| The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07. |
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| Béchar |
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(b shär´) (KEY) , formerly Colomb-Béchar (kôlôN´–) (KEY) , town (1998 pop. 131,010), capital of Béchar prov., W Algeria. It is an important administrative center in a mining (coal, copper, magnesium, iron) and industrial region. Béchar also serves as a major shipping point for coal. It is noted for its jewelry and leatherwork. The town was established in 1905 as a French military post to control the then-turbulent Algerian-Moroccan border. |
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| | | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press. |
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