Boumerdès
Boumerdès is the capital city of Boumerdès Province, Algeria. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea. It had a population of 28,500 in 1998 and 15,000 in 1987.
Boumerdès is a seaside city located in the north of Algeria about 50 km east of Algiers and 50 km west of Tizi Ouzou. During French occupation of Algeria, the city was named Rocher Noir, translated from French as Black Rock.
It is the capital city of Wilaya of Boumerdès. The 6.8 Mw Boumerdès earthquake shook northern Algeria with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X. More than 2,200 people were killed, over 10,000 were injured, and a moderate tsunami sank boats at the Balearic Islands. The city became the capital of the province, having the same name, according to the administrative division in 1984.
The city is famous as a scientific center, including a number of national institutes and the University of M'hamed Bouguerra. The institutes include l'Institut Algérien du Pétrole, Faculté des Hydrocarbures et de la Chimie, l'Institut National d'Électricité et d'Électronique, l'Institut National de Génie mécanique, l'Institut National des Industries légères.
The city is also known as an industrial center containing the headquarters of Sonatrach Exploration, l'Entreprise Nationale de Géophysique, and le Centre de Recherches et de Développement.
