Béchar Information & Béchar Links at HealthHaven.com

*Commune of Béchar*
	Commune of Béchar
	بلدية بشار
	; Map of Béchar Province highlighting Béchar Municipality
ONS code	0801
Postal code	08000
Province	Béchar (seat)
District	Béchar (coextensive)
PMA Seats	23
Area	5050 km² (1950 sq mi)
Altitude	747 m (2454 ft)
Population	134 954 (1998)
Density	27/km² (69/sq mi)
Time Zone	Central European Time (UTC+1)

Coordinates: 31°37′N 2°13′W / 31.617°N 2.217°W / 31.617; -2.217

Béchar (Arabic: بشار‎), formerly known as Colomb-Béchar, is a capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. The area is controlled by Algeria, though claims have also been made on it by Morocco. In 1998 the city had a population of 134,954.

Before coal was found her in 1907, Bechar was a small populated town. It thrived on the activity of the coal mines until petroleum production seized the market.

The city is noted for its leatherwork and jewellery. Dates, vegetables, figs, cereals and almonds are produced near Béchar. Bituminous coal reserves in the region are not exploited to their greatest potential because of high transportation costs. The city was once the site of a French foreign Legion post.

Near Béchar, there is Kenadsa longwave transmitter, whose masts are the tallest structures in Algeria.

[edit] Location

Béchar is located in northwestern region of Algeria roughly 58 km south of the Moroccan border.

[edit] Climate

Weather data for Béchar
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high °C (°F)	14.8 (59)	16.2 (61)	18.8 (66)	24.5 (76)	29.0 (84)	36.1 (97)	37.0 (99)	35.9 (97)	29.7 (85)	24.0 (75)	18.7 (66)	16.3 (61)
Average low °C (°F)	-2.9 (27)	2.6 (37)	4.7 (40)	8.5 (47)	13.6 (56)	16.9 (62)	19.4 (67)	17.6 (64)	13.4 (56)	10.1 (50)	7.8 (46)	3.2 (38)
Precipitation mm (inches)	29.9 (1.18)	25.3 (1)	15.8 (0.62)	12.7 (0.5)	4.4 (0.17)	0.8 (0.03)	0.9 (0.04)	3.6 (0.14)	20.0 (0.79)	31.6 (1.24)	28.2 (1.11)	31.4 (1.24)
Source: National Weather Service 1974-2007