Skikda

Coordinates: 36°52′N 6°54′E / 36.867°N 6.9°E / 36.867; 6.9 Skikda (Arabic: سكيكدة ‎) is a city in north eastern Algeria and a port on the Gulf of Stora, the ancient Sinus Numidicus. It was known as Philippeville until the end of the Algerian War of Independence in 1962. It is the capital of Skikda Province and Skikda District.

History

Skikda's railyard (20th century)

The modern city of Skikda was founded in 1838 by the French on the ruins of an ancient Phoenician city which later flourished as a large Roman city called Rusicade, a Punic word which means "Promontory of fire". In the 5th century, the Roman port was destroyed by the Vandals.

On October 10, 1883, there was an earthquake at Philippeville^[1].

Towards the end of World War II, there was a UNRRA refugee camp at Philippeville which was known as Camp Jeanne d'Arc. On January 25, 1945, 200 Jews holding citizenship from countries in North and South America were sent from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to Switzerland as part of a prisoner exchange group. They were later sent to this UNRRA camp in Philippeville, Algeria (source).

Battle of Philippeville

An attack by the FLN in 1955 during the war of Independence left around 123 civilians dead, mainly French and those suspected of collaboration^[2]. Angered over the massacre of civilians, including women, seniors, and babies, the French escalated their offensive against the FLN. Reprisals by French forces may have killed more than 40,000 Algerians^[3], although French sources put the number at 1,200 and the FLN and Times Magazine reported the number to be 12,000, which is probably a more realistic number than 40,000.

Modern Skikda

The city had a population of 152,355 in 1998 (census figures). Natural gas, oil refining, and petrochemical industries were developed in the 1970s and pipelines have been built for their transportation. The city hall (a neo-moorish style palace) and the railroad station were designed by Le Corbusier.

The official city flag colours are blue and white, the colours of the Mediterranean. The current zip code is 21000. Skikda has the third largest commercial port in Algeria after Algiers and Oran. It has also a petrochemical terminal port and a smaller fishing port in Stora, and there are many beaches along the natural Mediterranean coastline. Тhere is also a closed airport near the petrochemical complex.

References

Externals Links

• Skikda's Official Website
• Skikda's Official FORUM
• Skikda.info

v • d • e Provincial seats of Algeria Adrar • Aïn Defla • Aïn Témouchent • Algiers • Annaba • Batna • Béchar • Béjaïa • Biskra • Blida • Bordj Bou Arréridj • Bouïra • Boumerdès • Chlef • Constantine • Djelfa • El Bayadh • El Oued • El Taref • Ghardaïa • Guelma • Illizi • Jijel • Khenchela • Laghouat • Mascara • Médéa • Mila • Mostaganem • M'Sila • Naâma • Oran • Ouargla • Oum el-Bouaghi • Relizane • Saida • Sétif • Sidi Bel Abbès • Skikda • Souk Ahras • Tamanrasset • Tébessa • Tiaret • Tindouf • Tipaza • Tissemsilt • Tizi Ouzou • Tlemcen

v • d • e Skikda Province Capital: Skikda Districts  · Aïn Kechra · Azzaba · Ben Azzouz · Collo · El Hadaik · El Harrouch · Ouled Attia · Oum Toub · Ramdane Djamel · Sidi Mezghiche · Skikda · Tamalous · Zitouna Communes  · Aïn Bouziane · Aïn Charchar · Aïn Kechra · Aïn Zouit · Azzaba · Bekkouche Lakhdar · Ben El Ouiden · Benazouz Beni Bechir · Beni Oulbane · Beni Zid · Bouchtata · Boudoukha · Cheraia · Collo · Djendel Saadi Mohamed · El Baraj · El Ghedir El Hadaik · El Harrouch · El Marsa · El Mechta · Emdjez Edchich · Essebt · Filfla · Gribiza · Hamadi Krouma · Kanoua · Kerkera · Kheneg Mayoum · Sidi Nacer · Oued Lekbir · Oued Zehour · Ouldja Boulballout · Ouled Attia · Ouled Hbaba · Oum Toub · Radjettas · Ragma · Ramdane Djamel · Salah Bouchaour · Sidi Mezghiche · Skikda · Tamalous · Zeher · Zerdazas · Zitouna

This article about a location in Skikda Province is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e