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]

Ghriss
Commune and town
Ghriss is located in Algeria
Ghriss
Ghriss
Coordinates: 35°15′N 0°10′E / 35.250°N 0.167°E / 35.250; 0.167
Country Algeria
ProvinceMascara Province
Population
 (1998)
 • Total22,151
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)

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 [fr]. 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
  1. ^ Statoids
  2. ^ Jean Michel de Venture de Paradis (1844). Grammaire et dictionnaire abrégés de la langue berbère (in French). p. 80.