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Bizerte or Bizerta ( ; transliterated: Banzart; Italian: Biserta) is a capital city of Bizerte Governorate

in Tunisia

. It has a population of 114,371 (2004 census).

History

Bizerte is known as the oldest and most European city in Tunisia. It was founded around 1000 BC by Phoenicians

from Tyre

. It is also known as the last town to remain under French control after the rest of the country won its independence from France

.

Initially a small Phoenician harbour, the city came under the influence of Carthage

after the defeat of Agathocles during the Punic Wars. The city was then occupied by the Romans, under the name of Hippo Diarrhytus or Hippo Zarrytus.

Bizerte was successively conquered by the Arabs in 647 (who gave the city its current name), by the troops of Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire in 1535, and then by the Turks in 1574. The city then became a corsair harbour and struggled against the French and the Venetians.

With the occupation of Tunisia in 1880, France gained control of Bizerte and built a large naval harbour in the city.

In 1924, after the French government officially recognised the Soviet Union (USSR

), the western military fleet of White Russia that had been kept in the port of Bizerte was returned to the Soviet government. The ships never moved from the port and finally were sold there as scrap metal.

Due to Bizerte's strategic location on the Mediterranean

, France wanted to retain its naval base there. France accordingly kept control of the city even after Tunisia gained its independence in 1956. The city was blockaded in 1961 by the Tunisian Army and Navy, and then attacked. France responded by dropping 7,000 paratroopers and sending in three warships. The three day battle resulted in 700 dead and 1,200 wounded amongst the Tunisians (who included civilian volunteers) at the cost of 24 dead and 100 wounded amongst the French forces.

The French military finally abandoned Bizerte on 15 October, 1963.

Geography

Bizerte is located on the north coast of Tunisia, 66 km north of Tunis

and 15 km away from Cap Blanc

, the northernmost point in Africa. The city is on the Mediterranean coast

and is close to both Sardinia and Sicily.

Economy

Bizerte's economy is very diversified. There are several military bases and year-round tourism. As a tourist centre the region is however not as popular as the eastern coast of Tunisia. There is manufacturing (textile, auto parts, cookware), fishing, fruits and vegetables, and wheat.

Bizerte is especially well known for the great beaches, like Sidi Salem, La Grotte or Rasenjela.

Miscellaneous

Bizerte is noted for its beautiful forests, beaches and scenery.

The port of Bizerte is now being developed into a significant Mediterranean yachting marina that will open in December 2010. The superyacht section of the marina will be called Goga Superyacht Marina, and will have berths for yachts of up to 110m in length. It is expected that this will give a significant boost to the local economy as the yacht owners and also the hundreds of professional crew will become year-round consumers. The service industries supplying the yachts will gradually develop and bring additional employment.

Titular See

Hippo Diarrhytus is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1989-2002 it was held by Mgr. Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, then by Mgr. Jose Paala Salazar, O.P. in 2002-2004 and by Mrg. Manfred Grothe since October 14, 2004. The city and see of Hippo Diarrhytus should not be confused with those of Hippo Regius where Saint Augustine of Hippo was the bishop.