town and bituminous coalfields (coal), northwestern Algeria. They lie in a hammada (stony desert region) situated at the northwestern edge of the Sahara 15 miles (24 km) west of Béchar. The Kenadsa coalfields were discovered in 1907 but not mined until 1917. The maximum output of the Kenadsa (and nearby Ksiksou) coalfields occurred in the 1940s (particularly during World War II) and '50s. Production has gradually declined. Transportation costs in comparison to the eastern Algeria natural-gas and petroleum fields (first exploited in the late 1950s) were the principal cause for the demise. Nearby lead, manganese, and iron-ore deposits are also minimally exploited. Pop. (latest est.) mun., 9,822.