The ridge is roughly aligned in an E-W direction. It is located at the western end of the Aurès Range, with the Hodna Mountains to the west. The highest peak, at 2,178 meters (7,146 ft), is the Djebel Refâa. Other important peaks are 2,136-metre (7,008 ft) high Djebel Tichaou and 2,090 metres (6,860 ft) Djebel Touggourt (meaning 'Cedar Peak').
The Belezma Range has one of the most important natural Atlas Cedar forests of Algeria. It is qualified as a 'dry facies'[clarification needed] pure forest owing to its location and the influence of the large deserts nearby, being located only 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of the El Kantara gorges, and there has been a high mortality of the trees in recent times.[1]
The Belezma mountains have been traditionally inhabited by the HouarasChaoui people. There is very low population density in the area and villages are few.[citation needed]
Belezma Plain
The Belezma Plain (French: Plaine de Belezma) is an elevated intermontane basin located to the Northwest between the area of the National Park and Mount Mestaoua. Its main town is Merouana at 1,012 metres (3,320 ft) over sea level. The plain is one of the most fertile areas in the region and has traditionally been a granary for the local population. Mount Mestaoua, a veritable natural fortress, is a historical oppidum.[citation needed]
^Conant, Jonathan (2012). Staying Roman : conquest and identity in Africa and the Mediterranean, 439-700. Cambridge New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 280–281. ISBN0521196973.