Ain Tarik is a municipality occupying 178 km² located southeast of Relizane Province

Relizane Province

Relizane is a province of Algeria. Relizane is the capital. Other localities include Bendaoud, Bouzegza, Hamri, Kalaa, Mazouna and Zemmoura.-Administrative divisions:...

, Algeria

Algeria

Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

. It is the District seat of Ain Tarik District

Ain Tarik District

Ain Tarik is a district located in the southeast of Relizane Province, Algeria. The District of Ain Tarik consists of two municipalities: Ain Tarik and Had Chakkala. According to a recent population census of 2002, the district exceeded 19,000 people...

; in 2002, the population was 12,287.

History

After the arrival of French settlers in the 1880s, they built several administrative buildings in the area. They gave the name Guillaumet to the village. This village was named after Gustave Achille Guillaumet (1840–1887) a French orientalist painter. The location of the village was chosen because of its fertile lands and its strategic location among the three main tribes of the region: Meknessa, Chakkela, and Marioua. As many cities changed names after the independence of Algeria in 1962, the city was named Marioua after a region located 5 km north of the city. In 1968 the name of the city changed to Ain Al-Hammam after another location 3 km north of the present one. Since 1972 the municipality was renamed Ain Tarik in memory of a freedom-fighter - Mujahid Adbul Arrahman who was nicknamed Si Tarik. Ain Tarik can be translated to mean "location of Tarik."

Ain Tarik became a municipality in 1908. It was first under the jurisdiction of Oran Province

Oran Province

Oran is a province in Algeria whose seat is the city of the same name.-Geography:It is located in the northwestern part of the country. Its population is 1,584,607 and it covers a total area of 2,114 km²...

 then Mostaganem Province

Mostaganem Province

Mostaganem is a province of Algeria. The capital is Mostaganem. Other localities include Ain Nouissi, Ain Tadles, Tazgait and Stidia.-Administrative divisions:...

 in 1957. After the reorganization of Algerian territory in 1984, the city became part of Relizane Province

Relizane Province

Relizane is a province of Algeria. Relizane is the capital. Other localities include Bendaoud, Bouzegza, Hamri, Kalaa, Mazouna and Zemmoura.-Administrative divisions:...

. During the Algerian War of Independence

Algerian War of Independence

The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...

 from 1954 to 1962, Ain Tarik was under the FLN

National Liberation Front (Algeria)

The National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Algeria. It was set up on November 1, 1954 as a merger of other smaller groups, to obtain independence for Algeria from France.- Anticolonial struggle :...

 commandment of Wilya five.

Geography

Ain Tarik Municipality is located southeast of Relizane Province

Relizane Province

Relizane is a province of Algeria. Relizane is the capital. Other localities include Bendaoud, Bouzegza, Hamri, Kalaa, Mazouna and Zemmoura.-Administrative divisions:...

 midway between Algiers

Algiers

' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...

 and Oran

Oran

Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...

. It is located 250 km west of Algiers

Algiers

' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...

 and 200 km east of Oran

Oran

Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...

. It lies between four major cities, Tiaret 75 km to the south, Relizane

Relizane

Relizane is a capital town of Relizane Province, Algeria....

 90 km to the northwest, Chlef

Chlef

Chlef is the capital of Chlef Province, Algeria. It is home to the soccer club ASO Chlef, the Hassiba Ben Bouali university, and the basilica of Saint Reparatus, which is home to the oldest Christian labyrinth in the world....

 64 km to the northeast, and Tissemsilt

Tissemsilt

Tissemsilt is a municipality in Algeria. It is the capital of Tissemsilt Province and Tissemsilt District....

72 km to the south. The municipality covers 178 km ² (68.726 sq mi) with an urban area of 34 km² (13.127 sq mi). The city of Ain Tarik lies 250m above sea level.

Neighborhoods

The city consists of many neighborhoods: Downtown, Sinistre, Chtaibou, and Douar. The commercial core is concentrated in the downtown area on both sides of the main street which is the N90; however, many shops can be found in surrounding neighborhoods.

Education

The education in Ain Tarik is delivered through an elementary school, a secondary school, a high school, and a professional training center. The success rate in the Baccalaureat test in 2007 and 2008 were 59.6% and 70% respectively.

Sport

Ain Tarik is home to ARAT soccer team which plays at the municipality stadium. The team participates in the Regional 3 Group A soccer division. Furthermore, many school clubs in various sports participate in regional and national competitions. in 2006, the girls handball team of En-Nasr elementary school won the national competition by beating Bordj Bou Arreridj team 18-9.