|
Algeria
Northeastern Algeria
Eastern Algeria consists of a massif area extensively dissected
into mountains, plains, and basins. It differs from the western
portion of the country in that its prominent topographic features
do not parallel the coast. In its southern sector, the steep cliffs
and long ridges of the Aurès Mountains create an almost impenetrable
refuge that has played an important part in the history of the
Maghrib since Roman times. Near the northern coast, the Petite
Kabylie Mountains are separated from the Grande Kabylie range
at the eastward limits of the Tell by the Soummam River. The coast
is predominantly mountainous in the far eastern part of the country,
but limited plains provide hinterlands for the port cities of
Bejaïa, Skikda, and Annaba. In the interior of the region, extensive
high plains mark the region around Sétif and Constantine; these
plains were developed during the French colonial period as the
principal centers of grain cultivation. Near Constantine, salt
marshes offer seasonal grazing grounds to seminomadic sheep herders.
Data as of December 1993
|
