Adrar Province

Adrar (Arabic: ولاية أدرار, Berber languages: ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ) is a province (wilaya) in southwestern Algeria, named after its capital Adrar. It is the second-largest province, with an area of 254 000 km², roughly the size of the US state of Wyoming. It had 401,297 inhabitants at the 2008 population census.^[1]

Country Algeria

CapitalAdrar

Elevation

276 m (906 ft)

Time zoneUTC+01 (CET)

Quick facts ولاية أدرار, Country ...

Adrar Province ولاية أدرار
Province
Map of Algeria highlighting Adrar
Coordinates: 27°52′50″N 0°17′50″W
Country	Algeria
Capital	Adrar
Government
• PPA president	Mr. Menad Mehdi (FLN)
• Wāli	Mr. Ali Bouguerra
Area
• Total	242,139 km2 (93,490 sq mi)
Elevation	276 m (906 ft)
Population  (2008)[1]
• Total	401,297
• Density	1.65730/km2 (4.29239/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Area Code	+213 (0) 49
ISO 3166 code	DZ-01
Districts	6
Municipalities	16
Website	www.wilaya-adrar.dz

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The provincial capital, named Adrar, serves as the administrative and economic center of the region. Historically, the province's oases have served as waypoints for Saharan caravan routes. These settlements are well known for their red mud-brick architecture and longstanding traditions in Islamic scholarship and desert agriculture.^[2]

The economy of Adrar Province relies primarily on agriculture, particularly date palm cultivation and cereal farming. Between 2021 and 2022, the area under cultivation increased by over 22%, with more than 20,300 hectares now dedicated to crops including durum wheat, barley, oats, and vegetables. The government has also promoted sustainable irrigation to support desert farming. Beyond agriculture, Adrar possesses mineral wealth such as phosphates and has been involved in limited oil and gas exploration projects. The University of Adrar, established in 2001, has been instrumental in expanding access to higher education and conducting research on Saharan ecology and indigenous cultures.^[3]

It is bordered by six other wilayas: to the west by Tindouf, to the northwest by Béni Abbès, to the north by Timimoun, to the east by In Salah, to the southeast by Tamanrasset, To the south by Bordj Badji Mokhtar, and to the southwest by Mauritania.

Adrar is composed of three natural and cultural regions: Touat (Adrar, Zaouiet Kounta), Gourara (Aougrout, Timimoune) and Tidikelt (Aoulef), and 299 ksour.