title: Zelfana
text: # Zelfana
  
  Zelfana (Arabic: زلفانة) is a town and commune, coextensive with Zelfana District, in Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. According to the 2008 census it has a population of 10,161, up from 7,241 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 3.5%.
  
  ## Climate
  
  Zelfana has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with very hot summers and mild winters, and very little precipitation throughout the year.
  
  Climate data for Zelfana :
  
  | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Average high °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 19.5 (67.1) | 22.8 (73.0) | 28.5 (83.3) | 32.8 (91.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 42.7 (108.9) | 41.6 (106.9) | 35.5 (95.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 17.4 (63.3) | 28.8 (83.8) |
  | Daily mean °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.8 (60.4) | 20.7 (69.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 30.3 (86.5) | 33.8 (92.8) | 33.0 (91.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 15.0 (59.0) | 11.2 (52.2) | 21.5 (70.6) |
  | Average low °C (°F) | 4.2 (39.6) | 6.2 (43.2) | 8.9 (48.0) | 12.9 (55.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 22.1 (71.8) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 14.7 (58.5) | 8.9 (48.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 14.2 (57.6) |
  | Average precipitation mm (inches) | 7 (0.3) | 4 (0.2) | 9 (0.4) | 5 (0.2) | 3 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 1 (0.0) | 4 (0.2) | 6 (0.2) | 8 (0.3) | 7 (0.3) | 57 (2.3) |
  | Source: climate-data.org ||||||||||||||
  
  ## Transportation
  
  Zelfana is connected by a short 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) road to the N48 highway, which connects it to Ouargla to the east and the Trans-Sahara Highway or N1 to the west, near Noumerat Airport. The N1 connects to Ghardaïa to the north and to El Goléa and In Salah to the south.
  
  ## Education
  
  5.5% of the population has a tertiary education, and another 15.4% has completed secondary education. The overall literacy rate is 78.8%, and is 85.6% among males and 71.9% among females.
  
  ## Localities
  
  The commune of Zelfana is composed of five localities:
  
  * Centre de Zelfana
  * Village socialiste agricole et Centre Pétrolier de Oued Noumer
  * El Hesseï
  * Gouifla
  * La Palmeraie
  