Oran

Oran is a city on the Mediterranean coast in northwestern Algeria. Oran marked the largest westernmost metropolitan area of the then Ottoman Empire. During French rule in Algeria Oran was a prefecture in the Oran département. It is now the capital of the much smaller Oran Province (wilaya). The city has a population of about 1 million, and the urban area has a population of about 2 million making it the 2nd largest city in Algeria. Oran is a major port, and since the 1960s has been a commercial, industrial, and educational centre for Western Algeria.

Oran was founded in 903 by Moorish Andalusian traders but was captured by the Spanish under Cardinal Cisneros in 1509. Spanish sovereignty lasted until 1708, when the city was conquered by the Ottomans. Spain recaptured the city in 1732. However, its value as a trading post had decreased greatly, so King Charles IV sold the city to the Turks in 1792. Ottoman rule lasted until 1831, when it fell to the French.

Before the Algerian War of Independence, 1954-1962, Oran had one of the highest proportions of Europeans of any city in North Africa. However, by the end of the war, most of the Europeans and Sephardic Jews living in Oran had fled to France. A massacre of Europeans, four days after the vote for Algerian independence, triggered the exodus to France. In less than three months Oran lost about half its population.

Today, Oran is a major port and a commercial centre, and has three universities. The old quarter of Oran has a casbah and an 18th-century mosque.

Today, Oran is a major port and a commercial centre, and has three universities. The old quarter of Oran has a casbah and an 18th-century mosque.

Oran held its first international marathon on November 10, 2005. The event, sponsored by Toyota of Algeria, attracted runners from Morocco, Libya, Spain, France, and Kenya. The marathon served to publicize the health benefits of running and to provide a novel form of public entertainment for the city's residents.

Postal code: 31000–31037
Province: Oran (seat)
District: Oran (coextensive)
PMA President: Saddek Benkada (2007–2012)
PMA Seats: 33
Area: 64 km² (25 sq mi)
Altitude: 110 m (364 ft)
Population: 683,350 (2006)
Density: 10,676/km² (27,330/sq mi)
Time Zone: Central European Time (UTC+1)