(2) The Tel, composed of plains and elevated mountain masses cut up by deep valleys, at the bottom of which are torrents which are dry for the greater part of the year.
(3) A high plateau of triangular form about 140 miles wide; intensely dry, but with scattered salt marshes which dry up during the summer.
(4) The Sahara, an immense sandy basin absolutely devoid of water-courses except quite to the north.
The following table of mean temperatures will give some idea of the degree of heat that is met with throughout the year in these different regions:—
| Monthly Mean Temperature of Algerian Stations Situated in the FourAbove-mentioned Zones. | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | E.F. | E.M. | January | February | March | April | May | June | ||||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | |||
| Algiers (on the coast) | 68 | 22 | 53·8 | 12·1 | 54·6 | 12·6 | 57·0 | 13·9 | 61·4 | 16·3 | 66·1 | 19·0 | 72·2 | 22·3 |
| Orleansville (on the low “Tel”) | 390 | 119 | 48·3 | 9·1 | 50·2 | 10·1 | 54·2 | 12·3 | 61·7 | 16·3 | 68·4 | 20·2 | 77·9 | 25·5 |
| Térriet el Haad (on the high “Tel”) | 3,700 | 1,125 | 41·0 | 5·0 | 43·0 | 6·1 | 47·5 | 8·6 | 52·3 | 11·2 | 59·6 | 15·4 | 69·8 | 21·0 |
| Géryville (on the high plateau) | 4,300 | 1,310 | 37·5 | 3·1 | 40·2 | 4·5 | 45·5 | 7·5 | 52·8 | 11·6 | 63·8 | 17·7 | 74·0 | 22·2 |
| Biskra (Sahara) | 410 | 125 | 50·2 | 10·1 | 54·3 | 12·4 | 57·0 | 13·9 | 66·0 | 18·9 | 76·0 | 24·4 | 84·4 | 29·1 |
| Station | July | August | September | October | November | December | Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | |
| Algiers | 76·0 | 24·4 | 77·0 | 25·0 | 74·2 | 23·4 | 67·5 | 19·7 | 60·5 | 15·8 | 54·9 | 12·7 | 64·5 | 18·1 |
| Orleansville | 85·0 | 29·4 | 85·7 | 29·8 | 77·2 | 25·1 | 66·7 | 19·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 | 49·9 | 9·9 | 65·2 | 18·4 |
| Térriet el Haad | 77·4 | 25·2 | 78·7 | 25·9 | 68·0 | 20·0 | 58·3 | 14·6 | 49·9 | 9·9 | 43·5 | 6·4 | 57·3 | 14·1 |
| Géryville | 79·7 | 26·5 | 79·7 | 26·5 | 68·5 | 20·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 | 46·5 | 8·1 | 39·8 | 4·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 |
| Biskra | 90·0 | 32·2 | 90·0 | 32·2 | 80·2 | 26·8 | 68·0 | 20·0 | 57·7 | 14·3 | 51·5 | 10·8 | 68·5 | 20·3 |
| Monthly Mean Temperature of Algerian Stations Situated in the FourAbove-mentioned Zones. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | E.F. | E.M. | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Year | |||||||||||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | |||
| Algiers (on the coast) | 68 | 22 | 53·8 | 12·1 | 54·6 | 12·6 | 57·0 | 13·9 | 61·4 | 16·3 | 66·1 | 19·0 | 72·2 | 22·3 | 76·0 | 24·4 | 77·0 | 25·0 | 74·2 | 23·4 | 67·5 | 19·7 | 60·5 | 15·8 | 54·9 | 12·7 | 64·5 | 18·1 |
| Orleansville (on the low “Tel”) | 390 | 119 | 48·3 | 9·1 | 50·2 | 10·1 | 54·2 | 12·3 | 61·7 | 16·3 | 68·4 | 20·2 | 77·9 | 25·5 | 85·0 | 29·4 | 85·7 | 29·8 | 77·2 | 25·1 | 66·7 | 19·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 | 49·9 | 9·9 | 65·2 | 18·4 |
| Térriet el Haad (on the high “Tel”) | 3,700 | 1,125 | 41·0 | 5·0 | 43·0 | 6·1 | 47·5 | 8·6 | 52·3 | 11·2 | 59·6 | 15·4 | 69·8 | 21·0 | 77·4 | 25·2 | 78·7 | 25·9 | 68·0 | 20·0 | 58·3 | 14·6 | 49·9 | 9·9 | 43·5 | 6·4 | 57·3 | 14·1 |
| Géryville (on the high plateau) | 4,300 | 1,310 | 37·5 | 3·1 | 40·2 | 4·5 | 45·5 | 7·5 | 52·8 | 11·6 | 63·8 | 17·7 | 74·0 | 22·2 | 79·7 | 26·5 | 79·7 | 26·5 | 68·5 | 20·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 | 46·5 | 8·1 | 39·8 | 4·3 | 56·7 | 13·7 |
| Biskra (Sahara) | 410 | 125 | 50·2 | 10·1 | 54·3 | 12·4 | 57·0 | 13·9 | 66·0 | 18·9 | 76·0 | 24·4 | 84·4 | 29·1 | 90·0 | 32·2 | 90·0 | 32·2 | 80·2 | 26·8 | 68·0 | 20·0 | 57·7 | 14·3 | 51·5 | 10·8 | 68·5 | 20·3 |
Note.—In this and all following tables, F. stands for degrees Fahrenheit; C. for degrees Centigrade; E.F., elevation above the sea in feet; E.M., the same expressed in metres; Ins., inches, English; Mm., millimetres.
The character of the climate of the capital, which may be considered typical of the coast health resorts, may be gathered from the following table:—
| Algiers. Lat. 33° 47′ N.;Long. 0° 44′ E. E.F. 105; E.M. 33·5. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Mean Temperature | Mean Maximum Temperature | Mean Minimum Temperature | Relative Humidity | Rainfall | Number of Rainy Days | ||||
| F. | C. | F. | C. | F. | C. | Ins. | Mm. | |||
| January | 56·0 | 13·3 | 62·7 | 17·0 | 50·2 | 10·1 | 60 | 3·25 | 82·5 | 16 |
| February | 61·3 | 16·3 | 70·2 | 21·2 | 54·8 | 12·7 | 61 | 3·17 | 80·6 | 9 |
| March | 57·2 | 14·0 | 64·5 | 18·1 | 51·5 | 10·8 | 62 | 3·14 | 79·1 | 15 |
| April | 60·5 | 15·8 | 67·8 | 19·9 | 54·2 | 12·3 | 65 | 3·46 | 88·4 | 10 |
| May | 66·7 | 19·3 | 74·7 | 23·7 | 60·2 | 15·7 | 62 | 3·53 | 89·2 | 6 |
| June | 72·5 | 22·5 | 79·7 | 26·5 | 66·7 | 19·3 | 71 | 0·75 | 19·1 | 6 |
| July | 75·8 | 24·1 | 83·0 | 28·3 | 68·5 | 20·3 | 68 | 0·70 | 17·2 | 2 |
| August | 77·0 | 25·0 | 84·3 | 29·1 | 70·0 | 21·1 | 67 | 0·20 | 4·9 | 4 |
| September | 75·5 | 24·2 | 83·2 | 28·4 | 70·3 | 21·3 | 73 | 0·28 | 7·1 | 9 |
| October | 71·2 | 21·8 | 79·2 | 26·2 | 66·0 | 18·9 | 72 | 1·52 | 38·6 | 11 |
| November | 59·8 | 15·5 | 67·3 | 19·6 | 55·7 | 13·2 | 70 | 9·0 | 228·3 | 22 |
| December | 56·8 | 13·8 | 67·5 | 19·7 | 51·7 | 10·9 | 69 | 1·65 | 42·0 | 7 |
| Year | 65·8 | 18·8 | 73·2 | 22·9 | 59·8 | 15·5 | 66·7 | 30·5 | 777·0 | 117 |