Tabelbala
Tabelbala (Arabic: تبلبالة, Berber languages: ⵜⴰⴱⵍⴱⴰⵍⵜ, romanized: Tabelbalt, Korandje: tsawərbəts) is a town and commune between Béchar and Tindouf in south-western Algeria, and is the capital, and only significant settlement, of the Daïra of the same name, encompassing most of the western half of Béni Abbès Province (part of Bechar Province until 2019). As of the 2008 census, its population was 5,121, up from 4,663 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 1.0%. The commune covers an area of 60,560 square kilometres (23,380 sq mi), making it by far the largest commune in the province, as well as the least densely populated.
Tabelbala
تبلبالة | |
|---|---|
Location of Tabelbala commune within Béchar Province (pre-2019) | |
Tabelbala Location of Tabelbala within Algeria | |
| Coordinates: 29°24′N 3°15′W | |
| Country | Algeria |
| Province | Béni Abbès |
| District | Tabelbala District |
| Area | |
| • Total | 60,650 km2 (23,420 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 518 m (1,699 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 5,121 |
| • Density | 0.084/km2 (0.22/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (West Africa Time) |
Tabelbala is notable for being the only town in Algeria to speak a language neither Arabic nor Berber, namely Korandje, which is spoken by about 3,000 people. Most of the rest of the population are descendants of twentieth-century immigrants to the oasis.