djelfa
12. El Asnam (Currently Chlef)
13. Guelma
14. Jijel
15. Laghouat
16. Mascara
17. Médéa
18. Mostaganem
19. M'Sila
20. Oran
21. Ouargla
22. Oum el Bouaghi
23. Saïda
24. Sétif
25. Sidi Bel Abbès
26. Skikda
27. Tamanrasset
28. Tébessa
29. Tiaret
30. Tizi-Ouzou
31. Tlemcen

[edit] 1962-1974

Immediately after independence, Algeria retained its 15 former French départements, which became wilayas, for the most part, with some name changes:

1. Alger (Algiers)
2. Annaba (Formerly Bône, English: Bona)
3. Batna
4. Constantine
5. El Asnam (Currently Chlef, formerly Orléansville)
6. El Wahat (Currently Ouargla, formerly Oasis)
7. Médéa
8. Mostaganem
9. Saïda
10. Saoura (Currently Béchar)
11. Sétif
12. Tiaret
13. Tizi-Ouzou
14. Tlemcen

[edit] 1954-1962

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

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

with France sometimes described as a "wilaya 7".

[edit] See also

Municipalities of Algeria

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Provinces of Algeria

Adrar • Aïn Defla • Aïn Témouchent • Algiers • Annaba • Batna • Béchar • Béjaïa • Biskra • Blida • Bordj Bou Arréridj • Bouira • Boumerdès • Chlef • Constantine • Djelfa • El Bayadh • El Oued • El Tarf • Ghardaïa • Guelma • Illizi • Jijel • Khenchela • Laghouat • Médéa • Mila • Mostaganem • M'Sila • Muaskar • Naama • Oran • Ouargla • Oum el-Bouaghi • Relizane • Saida • Sétif • Sidi Bel Abbes • Skikda • Souk Ahras • Tamanghasset • Tébessa • Tiaret • Tindouf • Tipasa • Tissemsilt • Tizi Ouzou • Tlemcen