Bizerte

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Bizerte

Banzart
Ceety
Bizerte / Banzart
Bizerte Ceety Haw in Belgique Street aurie
Bizerte Ceety Haw in Belgique Street aurie
Bizerte is located in Tunisia
Bizerte
Bizerte
Coordinates: 37°16′28″N 9°52′26″E / 37.27444°N 9.87389°E / 37.27444; 9.87389
Kintra Tunisie
GovrenorateBizerte Govrennorate
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2009)
 • Ceety230,879
 • Metro
401,144
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
7000
Websitewww.commune-bizerte.gov.tn

Bizerte or Bizerta (Arabic: بنزرت‎; transliterated: Banzart; Italian: Biserta) is the caipital ceety o Bizerte Govrenorate in Tunisie. It haes a population o 114,371 (2004 census).

History[eedit | eedit soorce]

Bizerte is kent as the auldest an maist European ceety in Tunisie. It wis foondit aroond 1000 BC bi Phoeniciens frae Tyre. It is forby kent as the last toun tae remain unner French control efter the rest o the kintra wan its independence frae Fraunce.

Initially a sma Phoenician harbour, the ceety came unner the influence o Carthage efter the defeat o Agathocles durin the Punic Wars. The ceety wis then occupied bi the Romans, unner the name o Hippo Diarrhytus or Hippo Zarrytus.

Bizerte wis successively conquered bi the Arabs in 647 (who gave the ceety its current name), bi the troops o Charles V o the Holy Roman Empire in 1535, an then bi the Turks in 1574. The ceety then became a corsair harbour an struggled against the French an the Venetians.

Wi the occupation o Tunisie in 1880, Fraunce gained control of Bizerte an built a lairge naval harbour in the ceety.

In 1924, efter the French government officially recognised the Soviet Union (USSR), the wastren military fleet o White Roushie that haed been kept in the port o Bizerte wis returned tae the Soviet government. The ships niver moved frae the port an finally wur sauld there as scrap metal.

Durin the Seicont Warld War, Bizerte wis occupied bi the German Airmy an wis retaken bi American troops on 7 May 1943. Durin the fechtin atween the Allied forces an the German Army, mony o the ceety inhabitants fled tae the kintraside or Tunis. The ceety haed suffered significant damge durin the battle[1].

Due tae Bizerte's strategic location on the Mediterranean, Fraunce wantit tae retain its naval base there. Fraunce accordinly kept control o the ceety even efter Tunisie gained its independence in 1956. The ceety wis blockadit in 1961 bi the Tunisian Army and Navy, and then attacked. Fraunce respondit bi droppin 7,000 paratroopers an sendin in three warships. The three day battle resultit in 700 deid an 1,200 woondit amangst the Tunisians (who includit civilian volunteers) at the cost o 24 deid an 100 woondit amangst the French forces.

The French military finally abandoned Bizerte on 15 October 1963.

Sister ceeties[eedit | eedit soorce]

References[eedit | eedit soorce]

  1. "Archived copy". Archived frae the original on 26 Julie 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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