Ech Cheliff, formerly El Asnam, capital of Cheliff Province, northern Algeria, on the Chelif River. It is the commercial center for an irrigated agricultural area. Industries include printing, leatherworking, and food processing. It was founded in 1843 as a French military outpost on the site of an ancient Roman settlement. The town suffered severe damage from earthquakes in 1954 and 1980. Before 1964 it was known as Orléansville. Population (1983 estimate) 119,000.
