Tindouf

File:Oasis de Tindouf - Oskar Lenz - 1880.jpg

The town of Tindouf was built near an isolated Saharan oasis in 1852 by members of the Tajakant tribe,{{cite book |last=Dunn |first=Ross E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UawOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA110 |title=Resistance in the Desert: Moroccan Responses to French Imperialism 1881-1912 |publisher=Croom Helm |year=1977 |isbn=978-0-299-07360-2 |page=110 |access-date=22 July 2012}}{{cite book |author=Institut des hautes-études marocaines |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o_pAAAAAYAAJ |title=Hespéris: archives berbères et bulletin de l'Institut des hautes-études marocaines |publisher=Emile Larose |year=1930 |page=46 |access-date=22 July 2012}} but in 1895 it was sacked and destroyed by the Reguibat, another Sahrawi tribe.{{cite book |last=Trout |first=Frank E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IO69HppDTDgC&pg=PA155 |title=Morocco's Saharan Frontiers |publisher=Librairie Droz |year=1969 |isbn=978-2-600-04495-0 |page=155 |access-date=22 July 2012}} The Tajakant tribe were expelled from the region. It remained deserted until French troops arrived in the area in 1934 and attached the region to French Algerian territory.{{cite book |last=Trout |first=Frank E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IO69HppDTDgC&pg=PA155 |title=Morocco's Saharan Frontiers |publisher=Librairie Droz |year=1969 |isbn=978-2-600-04495-0 |page=318 |access-date=22 July 2012}} Since Algerian independence in 1962, the town has been deliberately built up, partly because of its importance as a last outpost before the Moroccan, Sahrawi and Mauritanian borders.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

In 1963, the area was the scene of fighting between Algerian and Moroccan forces laying claim to western Algeria, during the Sand War. The region has since been heavily militarized, increasing its relevance. Since the mid-70s, the Tindouf region has served as the base for the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi nationalist organization fighting for Western Sahara's independence. The Polisario Front is headquartered in self-administered refugee camps south of the city,{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} which filled up as Moroccan and Mauritanian forces conquered Western Sahara in 1975. During the war years of 1975–1990, Polisario forces struck in Western Sahara, Mauritania (until 1979) and southern Morocco (including the region of Tata), using the Tindouf region as their rear base area with Algerian protection and support.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} Since 1990 the area has been quiet, although the refugee community remains in Algeria, pending a UN-sponsored peace process and a referendum on independence. (See Minurso.)

Tindouf has a population of 47,965 (2010 estimates),[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930225838/http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gadm&lng=en&dat=32&geo=-66&srt=npan&col=aohdq Tindouf in the World Gazetteer] though this figure is of questionable authenticity, given the fact that the exact number is a sensitive issue due to the Sahrawi refugees, who are excluded from the estimate.

Tindouf has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with extremely hot summers and very warm winters. There is very little rain for most of the year, generally concentrated in February and —associated with the West African Monsoon— by September–October. The region can be hit by rare events of heavy rain, such as in February 2006{{Cite web

|title = WFP assists Sahrawi refugees hit by torrential rains

|url = http://reliefweb.int/node/200195

|date = 2006-02-16

|publisher = World Food Programme

}} or October 2015.[http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing/2015/10/562a19706/devastating-flooding-affects-25000-sahrawi-refugees-tindouf-camps.html UNHCR - Devastating flooding affects 25,000 Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf camps] Summer daytime temperatures commonly approach 45 °C (113 °F) with blazing sunshine, while winter nighttime temperatures can sometimes drop to 5 °C (41 °F) or less. On 31 July 2023, a maximum temperature of {{convert|48.9|°C}} was registered in Tindouf.{{cite web |url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60656&ano=2023&mes=8&day=1&hora=12&min=0&ndays=30|title= 60656: Tindouf (Algeria)|author= |date= 31 July 2023|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 4 August 2023|quote=}}

{{Weather box

|location = Tindouf (1981-2010)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan high C = 20.9

|Feb high C = 23.8

|Mar high C = 28.3

|Apr high C = 30.8

|May high C = 34.2

|Jun high C = 39.1

|Jul high C = 43.8

|Aug high C = 42.3

|Sep high C = 37.8

|Oct high C = 32.3

|Nov high C = 26.3

|Dec high C = 21.8

|Jan mean C = 13.2

|Feb mean C = 16.2

|Mar mean C = 20.1

|Apr mean C = 22.4

|May mean C = 25.0

|Jun mean C = 29.3

|Jul mean C = 35.0

|Aug mean C = 34.3

|Sep mean C = 29.7

|Oct mean C = 24.2

|Nov mean C = 19.0

|Dec mean C = 14.4

|Jan low C = 6.3

|Feb low C = 8.9

|Mar low C = 12.8

|Apr low C = 14.3

|May low C = 16.5

|Jun low C = 20.8

|Jul low C = 26.4

|Aug low C = 26.0

|Sep low C = 22.3

|Oct low C = 17.7

|Nov low C = 11.8

|Dec low C = 8.0

|Jan precipitation mm = 2.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 12.4

|Mar precipitation mm = 4.0

|Apr precipitation mm = 0.6

|May precipitation mm = 2.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.8

|Aug precipitation mm = 2.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 12.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 9.9

|Nov precipitation mm = 1.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 6.5

|source 1 = Meteo-Climat {{cite web

|url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p4.php

|title=moyennes 1981/2010

|publisher=Meteo-Climate-Bz

|access-date=16 February 2016}}

|date=February 2016}}

Commandant Ferradj Airport is located to the north of Tindouf. The N50 national highway connects Tindouf to the airport as well as other Algerian settlements to the north.

6.1% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 18.8% has completed secondary education.{{cite web|title=Structure relative de la population résidente des ménages ordinaires et collectifs âgée de 6 ans et plus selon le niveau d'instruction et la commune de résidence.|url=http://www.ons.dz/collections/w37_p6.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques Algérie|access-date=10 May 2013|language=fr}} The overall literacy rate is 75.0%, and is 79.7% among males and 70.1% among females.{{cite web|title=Taux d'analphabétisme et taux d'alphabétisation de la population âgée de 15 ans et plus, selon le sexe et la commune de résidence .|url=http://www.ons.dz/collections/w37_p10.pdf|publisher=Office National des Statistiques Algérie|access-date=10 May 2013|language=fr}}

The commune is composed of five localities:{{cite web|title=Décret n° 84-365, fixant la composition, la consistance et les limites territoriale des communes. Wilaya d'El Oued|url=http://www.joradp.dz/JO8499/1984/067/FP1562.pdf|publisher=Journal officiel de la République Algérienne|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302063047/http://www.joradp.dz/JO8499/1984/067/FP1562.pdf |archive-date=2 March 2013 |page=1562|language=fr|date=19 December 1984}}

• Tindouf-ville
• Garet Djebilet
• Aouinet Bélagraa
• Chenachène
• Oum El Achar

{{Reflist}}

• {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
• {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Tindouf

|North = Oum El Assel
Tizounine (Morocco)

|Northeast = Oum El Assel

|East = Oum El Assel
Reggane

|Southeast = Reggane

|South = Reggane
Bir Moghrein (Mauritania)

|Southwest = Bir Moghrein (Mauritania)

|West = Touizgui (Morocco)
Al Mahbes (Western Sahara)

|Northwest = Ait Ouabelli (Morocco)
Fam El Hisn (Morocco)

}}

{{Tindouf Province}}

{{Province seats of Algeria}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Communes of Tindouf Province

Category:Province seats of Algeria

Category:Populated places established in 1852