Tindouf, also written
Tinduf , is the westernmost
province of
Algeria, having a population of 58,193 as of the 2008 census (not including the
Sahrawi refugees at the
Sahrawi refugee camps). It's population in reality could be as high as 160,000 because of the Sahrawi refugee camps. Despite the barren landscape, Tindouf is a resource-rich province, with important quantities of
iron ore located in the
Gara Djebilet area close to the border with
Mauritania. Prior to Algerian independence, the area served as a strongpoint of several
tribes of the
nomadic Reguibat confederation.