It stretches more than 600 km (370 mi) in an east northeast – west southwest direction from northeastern Morocco to the Aures.

It is a high plateau area consisting of undulating, steppe-like alluvial plains lying between the Tell and Saharan Atlas ranges.

The largest of such lakes is the Chott Ech Chergui with a length of about 160 km located in the central section of the plains.

[3] The main towns of the plateau are Bordj Bou Arreridj, Sétif, Tiaret, Djelfa and M'sila.

The limits of the plains are not clearly defined, but administratively the territory falls within the following Algerian provinces: Agriculture includes grazing of sheep and goats on grass in better-watered high plateau areas and the cultivation of some crops such as dry-land barley.