El Oued, Souf or Oued Souf is a city, and the capital of El Oued Province, in Algeria. The oasis town is watered by an underground river, hence its name is El Oued which enables date palm cultivation and the rare use (for the desert) of brick construction for housing. As most roofs are domed, it is known as the "City of a Thousand Domes". El Oued is located 400 mi south east of Algiers (the capital city of Algeria), near the Tunisian border. The population of El Oued was 134,699 as of the 2008 census, up from 105,256 in 1998, with a population growth rate of 2.5%.

History

In the 11th century, the Fatimids sent Banu Hilal to the Tripolitania, Tunisia and Constantine areas to fight against the Zirids.

Culture

The inhabitants belong to Teroud tribe (Arabic: بنو طرود) living in and near Oued Souf area.

Climate

El Oued has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with very hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is light and sporadic, and summers are particularly dry.

Transportation

The N16 highway connects El Oued to Touggourt to the southwest and Tebessa to the northeast. The N48 connects El Oued to the town of Still to the north, from which the N3 may be used to reach Biskra. El Oued lies about 20 km south of Guemar Airport.

Education

7.4% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 17.5% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 86.1% (second highest in the province), and is 91.2% among males (second highest in the province) and 80.6% among females (equal highest in the province).

Localities

The commune of El Oued is composed of six localities: