The Wilaya of Annaba

Annaba Province Holigans Annaba
—  Province  —
Map of Algeria highlighting Annaba
Coordinates: 36°54′N 7°46′ECoordinates: 36°54′N 7°46′E
Country	Algeria
Capital	Annaba
Area
• Total	1,439 km2 (556 sq mi)
Population (2008)[1]
• Total	640,050
• Density	440/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+01)
Area Code	+213 (0) 38
ISO 3166 code	DZ-23
Districts	6
Municipalities	12

Annaba (Arabic: عنابة‎, ‘Annābah, formerly Bône, historically Hippo) is a city in the northeastern corner ofAlgeria near the river Seybouse. 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 this place,

Annaba is a coastal city and a pole of spontaneous growth. The area of growth of Annaba is accompanied by a metropolitan area under pressure even at high compression to the image of the other metropolises of the Algerian coastline such as Oran and the capitalAlgiers. With more than 200,000 inhabitants, it's in direct and indirect relationship with the region of "Bône", a territory of nearly 4 million people. It's character of a "port town" gives it a regional international radiation. Much of eastern and southern Algerian seeks the services, equipment, and infrastructure of the city. Economically, it is located in the centre of dynamic and varied activities: industry, transport, finance and tourism

The vicinity of Annaba has yielded evidence of very early hominid occupation at Ain el Hanech, near Saïda (c. 200,000 B.C.), including artefacts that show remarkable tool-making craftsmanship. Other archaeological finds include tools in the Levalloisian andMousterian styles produced by humans(Homo sapiens) well before 100,000 years ago, similar to those in the Levant. 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). Tools from this era, starting from at least as early as 85,000 BC, are called Aterian after the site Bir el Ater south of Annaba.These tools are marked by a high standard of workmanship, great variety, and specialization. SeePrehistory of Central North Africa. Annaba, which was called Hippo Regius during Romantimes, was probably founded by the Phoenicians in the 12th century BC. 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.The city has buildings from its Roman, Christian, and Muslim eras.

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 wasAlphonse Juin, a Marshal of France and a former NATO Central Europe Commander.

[edit]Demography

The city of Annaba had 257,359 people in 2008 (General Census of the population and habitat). Its agglomeration had 359,657 (with El Bouni 111 956 inhabitants in 1998). If one includes El Hadjar, and Sidi Amar where the ends tend to meet, it is around 500,000 people belonging to the "great Annaba".