Bordj Badji Mokhtar () is a town and commune in Bordj Badji Mokhtar District, Bordj Badji Mokhtar Province, in south-western Algeria. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 16,437, up from 9,323 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 6.0%, the highest in the province. It was named after the Algerian independence activist Badji Mokhtar (1919–1954). The Prime Meridian passes near Bordj Badji Mokhtar. Geography Bordj Badji Mokhtar is located at an elevation of in the Tanezrouft, a desolate and mostly flat area in the Sahara Desert. The region is extremely sparsely populated with only four significant settlements in the Algerian part (the other three being Timiaouine, In Guezzam and Tin Zaouatine). Unlike most other towns in Saharan Algeria, Bordj Badji Mokhtar is not settled near an oasis but water is available from wells dug underground. Climate Bordj Badji Mokhtar has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short but hot winters, and very little rainfall throughout the year as the town only averages 38 mm (1.5 in) of rainfall. Occasional showers and thunderstorms do occur from July to September due as the town falls under the far northern edge of influence of the West African Monsoon. <div style="width:85%;"> Transportation Bordj Badji Mokhtar is very distant from other population centres, but the N6 national highway does connect it to Reggane and Adrar to the north and Timiaouine to the southeast. The smuggling of drugs, fuel and migrants is an important economic activity in the area, employing the El-Khalil border crossing into Mali, about southeast of the town. Bordj Badji Mokhtar is served by Bordj Badji Mokhtar Airport. Education 1.2% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 4.4% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 26.1% (the lowest for any commune in Adrar Province), and is 33.3% among males (the lowest in the province) and 17.8% among females (the second lowest in the province). Localities As of 1984, the commune was composed of one locality: Bordj Badji Mokhtar References Neighbouring towns and cities Communes of Adrar Province Algeria–Mali border crossings Adrar Province