Skikda
Encyclopedia
Skikda 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
.
n 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.
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.
tanker Maassluis
was anchored just outside the port, waiting to dock the next day at the terminal, when extreme weather broke out. The ship's anchors didn't hold and the ship smashed on the pier-head of the port. The disaster killed 27 of the 29 people on board.
, 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.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
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
Algerian War of Independence
The Algerian War was a conflict between France and Algerian independence movements from 1954 to 1962, which led to Algeria's gaining its independence from France...
in 1962. It is the capital of Skikda Province
Skikda Province
Skikda is a province of Algeria, on its eastern Mediterranean coastline.-Administrative divisions:The province is divided into 13 districts , which are further divided into 38 communes or municipalities.-Districts:...
and Skikda District
Skikda District
Skikda is a district in Skikda Province, Algeria. It was named after its capital, Skikda. The current district chef is Mrs. Bouhmatou Nassima, being one of few administrative divisions of the country ruled by a woman.-History:...
.
History
The modern city of Skikda was founded in 1838 by the French on the ruins of an ancient PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n city which later flourished as a large Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
city called Rusicade, a Punic word which means "Promontory of fire". In the 5th century, the Roman port was destroyed by the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
.
On October 10, 1883, there was an earthquake at Philippeville.
Towards the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
were sent from the Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
concentration camp to Switzerland as part of a prisoner exchange group. They were later sent to this UNRRA camp in Philippeville, Algeria.
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. 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 between 1,200 (according to French sources,) or 12,000 (according to the FLN.)1989 shipping disaster
The city has a commercial harbour with a gas and oil terminal. On 15 February 1989 the DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
tanker Maassluis
Maassluis (ship)
The MV Maassluis was a tanker owned by the Dutch shipping-company Nedlloyd. On 15th Februari 1989 the ship was lost in heavy weather near the port of Skikda in Algeria....
was anchored just outside the port, waiting to dock the next day at the terminal, when extreme weather broke out. The ship's anchors didn't hold and the ship smashed on the pier-head of the port. The disaster killed 27 of the 29 people on board.
Modern Skikda
The city had a population of 152,355 in 1998 (census figures). Natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, oil refining, and petrochemical
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
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
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
.
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
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
. It has also a petrochemical terminal port and a smaller fishing port in Stora
Storå
Storå may refer to the following locations:*Storå in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway*Storå in Lindesberg municipality, Västmanland, Sweden*Storå, a creek in Denmark's West Jutland*Storå is also the Swedish name of Isojoki in Finland....
, and there are many beaches along the natural Mediterranean coastline. Тhere is also a closed airport near the petrochemical complex.