Touggourt is a city and commune, and capital of Touggourt District, in Ouargla Province, Algeria, built next to an oasis in the Sahara. As of the 2008 census, the commune had a population of 39,409 people, up from 32,940 in 1998,[2] and an annual growth rate of 1.8%. However, Touggourt's urban area includes the communes of Nezla, Tebesbest and Zaouia El Abidia, for a total population of 146,108. Touggourt is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, which the French filled up. Bradt Travel Guides describe it as "largely a modern town of block architecture and as such is largely unattractive. The centre is quiet most of the day due to the heat but is more active at night when people take to the streets." In 1414 the Sultanate of Touggourt was founded in southern Algeria. In 1854 the sultanate was abolished by the French colonial authorities. The known Sultans (and one Sultana) were: Ali II Mabruk (Mubarak) Ali III Mustafa Sulayman III 1729 Ahmad II Muhammad I al-`Akhal Ahmad IV Farhat Ibrahim Abd al-Qadir I (1st time) + Ahmad V Khalid Abd al-Qadir I (2nd time) Umar bin Bu-Kumetin 1756 Muhammad II Umar II bin Muhammad Ahmad VI Abd al-Qadir II Farhat II 1792 Ibrahim II 1804 al-Khazan 1804 Muhammad III 1822 `Amar (`Amir) II 1830 Ibrahim III 1831 `Ali IV bin al-Kabir 1833 `Aisha (Aichouch)(female) 1840 `Abd ar-Rahman 1852 `Abd al-Qadir III 1852 - 1854 Sulayman IV. Touggourt lies on the western side of an extensive system of oases which supports palm plantations and other agriculture in an area 50 kilometres (31 mi) from north to south. Other towns around the oases are Sidi Slimane and Megarine to north, and Tamacine and Balidat Ameur to the south. The system is also associated with more oases further north in El Oued Province including the towns of Djamaa and El M'Ghair. Beyond the oases, the land is arid and barren, with extensive sand dunes both to the west and east of the city. Touggourt, like all of Saharan Algeria, has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk), with very hot summers and mild winters. Precipitation is very light throughout the year. Touggourt lies at the junction of the N3 and N16 roads, 161 kilometres (100 mi) northeast of the provincial capital of Ouargla. It is connected by railway to Biskra and is served by the Sidi Madhi Airport. The N3 highway connects to Megarine, Sidi Slimane, and Biskra to the north and Hassi Messaoud and Illizi to the south. The N16 connects to Taibet and El Oued to the east. Another road, the Route Messaad Tougourt, connects to Messaâd and Djelfa to the northwest. Local roads connect to nearby towns Megarine and Tamacine. The commune is composed of nine localities: Quartier de Mestaoua Sidi Abdessalem Baalouche Chateau d'eau Emir Abdelkader. La gare Sidi Bouaziz Zone Industrielle Nouvelle Zone d'Activité.