Bir el Ater
Bir El Ater
بئر العاتر | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates: 34°44′55″N 8°03′29″E / 34.74861°N 8.05806°E | |
| Country | Algeria |
| Province | Tébessa Province |
| Districts | Bir El Ater |
| Government | |
| • Type | بلدية |
| Area | |
• Total | 588 sq mi (1,522 km2) |
| Population (2008) | |
• Total | 77,727 |
| • Density | 130/sq mi (51/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| Post code | 12001 |
| Area code | 12 |
Bir el Ater (Arabic: بئر العاتر) is a city located in far eastern Algeria. It is located towards the border with Tunisia, around 87 kilometers south of Tebessa and just beyond the Sahara. The town has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants.
Bir el Ater is the type site of the Paleolithic Aterian industry. The term Aterian derives from el-Ater. This lithic culture lasted between 40000 – 20000 years BC.
It is now a mining city, located 15 km south of Bir El Ater. There are deposits of Djebel Onk Phosphates, the largest in Algeria which are extracted and shipped by train to Annaba a port, 300 km north on the Mediterranean or are used locally.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 33,400 |
| 1998 | 53,200 |
| 2008 | 77,727 |
| 2010 | 100,000 |
| 2017 | 120,000 |