Ouargla or Warqla () is a province (wilaya) in eastern Algeria, with a population of 708 463 inhabitants in 2019. Its capital is Ouargla. Other localities include Hassi Ben Abdellah and Hassi Messaoud. It borders Ouled Djellal Province, El M'Ghair Province Touggourt Province, and El Oued Province to the north, Tunisia to the east, In Salah Province and Illizi Province to the south, and El Menia Province, Ghardaia Province and Djelfa Province to the west. It contains the Issaouane Erg desert.
History In the past Ouargla was the center of trading of gold and slaves, as well as being an important center of Ibadi Islam. However, the Ibadis left for the M'zab valley.
In 1984 Illizi Province was carved out of its territory.
In 2019, Touggourt Province was carved out of its territory.
Administrative divisions The province is divided into 5 districts (daïras), which are further divided into 8 communes or municipalities.
Districts DistrictCommuneArabicEl Borma DistrictEl BormaالبرمةHassi Messaoud DistrictHassi Messaoudحاسي مسعودN'Goussa DistrictN'GoussaﻧﻘﻮﺳﺔOuargla DistrictOuarglaورقلةRouissatاﻟﺮوﻳﺴﺎتSidi Khouïled DistrictAïn Beidaﻋﻴﻦ اﻟﺒﻴﻀﺎءHassi Ben Abdellahﺣﺎﺳﻲ ﺑﻦ ﻋﺒﺪ اﷲSidi Khouiledﺳﻴﺪي ﺧﻮﻳﻠﺪ
Geology The region lies within the Algerian Triassic Sedimentary basin containing numerous oil and gas fields, including the Alrar gas field.Hamouda, A., 1980, Petroleum Potential-Ouargla Region Triassic Basin, Algeria, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade: 1968-1978, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, , p. 539 Production is from Triassic sandstones with Andesitic seals and the Gothlandian shale as a source rock.Hamouda, A., 1980, Petroleum Potential-Ouargla Region Triassic Basin, Algeria, in Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade: 1968-1978, AAPG Memoir 30, Halbouty, M.T., editor, Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, , p. 540 Major fields include the Hassi R'Mel gas field, Haoud-Berkaolu, Ben-Kahla, and the Guellala.
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