M'Sila Province

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M'Sila Province ولاية المسيلة
Province
Map of Algeria highlighting M'Sila
Coordinates: 35°42′N 4°33′E / 35.700°N 4.550°E / 35.700; 4.550
Country	Algeria
Capital	M'Sila
Area
• Total	18,718 km2 (7,227 sq mi)
Population  (2008)[1]
• Total	991,846
• Density	53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Area Code	+213 (0) 35
ISO 3166 code	DZ-28
Districts	15
Municipalities	47

M'Sila (Berber languages: ⵎⵙⵉⵍⴰ Msila) is a province (wilaya) of northern Algeria. It has a population of 1 million people and an area of 18,718 square kilometres (7,227 sq mi), while its capital, also called M'Sila, home to M'Sila University, has a population of about 100,000.

Localities include Bou Saada and Maadid. Chott El Hodna, a salt lake, crosses into M'Sila. However, most of the region is semi-arid and undeveloped.

Additionally, M'Sila was the location of the first village constructed as part of a government-run program to transition nomadic Algerians to sedentary life using local materials.

The village, now complete, was dubbed Maader and consists of houses, public and trading areas, and a mosque.

The province was created from parts of Batna (département), Médéa (département) and Sétif (département) in 1974.

The province is divided into 15 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 47 communes or municipalities.

• Zawiyet El Hamel

The creation of the Zaouïa complex dates back to the 19th century, founded by Sidi Mohammed Ben Belqacem [ar] born in 1823 in the vicinity of Hassi Bahbah in the Djelfa Province. After he died in 1897, his daughter Lalla Zaynab succeeded him until 1904.

The zaouïa consists of a mosque, a Koranic school, and the mausoleum where the founder and his successors rest.

• Hodna

• Encyclopaedia of the Orient - a brief description of M'Sila, focusing on its capital
• BBC - a news article about some recent violence in M'Sila
• Archnet - focuses on the Maader village project
• Wetlands International - an in-depth description of M'Sila's wetland