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BEchar[bAshAr´] Pronunciation Key, formerly Colomb-BEchar[kOlON´–] Pronunciation Key, town (1998 pop. 131,010), capital of BEchar prov., W Algeria. It is an important administrative center in a mining (coal, copper, magnesium, iron) and industrial region. BEchar also serves as a major shipping point for coal. It is noted for its jewelry and leatherwork. The town was established in 1905 as a French military post to control the then-turbulent Algerian-Moroccan border.
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