Sig

Sig, formerly Saint-Denis-du-Sig, town, northwestern Algeria, on the Wadi Sig just below the confluence of the Wadi el-Mebtoûh and the Wadi Matarah. To the north, the Sig plains stretch 20 miles (32 km) to the Gulf of Arzew, and to the southeast Mount Touakas rises to 1,145 feet (349 metres). The town has wide streets, tree-filled squares, and a public garden along the river. In the centre of a fertile lowland, Sig trades in grains, cotton, flax, tobacco, and wine and is surrounded by olive groves. The area is irrigated by the Barrages (dams) des Cheurfas, 17.5 miles (28 km) upriver, and the overflow is stored in the Petit Barrage, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the town. Local industry includes flour mills and cotton gins, and olive oil is produced and exported. The Kieselguhr (diatomite) quarries are nearby. Pop. (1998) 54,113; (2008) 61,373.