▁The ▁town ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁inhabitants . ▁ ▁Bir ▁el ▁A ter ▁is ▁the ▁type ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁A ter ian ▁industry . ▁The ▁term ▁A ter ian ▁der ives ▁from ▁el - A ter . ▁This ▁l ith ic ▁culture ▁last ed ▁between ▁ 4 0 0 0 0 ▁– ▁ 2 0 0 0 0 ▁years ▁BC . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁min ing ▁city , ▁located ▁ 1 5   km ▁south ▁of ▁Bir ▁El ▁A ter . ▁There ▁are ▁depos its ▁of ▁Dj eb el ▁On k ▁Ph osph ates , ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁Al ger ia ▁which ▁are ▁extracted ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁by ▁train ▁to ▁Ann aba ▁a ▁port , ▁ 3 0 0   km ▁north ▁on ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁or ▁are ▁used ▁locally . ▁ ▁Geography ▁To ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁Bir ▁el - A ter ▁is ▁a ▁plain . ▁ ▁Agricult ure ▁was ▁fl our ishing ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ans . ▁ ▁Now ad ays , ▁the ▁soil ▁is ▁dry ▁and ▁not ▁very ▁fert ile . ▁ ▁Veg et ation ▁consists ▁essentially ▁of ▁tu ft s ▁of ▁al fa . ▁ ▁To ▁the ▁south ▁lies ▁the ▁J eb el ▁On k , ▁north - east ▁south - west , ▁it ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁ph osph ates ▁mines . ▁▁ ▁The ▁landscape ▁becomes ▁more ▁rug ged ▁with ▁few ▁pe aks ▁and ▁w ad is ▁including ▁many ▁can y