Sétif (département)

Considered as a French province, Algeria was departmentalised on 9 December 1848, and thereby was administratively structured in the same way as metropolitan France.

Three civil zones (départements) replaced the three beyliks into which the Ottoman former rulers had divided the territory.

This administrative reorganisation was undertaken in response to the rapid population increase experienced across the territory, especially during the preceding decade.

The department comprised eight sub-prefectures: these were Akbou, Bordj Bou Arréridj, Bougie, Kherrata, Lafayette, M'Sila, Sidi-Aïch and Saint Arnaud.

The 1957 departmental reorganisation was marked by a change in the "suffix" number appearing on automobile license plates and in other places that used the same code.