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BLIDA

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Originally appearing in Volume V04, Page 59 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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BLIDA , a See also:

town of See also:Algeria, in the See also:department of, See also:Algiers, 32 M. by railway S.W. from Algiers, on the See also:line to See also:Oran. Pop. (1906) 16,866. It lies surrounded with orchards and gardens, 63o ft. above the See also:sea, at the See also:base of the Little See also:Atlas, on the See also:southern edge of the fertile See also:plain of the Metija, and the right See also:bank of the See also:Wad-el-Kebir affluent of the Chiffa.. The abundant See also:water of this stream provides See also:power for large See also:corn See also:mills and several factories, and also supplies the town, with its numerous fountains and irrigated gardens. Blida is surrounded by a See also:wall of considerable extent, pierced by six See also:gates, and is further defended by Fort Mimieh, crowning a steep See also:hill on the See also:left bank of the See also:river. The See also:present town, See also:French in See also:character, has well-built See also:modern streets with many arcades, and See also:numbers among its buildings several mosques and churches, extensive See also:barracks and a large military See also:hospital. The See also:principal square, the See also:place d'Armes, is surrounded by arcaded houses and shaded by trees. The centre of a fertile See also:district, and a See also:post on one of the See also:main routes in the See also:country, Blida has a flourishing See also:trade, chiefly in oranges and See also:flour. The See also:orange groves contain over 5o,000 trees, and in See also:April the See also:air for See also:miles See also:round is laden with the See also:scent of the orange blossoms. In the public gardens is a See also:group of magnificent See also:olive trees. The products of the neighbouring See also:cork trees and See also:cedar groves are a source of See also:revenue to the town.

In the vicinity are the villages of J,oinville and See also:

Montpensier, which owe their origin to military camps established by See also:Marshal Valee in 1838; and on the road to See also:Medea are the tombs of the See also:marabout Mahommed-el-Kebir, who died in 158o, and his two sons. Blida, i.e. boleida, diminutive of the Arab word belad, See also:city, occupies the site of a military station in the See also:time of the See also:Romans, but the present town appears to date from the 16th See also:century. A See also:mosque was built by See also:order of Khair-ed-din See also:Barbarossa, and under the See also:Turks the town was of some importance. In 1825 it was nearly destroyed by an See also:earthquake, but was speedily rebuilt on a site about a mile distant from the ruins. It was not till 1838 that it was finally held by the French, though they had been in See also:possession for a See also:short time eight years before. In April 1go6 it was chosen as the place of detention of Behanzin, the ex-See also:king of See also:Dahomey, who died in See also:December of that See also:year. Blida is the See also:chief town of a See also:commune of the same name, having ('co6) a See also:population of 33,332.

End of Article: BLIDA

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