Annaba

Present-day Annaba grew up on the site of Aphrodisium, the seaport of the Roman city Hippo Regius. (The modern city has since expanded south over Hippo's ruins as well.) Its former names Bône and Bona derived from "Ubbo", a local form of the name Hippo. Its informal name "Land of the Jujubes" (بلد العناب, Balad al-‘Unnāb) derives from the abundance of that fruit in the region.

The area of Annaba has yielded evidence of very early human occupation at Ain el Hanech, near Saïda (circa 200,000 BC), including artifacts that show remarkable toolmaking craftsmanship. 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). The town of Hippo Regius (modern Annaba) first entered historical records at the end of the 3rd century BC as a possession of Massinissa's Numidian Kingdom. Augustine of Hippo was bishop here from 396 AD until his death in 430 AD. The city was destroyed in the 5th century by the Vandals. Vandals ruled the city for roughly a century until 534. …

The city is located in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River and is in located in the Annaba Province. The metropolitan area includes the cities of El Bouni, El Hadjar in the northeast, and Sidi Amar, which now form a circle around the city of Annaba. The city has grown dramatically since a major factory was opened at El Hadjar (10 km (6.2 mi) to the South) and provides employment for the entire region. The downtown district of Annaba is on the sea-front, and includes the promenade called the Concours de la Revolution (previously called Le Cours Bertagna) which is a lively area, brimming with arcades and all kinds of covered restaurants, terraced cafes and kiosks. Annaba also has an international airport. …

An engraving of a painting by J Salmon, Town and Harbour of Bona, Africa. was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837 along with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon entitled Bona, The Pirate's Song.

As of 1911, Annaba was producing iron, zinc, cork, livestock, and cereal. The city is an important hub of the world steel industry with the steel complex of El Hadjar, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of the city. It is the largest in Africa. Phosphate and metal industries now include the Seybousa complex and the metallurgical complex of Allelik. The private industrial sector is also very important in Annaba and geared especially to the agri-food, metal processing, wood products and construction industries. These industrial areas occupy nearly 400 hectares (990 acres) between Bouchet Bridge, Meboudja, Berrahal and Kherraza. Business areas are also to be found in the suburbs of the city, such as Sidi Salem, El Eulma and Wadi El-Aneb.

Annaba is an important centre for tourism, and is one of the major tourist attractions in the western Mediterranean. It is a coastal city with mountains, hills, foothills, and plains surrounding it. Due to this, and aside from maritime and seaside tourism, Annaba has a key potential for mountain tourism. The mountains around Seraïdi which rise to 1,080 metres (3,540 ft), make them a major tourist attraction. Other tourist attractions are West Bay, Djenane el Bey (La Grande Plage), Ras el Hamra and Ain Achir beach. Annaba also has various key religious sites, including the Saint Augustin Basilica. Annaba in its early history, was the site of an important and influential Diocese, prior to its destruction by the Vandals, and the era of Islamisation. …