Ghriss
Ghriss | |
---|---|
Commune and town | |
Coordinates: 35°15′N 0°10′E / 35.250°N 0.167°E | |
Country | Algeria |
Province | Mascara Province |
Population (1998) | |
• Total | 22,151 |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
Ghriss (Arabic: غريس) is a town and commune in Mascara Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 22,151.[1]
It is located 18 kilometres (11 mi) from Mascara and 120 kilometres (75 mi) from Oran, rising to around 500 metres (1,600 ft) in the Ghriss plain . Its name is derived from Aghris (Berber languages: ⴰⵖⵔⵉⵙ) meaning "white frost".[2] During the French colonial period, the town was named "Thiersville" after Adolphe Thiers, and its nearby airport Ghriss Airport was called "Thiersville Airfield" during the WWII.
References
[edit]- ^ Statoids
- ^ Jean Michel de Venture de Paradis (1844). Grammaire et dictionnaire abrégés de la langue berbère (in French). p. 80.