Ouargla

Ouargla
ورقلة (Arabic)
Location of Ouargla commune within Ouargla Province
Ouargla
Location of Ouargla within Algeria
Coordinates: 31°57′N 5°19′E / 31.950°N 5.317°E / 31.950; 5.317
Country Algeria
ProvinceOuargla Province
DistrictOuargla District
Elevation
219 m (719 ft)
Population
 (2008)
  City
133,024
  Urban
191,136
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
Postal code
30000

Ouargla (Berber: Wargrən, Arabic: ورقلة) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune of Ouargla had a population of 133,024 in the 2008 census, up from 112,339 in 1998, and an annual population growth rate of 1.7%. However, including the commune of Rouissat, found in Ouargla's urban area, gives a total population of 191,136.