Bizerte

Bizerte
/bi zerr"teuh/; Fr. /bee zerddt"/, n.
a seaport in N Tunisia. 62,000.
Also, Bizerta /bi zerr"teuh/; Sp. /bee therdd"tah, -serdd"-/. Ancient, Hippo Zarytus.

* * *

also spelled  Bizerta  or  Banzart 

      town in northern Tunisia. It lies along the Mediterranean (Mediterranean Sea) coast at the mouth of a channel that links Lake Bizerte with the sea.

      The town originated as a Phoenician outpost and was known through Carthaginian and Roman times as Hippo Diarrhytus or Hippo Zarytus. Captured in 661 CE by Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥudayj, it was given the name Bizerte. It was occupied by the Spanish from 1535 to 1572 but later became a privateering stronghold. The town's maritime value was completely transformed in 1895 when the French completed a canal, south of the town and of the natural channel's mouth, leading from Lake Bizerte to the sea. This artificial channel converted the lake into a fine roadstead and opened up the naval port and arsenal of Sidi Abdallah (Sīdī ʿAbd Allāh), at the lake's southwestern end. The canal also altered the layout of Bizerte, as a new town was built on the canal's outlet. The old town (surrounded by an ancient wall) was on the mouth of the natural channel, which has since been filled in.

      Bizerte was an important military base during the French protectorate (1881–1955) and, with the development of its strategic naval base, the town also played an important role in World War II. Occupied by the Germans in 1942 and retaken by the Allies in 1943, Bizerte offered control of the Straits of Sicily. France retained a military base there even after its troops had been withdrawn from other bases in 1958, and pressure calling for French withdrawal from Bizerte mounted. In 1961, clashes between Tunisian and French forces—in which more than 1,000 Tunisians were killed—broke out at the base. An agreement for French withdrawal was reached, and French troops finally left in 1963.

      Bizerte is now a seaport, administrative centre, regional market centre, beach resort, and the site of a free-trade zone. Although Bizerte was divested of its military function in 1963, its port still exports fish, phosphates, iron ore, and cereals. Oil refining, which was begun in 1964, is the town's main industry, and there is also some fish canning. The town is linked by road and rail with Tunis and Tabarka (Ṭabarqah) and has an airport. Pop. (2004) 114,371.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • BIZERTE — Ville portuaire de la Tunisie septentrionale (86 000 hab. en 1990), Bizerte (ou Banzart) doit son importance à sa remarquable position sur le détroit de Sicile. Jusqu’au protectorat français, elle reste, cependant, une modeste bourgade, héritière …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Bizerte — Bizerte, Stadt, s. Biserta …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Bizerte —   [bi zɛrt], französischer Name von Biserta …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Bizerte — → Bizerta …   Diccionario panhispánico de dudas

  • Bizerte — [bizʉr′təbi zʉr′tə, bi zʉrtē; ] Fr [ bē zert′] seaport in northernmost Tunisia, on the Mediterranean: pop. 99,000: also Bizerta [bizʉr′tə] …   English World dictionary

  • Bizerte — 37° 16′ N 9° 52′ E / 37.27, 9.87 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bizerte — Infobox Settlement official name =Bizerte other name = native name = nickname = settlement type = motto = imagesize = 300px image caption = A view from Bizerte port flag size = image seal size = image shield = shield size = image blank emblem =… …   Wikipedia

  • Bizerte — DMS …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bizerte — Original name in latin Bizerte Name in other language Banzart, Biserta, Bizerta, Bizerte, Hippes, Hippo Diarrhytus, Hippou Aksa, QIZ, bi sai da, bijeleute, bizeruto, bnzrt, byzrth, Бизерта, Бизерта аласы, Бізерта State code TN Continent/City… …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

  • Bizerte — or Bizerta geographical name city & port N Tunisia on Lake Bizerte (a deep lagoon) population 62,856 …   New Collegiate Dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”