Béchar

Béchar (Arabic: بشار) is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627,[2] up from 134,954 in 1998,[3] with an annual growth rate of 2.1%.[2] The commune covers an area of 5,050 square kilometres (1,950 sq mi).[1] Béchar thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum production seized the market.[4]