Illizi

Illizi (إيليزي; ⵉⵍⵉⵣⵉ, Ilizi) is a town and commune, coextensive with Illizi District, situated in the south-eastern part of Algeria, and capital of Illizi Province. According to the 2008 census it is the largest commune by population in the province, with a population of 17,252, up from 10,163 in 1998, and an annual population growth rate of 5.5%, the highest in the province. It is one of the gates to the Tassili N'Ajjer National Park with caves situated under the sands containing prehistoric drawings dating from 6000 years BC. There is a hotel and two camping sites, as well as many local tourist agencies.

Climate
Illizi has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very warm winters. The town is virtually rainless throughout the year as the average annual rainfall is around 10 mm (0.39 in), and summers are especially dry. The sky is always clear over Illizi all year long and the relative humidity is very low.

Transport
Illizi lies on the N3 national highway, which leads north to In Amenas and Touggourt and south to Djanet.

The town is served by Takhamalt Airport, with flights to Ghardaïa and Ouargla.

Economy
The commune of Illizi includes five villages generating their own solar energy as part of a project to introduce solar energy to Algeria: Tihahiout, Ifni, Imehrou, Oued Semen, and Tamadjert.

Education
8.4% of the population has a tertiary education (the highest rate in the province), and another 15.7% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 78.1%, and is 85.2% among males and 69.0% among females.

Sports
The city is home to CSSW Illizi, an amateur side which plays in the south-east group of the Inter-Régions Division, the third tier of the Algerian football pyramid.

Localities
The commune is composed of eight localities:


 * Centre Ville
 * Afara
 * Imehrou
 * Oued Semen
 * Aharhar
 * Tarat
 * Tamadjert
 * Fadnoune