Annaba
| Annaba عنابة | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | ||
 | ||
| ||
| Nickname(s): Balad Al Unnâb | ||
 Location of Annaba, Algeria within Annaba Province | ||
  Annaba Location of Annaba within Algeria | ||
| Coordinates: 36°54′N 7°46′E / 36.900°N 7.767°ECoordinates: 36°54′N 7°46′E / 36.900°N 7.767°E | ||
| Country |
 Algeria | |
| Province | Annaba Province | |
| District | Annaba District | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 49 km2 (19 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) | |
| Population (2008)[1] | ||
| • Total | 257,359 | |
| • Density | 5,300/km2 (14,000/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| Postal code | 23000 | |
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Annaba /ˈænəbə/,[2] US /əˈnɑːbə/[3] (Arabic: عنابة, ‘Annābah, formerly Bône or Bona, historically Hippo or Hippo Regius) is a city in the northeastern corner of Algeria near the Seybouse River. It is located in Annaba Province. With a population of 257,359 (2008[1]), it is the fourth largest city in Algeria. It is a leading industrial centre in eastern Algeria. Most of the people call this city Balad Al Unnâb, i.e. the Jujubes city, because of the abundance of this fruit in the area.[4]
Annaba is a coastal city and has undergone significant growth. Annaba has a metropolitan area with a higher population density than the other metropolises of the Algerian coastline such as Oran and the capital Algiers. Much of eastern and southern Algeria seeks the services, equipment, and infrastructure of the city. Economically, it is the centre for various dynamic activities, such as industry, transport, finance and tourism.[5]
History
The vicinity of Annaba has yielded evidence of very early human occupation at Ain el Hanech, near Saïda (c. 200,000 B.C.), including artifacts that show remarkable tool-making craftsmanship. According to some sources, prehistoric Algeria was the site of the most advanced development of flake-tool techniques in the Middle Early Stone Age (Middle Paleolithic).
The Phoenicians settled in Annaba in the 1300s BC. Annaba was called Hippo Regius during Roman times.[6] It was a centre of early Western Christianity and was the site of many Christian synods, one of which was central in canonizing the current books of the New Testament. Augustine of Hippo was bishop here from 396 until his death in 430.[7] The city was destroyed in the 5th century by the Vandals.[6] Vandals ruled the city till 534. Gelimer, King of the Vandals and Alans from 530 to 534, with his followers and their children starving and realizing he had no chance of regaining his kingdom of North Africa, surrenders to Flavius Belisarius, a general of the Byzantine Empire under Justinian I, at Bone (Annaba).[8] Then Byzantines ruled Hippona (Hippo's renamed name after 395) before Umayyad conquest in 699. Laterly Abbasids, Aghlabids and Fatimids ruled Buna before ascension of Zirids. It was relocated to present place after floods and Banu Hilal ravages in 1033 during Hammadid rule. It was attacked by Pisan and Genoese fleet in 1034 and was conquered by Kingdom of Sicily in 1153. Almohads took it in 1160.
After demise of Almohads, Hafsids rule began in Annaba in 1250. Hafsid rule was interrupted by brief occupations of Merinids and Castille (in 1360) and finished by Zayyanids. Ottoman rule began in 1533 and lasted till French occupation in 1832 except Spanish rule between 1535 and 1540.
Barbary pirates also lived in Annaba from the 16th to 19th century.[6]
During French rule, the city was known as Bône. It was one of the main European settlements, having a sizeable pied-noir minority. One famous pied-noir from Bône was Alphonse Juin, a Marshal of France and a former NATO Central Europe Commander.
Demography
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
| 1882 | 22,000 | — |
| 1886 | 30,800 | +8.78% |
| 1892 | 32,300 | +0.80% |
| 1896 | 32,300 | +0.00% |
| 1899 | 34,500 | +2.22% |
| 1901 | 37,000 | +3.56% |
| 1906 | 42,900 | +3.00% |
| 1911 | 42,000 | −0.42% |
| 1921 | 45,200 | +0.74% |
| 1926 | 51,900 | +2.80% |
| 1931 | 68,800 | +5.80% |
| 1936 | 83,300 | +3.90% |
| 1948 | 102,800 | +1.77% |
| 1954 | 114,100 | +1.75% |
| 1960 | 164,000 | +6.23% |
| 1966 | 168,800 | +0.48% |
| 1974 | 313,200 | +8.03% |
| 1977 | 255,900 | −6.51% |
| 1987 | 305,500 | +1.79% |
| 1998 | 359,657 | +1.49% |
| Source: www.populstat.info [9] | ||
The city of Annaba had 257,359 people in 2008 (General Census of the population and habitat).[1] Its agglomeration had 359,657 (with El Bouni's 111 956 inhabitants) in 1998.[9] If El Hadjar, and Sidi Amar are also included, there are around 500,000 people in "greater Annaba".
People with connections to Annaba
- Augustine of Hippo also known as Saint Augustine. He was Bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Annaba, Algeria).
- Ahmad al-Buni, born in Bône (Annaba), Algeria, died 1225; his complete name is Sharaf al-Din or Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Yusuf al-Buni al-Maliki al-Amazighi, was a well-known Sufi and writer on the esoteric value of letters and topics relating to mathematics, sihr (sorcery) and spirituality.
- Kherkhache Rami, born in (Annaba); architect, DJ and music producer famous in the Netherlands, Belgium, and part of Sweden.
- Alphonse Juin, born in Bône (Annaba). A French pied-noir general during World Wars I & II.
- Edwige Fenech, born in Bône (Annaba), Italian actress.
- Mohamed Boudiaf, Algerian president assassinated in Annaba in 1992.
Urban areas
The metropolitan area includes the cities of El Bouni, El Hadjar and Sidi Amar, who now form a circle around the city of Annaba and whose links with the latter are more dense. The city has grown considerably since implementation of the plant of El Hadjar (at 10 km (6.2 mi) to the South) which drains the labour of the entire region.
Annaba has a sea front downtown, where is located the course of the revolution (ex-cours Bertagna) highly animated, brimming with arcades and all kinds of shelter restaurants, terraces, kiosks. Annaba also has an international airport.
Climate
Annaba has a Mediterranean climate with long, hot, dry summers, especially from mid-July to mid-August, and mild, wet winters. Snow is rare but not unknown. Rain is abundant by North African standards and can be torrential.
| Climate data for Annaba | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.2 (81) |
30.0 (86) |
36.4 (97.5) |
38.0 (100.4) |
38.8 (101.8) |
44.0 (111.2) |
47.5 (117.5) |
46.1 (115) |
44.0 (111.2) |
41.0 (105.8) |
33.0 (91.4) |
29.0 (84.2) |
47.5 (117.5) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 16.3 (61.3) |
16.8 (62.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
20.5 (68.9) |
23.7 (74.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.3 (88.3) |
28.9 (84) |
25.9 (78.6) |
20.8 (69.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.2 (59.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
22.0 (71.6) |
24.8 (76.6) |
25.7 (78.3) |
23.6 (74.5) |
20.4 (68.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.9 (55.2) |
17.98 (64.36) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.0 (55.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.0 (66.2) |
20.0 (68) |
18.2 (64.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
10.9 (51.6) |
8.1 (46.6) |
12.71 (54.88) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
0.0 (32) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.0 (41) |
0.0 (32) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−4 (24.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 98.5 (3.878) |
76.6 (3.016) |
61.2 (2.409) |
64.1 (2.524) |
38.3 (1.508) |
14.0 (0.551) |
3.10 (0.122) |
8.20 (0.3228) |
37.5 (1.476) |
64.8 (2.551) |
98.4 (3.874) |
110.8 (4.362) |
675.5 (26.594) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 14.5 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 8.2 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 6.9 | 9.5 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 111.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 79.9 | 78.7 | 78.5 | 77.6 | 77.1 | 74.2 | 71.9 | 72.2 | 74.5 | 76.3 | 76.1 | 78.4 | 76.28 |
| Source #1: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[10] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: climatebase.ru[11] | |||||||||||||
Education
One of Annaba's most notable educational institutions is Annaba University. As of 2004, there are over 40,000 students enrolled.[12]
Economy
As of 1911, Annaba was producing iron, zinc, cork, livestock, and cereal.[6]
The city is an important hub of the world steel industry with the steel complex of El Hadjar, eight kilometres south of the city. It is the largest in Africa. Phosphate and metal industries are the phosphatier of the Seybousa complex and the metallurgical complex of Allelik. Private industry is very important in Annaba and concentrates especially in the agri-food, metal processing, wood and its derivatives, and the construction. Its industrial areas occupy nearly 400 ha between bridge Bouchet, Meboudja, Berrahal, Kherraza. Areas of activities are located in the suburbs of the city, Sidi Salem, El Eulma and Wadi El-Aneb.
Transportation
Annaba was described as the "chief seaport of Algeria after Oran and Algiers," by Baedeker's in 1911.[6]
Annaba is served by Rabah Bitat Airport, an international airport whose IATA airport code is AAE. Annaba has also rail links to the Algerian cities of Constantine and Algiers, and it is the terminus of the Algerian east-west highway. It is the second industrial pole of the country after the capital Algiers.
Tourism
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Annaba is an important centre for tourism, and is one of the major tourist attractions in the western Mediterranean. It is a coastal town with mountains, hills, foothills and plains; as a result, in addition to the maritime and seaside tourism, Annaba has an important potential for mountain tourism. The mountains around Seraïdi reach 1080m, making it a major attraction. Other locations that draw tourists attention are the West Bay, Djenane el Bey (La Grand Plage), Ras el Hamra" and "Ain Achir" beach.
Annaba also has religious attractions. Annaba hosted, in its early history, an important and influential Diocese, before its destruction by the Vandals, and the subsequent massive Islamization. Since Annaba is located on the Tunisian border, opened and visa-free, tourists may visit Tunisia and El Kala National Park, found there east of Tunisia.
The city is also known for its Green Main Street (more often known as the court of the revolution), which is vibrant in the afternoon and has an active nightlife. Annaba is known for its beautiful beaches, hotels and nightlife. Most foreign tourists are from Italy and France.
The Bone War Cemetery is found about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Annaba on the road to Constantine. It is an important memorial site for the British forces who fought in the region during the Second World War.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2008 census
- ↑ Oxford Dictionary: definition of Annaba (British & World English)
- ↑ Oxford Dictionary: definition of Annaba (American English)
- ↑ www.el-annabi.com
- ↑ anvredet.org.dz
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Bona, Algeria". World Digital Library. 1899. Retrieved 2013-09-25.
- ↑ Braudel, Fernand (1995) [1963]. A history of civilizations. New York: Penguin Books. p. 335. ISBN 0-14-012489-6.
A Berber, born in 354 at Thagaste (now Souk-Ahras) in Africa, he died as Bishop of Hippo (later Bone, now Annaba) in 430, while the Vandals were besieging the town.
- ↑ http://books.google.com/books?id=Go9BAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=Mons+Pappua+on+the+border+of+Numidia&source=bl&ots=FUv9Cf-Amu&sig=Y-9U9jWFYE0r8Lho21yrkd2zPhk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=L3hpVNDXG-juigLkjoHoCA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Mons%20Pappua%20on%20the%20border%20of%20Numidia&f=false
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "ALGERIA: urban population". http://www.populstat.info/.
- ↑ "Weather Information for Annaba". August 2011.
- ↑ "Annaba, Algeria". Climatebase.ru. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ↑ dz.org
- ↑ "Bone War Cemetery, Annaba". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Annaba. |
- (French) Annaba City
- (French) Annaba
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