Tizi-Ouzou is a town of Algérie, place chief of the Wilaya éponyme, in the area of the Grande Kabylie (also called High Kabylie), in the east of Algiers. The wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou has 67 communes and 21 will daïras.

Its name comes from the Berbère Tizi N Uzezzu , ( in Tifinagh ), which means “collar of the broom”, shortened in Tizi Wezzu . The Arab form official is Tîzî Wazû ().

Second town of Kabylie, after Béjaia, in term of population with 120.000 inhabitants in 2004, Tizi Ouzou is set up at an altitude hardly exceeding 200 meters. The wilaya of Tizi Ouzou is populated of 1.100.000 inhabitants approximately, distributed on a surface of 2.950 km ², and it is limited to the west by the wilaya of Boumerdes, in the south by the wilayas of Bouira and Béjaia, in the east by the wilaya of Béjaia, and in north by the sea the Mediterranean.

History of the city

August 1st

Localization

This city, of 120.000 inhabitants (according to a census in 2004), is located in Kabylie and there constitutes its cultural capital. One speaks there the Kabyle like native tongue (derivative of the Berbère), the Arab , primarily dialectal (cf the Algerian ), is spoken little there and the French like first foreign language. The city has many assets; it is located at 50 km of seaside resorts like Tigzirt and Azeffoun and at less than 150 km of the desert.

Data of the wilaya (department)

• Many communes: 67

• Number of daïrates: 21
• Total population: 1.190.981
• Surface: 2.957.930 km (0,13% of the national territory)
• average Density: 403 hab/km ²
• Indicative telephone: +213 (26)

Company

The football team of Tizi-Ouzou, the sporting Youth of Kabylie or J.S.K, is one of the most known clubs of Africa, the club gained six times including three consecutive times cut of Africa.

Tizi-Ouzou was the witness of the drama of the black Printemps (2001) where in the village of Ath Douala, young a 19 year old high-school pupil, answering in the name of Guermah Massinissa, was cut down by an element of the gendarmerie. It was then the general flashover of all Kabylie, and more than 130 young people were killed by the Algerian authorities in what will remain as the worst riots than knew Algeria since independence.

Following these events, several political movements made their appearance, some claiming an autonomy of Kabylie, like the Mouvement for the autonomy of Kabylie (MAK), others still a recognition of the cultural plurality from which Algeria profits, therefore a recognition of the Berber identity of Algeria, like the Mouvement Citizen of Aarchs.

Personalities

See also: Figures kabyles

• Lounis Has Menguellet, Chanteur, type-setter and poête Kabyle.

• Ali Fergani, former Algerian professional footballer, ex-trainer of the Algerian national team.
• Mouloud Mammeri, writer, anthropologist and linguist.
• Mouloud Feraoun, Algerian writer of French expression.
• Idir, of its true name Hamid Cheriet, artist and intellectual.
• Brahim Izri, artist (author/type-setter/interprets).
• Massed Bouchafa, singer, dancer.
• Lalla Fatma Soumer, directs resistance kabyle against the French colonial army.

• Amar Imache, instigator of the creation of the North-African Star.

• Hocine Has Ahmed, one of the main leaders of FLN.
• Abane Ramdane, organizes the Congrès of Soummam.
• Krim Belkacem, hero of the War of Algeria, Agreements of Evian.
• Matoub Lounès, singer, defender of the Berber culture .
• Saïd Saadi, one of the actors of the Berber Spring, general secretary of RCD.
• Fellag, actor and writer.
• Mohand-Aârav Bessaoud, one of the founders of the Berber Academy of Paris, officer of the FLN-ALN until independence.
• Ferhat Mehenni, actor of the Berber Spring and the associative movement “Imazighen imoula”, engaged singer, writer, politician, spokesperson of MAK.
• Loucif Hamani champion of Africa of boxing and world number 1 during 10ans.
• Ali Zamoum, writer, héro of the revolution.

Important cities of the neighborhoods

• Ain El Hammam
• Azazga
• Azeffoun
• Beni Douala
• Boghni
• Draâ Ben Khedda
• Draâ El Mizan
• Larbaa Nath Irathen
• Tigzirt

Industries

• ENIEM Aissi Wadi - the greatest African complex of the electric household appliances.

• ENEL Freha - Complex of electrical equipment.
• IRDJEN - Complex of red products.
• Complex of Dairy products of Draâ Ben Khedda.

External bonds

• Tiziouzou-dz.com - Official site of the wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou

• Tafsutn80.free.fr, history of Tizi-Ouzou