View source for Bizerte

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Short description|City in Tunisia}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Bizerte
| official_name      = Bizerte
| native_name        = {{lang|ar|بنزرت}}<br />{{transliteration|ar|DIN|Binzart}}
| other_name         = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Tunisia|City]]
<!-- images, nickname, motto --->| image_skyline      = {{Photomontage
| photo1a                         =
| photo2a                         =
| photo2b                         =
| photo3a                         =
| photo3b                         =
| photo4a                         = Bizerte bridge from south side(zarzouna).jpg
| position                        = center
| color_border                    = white
| color                           = white
| size                            = 280
| foot_montage                    = From top to bottom, left to right: View of Bizerte from Ksiba, a Bizerte corniche, Old port of Bizerte, Bizerte Center, the local government building, Bizerte Bridge.
}}
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| flag_size          = 120px
| image_seal         = 
| image_shield       = 
| shield_size        = 100px
| nickname           = 
| motto              = <!-- images and maps  ----------->
| image_map          = 
| map_caption        = 
| pushpin_map        = Tunisia#Africa
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Tunisia
<!-- Location ------------------>| coordinates        = {{coord|37|16|40|N|9|51|50|E|region:TN|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{TUN}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of Tunisia|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Bizerte Governorate]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Delegations of Tunisia|Delegation(s)]]
| subdivision_name2  = Bizerte North, Bizerte South
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| established_title  = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date   = 
| government_type    = 
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Kamel Ben Amara]] <small> ([[Ennahda]]) </small>
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion-->
| area_total_sq_mi   = 
| area_land_km2      = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion-->
| area_land_sq_mi    = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_water_sq_mi   = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_urban_km2     = 34<ref name="STRAT">{{in lang|fr}} [http://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn Mnicipalité de Bizerte]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104111052/http://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn/ |date=4 January 2010 }}.</ref>
| area_urban_sq_mi   = 13.127
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use<ref> </ref>  tags-->
| elevation_m        = 5<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dateandtime.info/citycoordinates.php?id=2472706|title=Geographic coordinates of Bizerte. Latitude, longitude, and elevation above sea level of Bizerte, Tunisia|website=Dateandtime.info|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>
| elevation_ft       = 16
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 162053<ref name="STRAT"/>
| population_as_of   = 2022<ref name="STRAT"/>
| population_density_km2 = 3,363
| population_density_sq_mi = 8,712
| population_metro   = 600,012
| population_note    = 
| timezone           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset         = +01:00
| timezone_DST       = 
| utc_offset_DST     = 
| postal_code_type   = Postal code
| postal_code        = 7000
| area_code          = [[+216]] (Tun) 72 (Bizerte)
| website            = [https://web.archive.org/web/20100104111052/http://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn/ www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn]
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Bizerte''' ({{langx|ar|بنزرت|translit=Binzart}}, {{IPA|aeb|bɪnzɑrt|o|Benzart.wav}}) is the capital and largest city of [[Bizerte Governorate]] in northern [[Tunisia]]. It is the [[List of northernmost items|northernmost]] city in Africa, located {{convert|65|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of the capital [[Tunis]]. It is also known as the last town to remain under [[French Tunisia|French control]] after the rest of the country won its independence from France. The city had 162,053 inhabitants in 2014.

{{anchor|Etymology|Name}}

==Names{{anchor|Historical_names}}==
The classical name of Bizerte, Hippo, is the [[latinization of names|latinization]] of a [[Punic language|Punic]]<ref name="Dr Mahmoud ABIDIfrench"/><ref name="ORIGIN">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0059:entry=Hippo&highlight=hippo Perseus Digital Library]. Perseus.tufts.edu</ref> name ({{langx|xpu|𐤏𐤐𐤅{{popdf}}𐤍}}, {{smallcaps|ʿpwn}}),{{sfnp|Ghaki|2015|p=66}} probably related to the word ''ûbôn'', meaning "harbor".{{sfnp|Brown|2013|p=326}} To distinguish it from [[Hippo Regius]] (the modern [[Annaba]], in [[Algeria]]), the Greeks and Romans used several epithets. [[Scylax of Caryanda]] mentions it as '''{{nowrap|Hippo Acra}}''' and {{nowrap|Hippo Polis}} ("Hippo the City").<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ccibizerte.org/page.php?r=1&ssr=&sr=2|title=Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie du Nord-Est Bizerte|last=Tunisia|first=Stelfair|website=Ccibizerte.org|access-date=20 March 2018}}</ref><ref name="Dr Mahmoud ABIDIfrench">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizerteyahasra.com|title=bizerteyahasra|author=Dr Mahmoud ABIDI(french)|date=5 February 2008|publisher=bizerteyahasra.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130809112509/http://www.bizerteyahasra.com/|archive-date=9 August 2013|url-status=usurped|access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref> [[Polybius]] mentions it as {{nowrap|'''Hippo Diarrhytus'''}} ({{langx|grc|Ἱππὼν διάρρυτος}}, ''Hippōn Diárrhytos''), "Hippo Divided-by-the-Water", in reference to the town's prominent [[canal]].<ref name="ORIGIN"/> It also appears in [[Roman Empire|Roman]], [[Vandals|Vandal]], and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] sources as {{nowrap|'''Hippo Zarytus'''}}.<ref name="STTRAT">[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0234:book=1:chapter=70&highlight=hippo Hippo Zarytus(in Perseus Digital Library)]. Perseus.tufts.edu</ref> Its Arabic name '''Binzart''' ({{lang|ar|بنزرت}}) and the French and English forms derived from it all represent phonetic developments of its ancient name.<ref name="Dr Mahmoud ABIDIfrench"/>

==History==
{{Missing information|Ancient history|date=July 2024}}
[[File:Vue aérienne de Bizerte.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Aerial view of Bizerte (October 2008)]]
[[File:PhoenicianTrade.png|thumb|right|200px|[[Phoenicia]]n trade routes 1200 BC – 539 BC]]
[[File:Mosaïque d'El Alia - GiorcesBardo46.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Roman mosaic with scenes of fishing and village life ([[Bardo National Museum (Tunis)|Bardo National Museum]], [[Tunisia]])]]

===Later history===
[[Rashidun Caliphate|Arab]] armies took Bizerte in 647 in their first invasion of the area, but the city reverted to control from Constantinople until the Byzantines were defeated and finally driven from North Africa in 695–98. The troops of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] [[Conquest of Tunis (1535)|captured]] the city in 1535; the Turks [[Conquest of Tunis (1574)|took it]] in 1574. The city then became a [[Barbary Pirate|corsair]] harbour associated to the [[Ottoman Tunisia]] and struggled against the French, the Venetians and the Spanish viceroyalty of Sicily.

With its occupation of Tunisia in 1881, [[French Third Republic|France]] gained control of Bizerte and built a large naval harbour in the city.

In 1924, after the French government officially recognized the [[Soviet Union]] (USSR), [[Wrangel's fleet|the western military fleet of White Russia]] that had been kept in the port of Bizerte was returned to the Soviet government. The ships were never moved from the port and finally were sold there as scrap metal.

In March 1939, towards the end of the [[Spanish Civil War]], [[Spanish Republican Navy]] Commander [[Miguel Buiza Fernández-Palacios|Miguel Buiza]] ordered the evacuation of the bulk of the Republican fleet. Three cruisers, eight destroyers and two submarines left [[Cartagena, Spain|Cartagena]] harbor and reached Bizerte, where the French authorities impounded them.<ref>{{cite book |author-link= Hugh Thomas (writer) |last= Thomas |first= Hugh |title= The Spanish Civil War
| publisher = [[Penguin Books]] |year= 2001 |location= London |page= 877}}</ref>

During the [[Second World War]], the [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German]] and [[Royal Italian Army|Italian armies]] occupied Bizerte until [[Tunisian Campaign|Allied troops defeated them]] on 7 May 1943. During the fighting between the [[Allies of World War II|Allied forces]] and the German Army, many of the city's inhabitants fled to the countryside or to [[Tunis]]. The city suffered significant damage during the battle.<ref>{{cite web
 |url= http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/bizerte/bizerte-fm.htm
 |title= To Bizerte With The Ii Corps
 |publisher= History.army.mil
 |access-date= 4 August 2012
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120726133335/http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/bizerte/bizerte-fm.htm
 |archive-date= 26 July 2012
 |url-status= dead
 }}</ref>
[[File:Vue aérienne de Bizerte - 1959.jpg|thumb|right|180px| Aerial view of Bizerte in 1959]]
Due to Bizerte's strategic location on the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]], [[French Fourth Republic|France]] retained control of the city and their naval base after Tunisian independence in 1956. 
In 1961 Tunisian forces [[Bizerte crisis|blockaded]] the area of Bizerte and demanded French withdrawal. The face-off escalated when a French helicopter took off and drew fire. The French brought in reinforcements; when these were fired upon, France took decisive military action against the Tunisian forces. Using superior weapons and decisive force the French took Bizerte and [[Menzel Bourguiba]]. During three days in July 1961, 700 Tunisians died (1200 wounded); the French lost 24 dead (100 wounded).<ref name="Nations">{{Cite book|last=Nations|first=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6bp1DwAAQBAJ&q=The+port+of+Bizerte&pg=PA95|title=Regional Conference on building a future for sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea|date=31 October 2018|publisher=Food & Agriculture Org.|isbn=978-92-5-130553-9|language=en}}</ref>

Meetings at the [[United Nations Security Council|UN Security Council]] and other international pressure moved France to agreement; the French military finally abandoned Bizerte on 15 October 1963.<ref name="Nations"/>

==Geography==
<gallery mode="packed" heights=350px>
File:Circonscription de Bizerte.png|''Circonsciption of Bizerte.''
</gallery>

===Location===
Bizerte is on a section of widened inlet and east-facing coast of the north coast of Tunisia, 15 kilometres from [[Ras ben Sakka]] (the northernmost point in Africa on the [[Mediterranean Sea]]), 20 kilometers northeast of the [[Ichkeul lake]] (a World Heritage Site), {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} north of the archaeological site of [[Utica, Tunisia|Utica]] and 65 kilometers north of [[Tunis]].

West of the city there are coastal hills forming an outcrop of the [[Tell Atlas]] with well-conserved woods and vantage points. Its associated beaches include Sidi Salem, La Grotte, Rasenjela, and Al Rimel. It is on a section of Mediterranean climate coastline, close to [[Sardinia]] and [[Sicily]], as opposed to coasts in the south of the country which have a year-round dry desert climate.

The city is centered on the north shore of the canal of Bizerte linking the Mediterranean Sea to a tidal lake, the [[Lac de Bizerte]] which is larger than all parts of the town combined, to the immediate south. Built-up areas are in three directions:
*South-west along the widening canal with jetties at Pecherie and Jarrouba, the latter associated with [[Bizerte-Sidi Ahmed Air Base]] adjoining the opening of the lake and military/rescue heliport.  
*North are Sidi Salam and Corniche. They are within meters of the coast and on coast-facing slopes of the Ain Berda, a range of hills toward Cap Blanc, a small headland in the Ain Damou Plage natural conservation area. 
*Zarzouna, [[Menzel Jemil]] and [[Menzel Abderrahmane]] are on the south shore of the canal, formed by the locality of Zarzouna and the towns of [[Menzel Jemil]] and [[Menzel Abderrahmane]], by a moveable bridge and both Menzels face the lake itself. The rest of the [[isthmus]] on which they stand is the gently rising Foret de Remel, reaching a high point east of its forest area at [[Cap Zebib]].

{{wide image|Drapeau de la Tunisie.jpg|650px|Aerial view of Bizerte}}

===Transport===
[[File:AutorouteA4Tunisie.JPG|thumb|right| [[A4 motorway (Tunisia)|A4 motorway]] connecting Bizerte and Tunis]]
The bridge leads to [[A4 motorway (Tunisia)|the motorway A4]] leading to [[Tunis–Carthage International Airport]] and the capital. On the town side the P11 passes semi-rural Louata, hugs Ichkeul Lake and branches into a western route, the P7, leading directly to [[Tabarka]] on the coast next to the Algerian border. The P11 leads south-west to [[Béja]], a governorate center, in the foothills of the [[Tell Atlas]], forks into several roads at [[Bou Salem]], a small town in a broad fertile plain, and climbs to Firnanah passing two high-altitude lakes and also approaching the north-west border with Algeria.

===Climate===
Bizerte enjoys a [[Mediterranean climate#Hot-summer Mediterranean climate|hot-summer mediterranean]] climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The Mediterranean Sea breeze makes summers cooler and more humid than in the interior of Tunisia.<ref name="Climate–Data.Eu">{{Cite web|url=http://www.climatedata.eu/climate.php?loc=tsxx0001&lang=en|title=Climate Bizerte – Table|publisher=Climate–Data.Eu|access-date=20 July 2014|archive-date=27 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727171306/http://www.climatedata.eu/climate.php?loc=tsxx0001&lang=en|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city's climate is unique by North African standards due to its geography. The rainy season typically lasts from October to March but can extend from September to May. Bizerte experiences an average of 110 rainy days per year greater than 0.1 mm, a relatively high number for its annual rainfall total of 653.2 mm despite its modest elevations. This is partly due to its direct exposure to westerly and north-westerly winds, which are very active throughout the year. These winds account for over 58% of all wind flows in winter and nearly 50% in summer.<ref name="Sellami2023">{{Cite thesis |last=Sellami |first=Mounir |date=2023 |title=Temps et pollution atmosphérique à Bizerte: analyse multiscalaire |degree=PhD |publisher=Université Paris Cité; Université de Sfax (Tunisie) |url=https://theses.hal.science/tel-04836955v1 |language=fr}}</ref>

During the summer, the climate is moderated by thermal sea breezes, making it more pleasant than many other coastal regions in North Africa. Sea breezes are observed on more than two-thirds of summer days, with their frequency peaking at over 80% in August. A typical summer sea breeze starts around 8:30 AM, reaches its maximum speed of up to 7 m/s around 3:00 PM, and subsides around 9:00 PM, lasting for about 13 hours. This effect is pronounced, with coastal neighborhoods like the Corniche being up to 2.5 °C cooler than inland areas where the official weather station of Sidi Ahmed is located. Forested areas, such as the Ennadhour forest, also benefit from this cooling effect. In contrast to the moderating breezes, the region also experiences hot, dry Sirocco wind events, which occur on average 7 to 8 days per year during the hot season.<ref name="Sellami2023" />

{{Weather box
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| location = Bizerte (1991–2020, extremes 1901–2023)
| Jan record high C = 27.0
| Feb record high C = 27.2
| Mar record high C = 33.5
| Apr record high C = 34.7
| May record high C = 40.4
| Jun record high C = 46.0
| Jul record high C = 48.9
| Aug record high C = 48.9
| Sep record high C = 45.0
| Oct record high C = 40.5
| Nov record high C = 34.0
| Dec record high C = 27.2
|year record high C = 48.9
| Jan high C = 16.0
| Feb high C = 16.2
| Mar high C = 18.4
| Apr high C = 21.0
| May high C = 25.1
| Jun high C = 29.5
| Jul high C = 32.4
| Aug high C = 33.2
| Sep high C = 29.7
| Oct high C = 26.1
| Nov high C = 20.9
| Dec high C = 17.1
|year high C = 
| Jan mean C = 11.5
| Feb mean C = 11.5
| Mar mean C = 13.4
| Apr mean C = 15.7
| May mean C = 19.4
| Jun mean C = 23.5
| Jul mean C = 26.4
| Aug mean C = 27.2
| Sep mean C = 24.5
| Oct mean C = 21.0
| Nov mean C = 16.2
| Dec mean C = 12.7
|year mean C = 
| Jan low C = 7.1
| Feb low C = 6.9
| Mar low C = 8.3
| Apr low C = 10.5
| May low C = 13.8
| Jun low C = 17.6
| Jul low C = 20.4
| Aug low C = 21.3
| Sep low C = 19.3
| Oct low C = 15.9
| Nov low C = 11.6
| Dec low C = 8.4
|year low C = 
| Jan record low C = -4.2
| Feb record low C = -1.4
| Mar record low C = -0.4
| Apr record low C = 1.0
| May record low C = 3.1
| Jun record low C = 8.0
| Jul record low C = 8.0
| Aug record low C = 10.0
| Sep record low C = 8.9
| Oct record low C = 4.9
| Nov record low C = 0.0
| Dec record low C = -0.5
|year record low C = -4.2
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 91.1
| Feb precipitation mm = 83.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 58.8
| Apr precipitation mm = 49.0
| May precipitation mm = 22.3
| Jun precipitation mm = 9.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 2.8
| Aug precipitation mm = 18.7
| Sep precipitation mm = 49.9
| Oct precipitation mm = 66.5
| Nov precipitation mm = 96.2
| Dec precipitation mm = 104.6
|year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 10.9
| Feb precipitation days = 9.6
| Mar precipitation days = 7.3
| Apr precipitation days = 6.5
| May precipitation days = 3.8
| Jun precipitation days = 1.4
| Jul precipitation days = 0.4
| Aug precipitation days = 1.6
| Sep precipitation days = 5.2
| Oct precipitation days = 6.6
| Nov precipitation days = 10.3
| Dec precipitation days = 11.6
|year precipitation days = 
| Jan humidity = 83
| Feb humidity = 80
| Mar humidity = 78
| Apr humidity = 78
| May humidity = 75
| Jun humidity = 70
| Jul humidity = 68
| Aug humidity = 69
| Sep humidity = 75
| Oct humidity = 78
| Nov humidity = 83
| Dec humidity = 83
|year humidity = 77
| Jan sun = 161.3
| Feb sun = 181.4
| Mar sun = 227.8
| Apr sun = 252.6
| May sun = 312.2
| Jun sun = 345.1
| Jul sun = 379.8
| Aug sun = 339.5
| Sep sun = 266.3
| Oct sun = 226.2
| Nov sun = 177.4
| Dec sun = 157.3
|year sun = 
| Jand sun = 4.6
| Febd sun = 5.8
| Mard sun = 7.0
| Aprd sun = 7.9
| Mayd sun = 9.8
| Jund sun = 11.0
| Juld sun = 12.4
| Augd sun = 11.5
| Sepd sun = 8.9
| Octd sun = 6.7
| Novd sun = 5.1
| Decd sun = 4.3
|yeard sun = 7.9
|source 1 = Institut National de la Météorologie (extremes 1950–2021, sun 1981-2010)<ref name=IMN1>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191219211209/http://data.transport.tn/dataset/9e1ed3a1-69f5-4ef9-a05e-daa8126fdb7c/resource/acf0d32e-92b3-4247-9281-1b3a1587d23f/download/normales_1981_2010.txt
| archive-date = 19 December 2019
| url = http://data.transport.tn/dataset/9e1ed3a1-69f5-4ef9-a05e-daa8126fdb7c/resource/acf0d32e-92b3-4247-9281-1b3a1587d23f
| title = Les normales climatiques en Tunisie entre 1981 2010
| publisher = Ministère du Transport
| language = fr
| access-date = 3 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=IMN2>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191221032155/http://data.transport.tn/dataset/c8d4b465-056c-41e2-a666-05160d19784e/resource/3d38ac83-8a3c-4207-b327-9684131292b3/download/normales_1961_1990.txt
| archive-date = 21 December 2019
| url = http://data.transport.tn/dataset/normales-climatiques-en-tunisie-entre-1961-1990/resource/3d38ac83-8a3c-4207-b327-9684131292b3
| title = Données normales climatiques 1961–1990
| publisher = Ministère du Transport
| language = fr
| access-date = 3 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=IMNextremes>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191221032448/http://data.transport.tn/dataset/b19bf5d3-5f47-43a3-befc-80a4f4f1d267/resource/0f4ff280-9f86-4e4f-bc18-29df886c2a30/download/extremes.txt
| archive-date = 21 December 2019
| url = http://data.transport.tn/dataset/extremes-climatiques-en-tunisie/resource/0f4ff280-9f86-4e4f-bc18-29df886c2a30
| title = Les extrêmes climatiques en Tunisie
| publisher = Ministère du Transport
| language = fr
| access-date = 3 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=IMNclimate>{{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191221032448/https://www.meteo.tn/index.php/donnees-climatiques | archive-date = 21 December 2019 | url = https://www.meteo.tn/index.php/donnees-climatiques | title = Période ensoleillée 1981-2010 climatiques en Tunisie | publisher = Ministère du Transport | language = fr | access-date = 26 December 2019}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|name=Station ID|The Station ID for Bizerte is 11414111.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.transport.tn/dataset/reseau-des-stations-meteorologiques-synoptiques/resource/9d68c101-4789-4e6a-bdff-8952d727c0c1 |title=Réseau des stations météorologiques synoptiques de la Tunisie |publisher=Ministère du Transport |language=fr |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref>}}
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (extremes 1901–1992)<ref name = DWD>
{{cite web
| url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_607140_kt.pdf
| title = Klimatafel von Bizerte / Tunesien
| work = Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world
| publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
| language = de
| access-date = 18 October 2016}}</ref> OGIMET <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=60714&ano=2021&mes=8&day=10&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30 |title=60714: Bizerte (Tunisia) |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 10 August 2021|website=ogimet.com |publisher=[[OGIMET]] |access-date= 10 August 2021|quote=}}</ref> Arab Meteorology Book (humidity and daily sun),<ref name=climate>{{cite web
| url = http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf
| title = Appendix I: Meteorological Data
| publisher = Springer
| access-date = 18 October 2016
| archive-date = 4 March 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>[[NOAA]]<ref name = NOAA>{{cite web
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Tunisia/CSV/Bizerte_60714.csv
| title = Climate Normals 1991-2020
| website = NOAA.gov
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = 18 September 2018}}</ref> }}

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:88%; margin:0.5em auto"
|+Bizerte mean sea temperature<ref name="DWD"/>
|-
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
|-
|{{convert|14.6|°C}}
|{{convert|14.0|°C}}
|{{convert|14.3|°C}}
|{{convert|15.1|°C}}
|{{convert|17.2|°C}}
|{{convert|19.9|°C}}
|{{convert|23.4|°C}}
|{{convert|24.9|°C}}
|{{convert|23.8|°C}}
|{{convert|21.7|°C}}
|{{convert|18.8|°C}}
|{{convert|16.2|°C}}
|}

== Demography ==
In 2020 the estimated population of Bizerte was 182,662, with a density of 392.4/km<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/mun/admin/bizerte/1711__bizerte/|title=Bizerte (Municipality, Tunisia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location|website=Citypopulation.de|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

=== Population structure ===
In 2014 the [[Male|Males]] represented 50.3% of the population and the [[Females]] 49.7%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/mun/admin/bizerte/1711__bizerte/|title = Bizerte (Municipality, Tunisia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location}}</ref> 
The population aged 60 years and over represented 12.4% and the urban population represented 60.4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://knoema.fr//atlas/Tunisie/Bizerte/Population-totale|title=Bizerte Population totale, 1990-2021 - knoema.com|website=Knoema.fr|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

=== Demographic evolution ===
{| align="center" rules="all" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" style="border: 1px solid #999; border-right: 2px solid #999; border-bottom:2px solid #999; background: #f3fff3"
|+ style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em"| Demographic evolution of Bizerte <br /> and its delegations	
|-style="background: #ddffdd"
!  || 2004 || 2014 || 2020
|-
| '''Bizerte''' ||align=right| 144 889 ||align=right| 167 759 ||align=right| 182 622	
|-
| Bizerte Nord<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/admin/bizerte/1751__bizerte_nord/|title=Bizerte Nord (Delegation, Tunisia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location|website=Citypopulation.de|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> || align="right" | 75 234 || align="right" | 87 307 || align="right" | 95 268
|-
| Bizerte Sud<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/admin/bizerte/1753__bizerte_sud/|title=Bizerte Sud (Delegation, Tunisia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location|website=Citypopulation.de|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> || align="right" | 45 227 || align="right" | 55 659 || align="right" | 62 426
|-
| Zarzouna<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/tunisia/admin/bizerte/1752__zarzouna/|title=Zarzouna (Delegation, Tunisia) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location|website=Citypopulation.de|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> || align="right" | 24 428 || align="right" | 24 793 || align="right" | 24 929
|-
| colspan=11 align=left| <small>Source : Citypopulation.de</small>
|}

== Architecture and landscape ==
=== Vieux Port ===
Le vieux port (the old port) of Bizerte is a port with its small pool surrounded by white houses, cafes and large boats in bright colors.<ref name="voyage">{{Cite web|url=https://www.voyage-tunisie.info/vieux-port-de-bizerte-tunisie/|title=Le vieux port de Bizerte, Tunisie|website=Voyage-tunisie.info|date=8 December 2017|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> The old port is the most charming place in Bizerte. The quay stretches in an arc along the Siena earth ramparts of the Kasbah and the low white houses. A modest boat painted in red and green slices through the calm water, a fisherman unloads his fish for the nearby market, another weighs anchor... Bizerte presents the familiar spectacle of a small Provençal or Spanish port which would have traded its bell tower for a minaret. The old port of Bizerte comes alive particularly at the end of the day, when the terraces of the bistros invade the quays.<ref name="voyage" />

{{wide image|Bizerte banner.jpg|1200px|Vieux Port of Bizerte}}

=== Medina ===
[[File:Elmedina, Bizerte, Tunisia.jpg|thumb|left|The Medina of Bizerte.]]
The medina corresponds to the old town of Bizerte. It stretches north of the modern city, above Avenue Bourguiba, and runs along the old port to the Kasbah (the fortress). Once protected by a rampart facing inland, it was brought down during the French protectorate to assert its power over the city. The medina is a sort of labyrinth of narrow streets that intersect in all directions. In the souks, the smells change from one alley to another, according to the shops of craftsmen and their products. The names of the streets correspond to the old corporations present here: rue des armuriers, rue des carpenters, weavers, jewelers ... In narrow stalls you can see a craftsman at work. The tall octagonal-shaped minaret of the Great Mosque (dating from the 17th century) rises above the medina. At his side, the zaouïa of Sidi Mokhtar Dey, boss of Bizerte.

The Medina of Bizerte is an old town that surrounds the picturesque Old Port district. It is a bustling center of traditional crafts. In its winding labyrinth of narrow alleys and covered souks are the workshops of metalworkers and carpenters, and butchers and grocery stores. The streets are named after the artisans who live and work there: the blacksmiths on rue des Forgerons, the gunsmiths on rue des Armuriers, carpenters on rue des Menuisiers and butchers on rue des bouchers. It is a very atmospheric place to walk, and unlike the Medinas of Hammamet and Monastir, it has not been restored so it oozes with all the exotic charm of the Orient.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityzeum.com/bizerte-la-medina|title=Bizerte-la médina en Tunisie: guide, visite, infos, avis, prix, adresse, réserver|website=Cityzeum.com|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

=== Kasbah ===
[[File:Bizerte, Kasbah 02.jpg|thumb|right|View of The Kasbah of Bizerte.]]
The Kasbah is located in north of the old port, it has a single entrance from the West side. It has small dimensions: approximately 175m by 120m and has 8 towers and a walkway. It was built in the 17th century.
On the other side of the canal, the kasbah rises its ramparts above the medina: it is accessed for the beautiful view of the city, the port, the lake and the sea. The origins of this fortress go back to the time of the Byzantine occupation: rectangular in shape, a tower occupies each corner. The entrance to the kasbah is a narrow arched passageway designed to slow down any invaders attempting to enter it at the time. The interior of the fortress is a maze of small alleys lined with houses. At the foot of the north-west rampart, the market place comes alive with the cry of the merchants, and the stalls give the impression of an organized jumble. Beyond stretches the Andalusian quarter, where the Moors from Spain took refuge in the 17th century. Further along, linked by a rampart of the kasbah, we can see the silhouette of the fort of Spain, which overlooks Bizerte at an altitude of about 40 meters on a height to the north. This fort dates from 1573, built during the Turkish domination by the Pasha of Algiers. It is built so as to be able to face the artillery, composed of thirteen sides with re-entrant angles. Now far from any threat, the fort has since been redeveloped into an open-air theater, which notably hosts the Bizerte International Festival (music, dance, film).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://guide-voyage-tunisie.com/la-kasbah-de-bizerte|title=La Kasbah de Bizerte &#124; Guide de voyage en Tunisie|website=Guide-voyage-tunisie.com|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:Cours isg bizerte.jpg|thumb|200px|Schoolyard of the ISG]]
Bizerte is served by the ISG (Institut Supérieur de Gestion)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ucar.rnu.tn/institut-superieur-de-gestion-de-bizerte-2/|title=Institut Supérieur de Gestion de Bizerte – Université de Carthage|website=Ucar.rnu.tn|access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref>

==Health==
[[File:Hôpital Régional de Bizerte.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Hospital of Habib Bougata]]
There is in Bizerte a large hospital ''Hôpital Régional de Bizerte'', one of the biggest in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.annugeo.com/2-hopital-habib-bougatfa-de-bizerte.html |title=Bizerte : Hopital Habib BOUGATFA de Bizerte (Hôpital - Clinique ) |access-date=8 June 2021 |archive-date=8 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608171751/http://www.annugeo.com/2-hopital-habib-bougatfa-de-bizerte.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Economy==
Bizerte's economy is very diverse. 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.

==Miscellaneous==
[[File:Jebel Aïn Chouna.jpg|thumb|right|Jebel Aïn Chouna]]
* The port of Bizerte is being developed into a significant Mediterranean yachting marina that was scheduled to open in May 2012.{{update inline|date=December 2021}} 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.<ref>{{cite web |author=Morley Yachts |url=http://www.GogaMarina.com |title=Goga Superyacht Marina |publisher=Gogamarina.com |date=29 July 2009 |access-date=4 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605024331/http://gogamarina.com/ |archive-date=5 June 2013 }}</ref>
* The actor [[Abdelmajid Lakhal]] was born in Bizerte.{{Citation needed|date=March 2013}}
* The [[Teapacks]] song "Lo haya lano klum" is about how bandleader [[Kobi Oz]]' family were expelled from Bizerte by the Nazis in 1942.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

==Titular see==
Hippo Diarrhytus is a [[titular see]] of the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]]. In 1989–2002 it was held by [[Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz]], then by Jose Paala Salazar, [[Dominican Order|O.P.]] in 2002–2004 and by Manfred Grothe since 14 October 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.

== Serbian Army in Bizerte 1915–1919 ==
=== Army ===
[[Image: Bizerta srpsko vojnicko groblje.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Serbian military cemetery in Bizerte]]

After the [[Serbian army's retreat through Albania]] in 1915, during [[World War I]], part of the army was transported by the French navy to their naval base in Bizerte. Serbian soldiers, and a small number of civilians, arrived in Bizerte on three occasions. In December 1915 and early 1916, after the Albanian Golgotha, then later in 1916 after the first clashes on the [[Salonica front]] in Greece and in the early 1917 when Serbian volunteers began to gather in Bizerte. During the entire war, the soldiers were transported to the Salonica front while the wounded were transported back to Tunisia. It is estimated that over 60,000 Serbian soldiers passed through the camp. The training of the volunteers was organized in the camp, education of the disabled but also the cultural events.<ref name=vojska>{{cite web|url= http://www.istorijskabiblioteka.com/art:srpska-vojska-u-bizerti |title= Srpska vojska u Bizerti |publisher=Istorijska biblioteka|language=sr}}</ref> French-Serbian dictionary was compiled and published by [[Veselin Čajkanović]] in Bizerte. Out of 7,000 copies, 5,000 and 1,000 were distributed to Serbian and French soldiers, respectively, while the remaining 1,000 copies were sold, with money being donated to the war invalids.<ref name=bizerta>{{cite news | author = Branko Pejović | script-title=sr: Срби на северу Африке учили француски | trans-title = Serbs in North Africa learned French language | newspaper = Politika | language = sr | date = 8 February 2000}}</ref>

Serbian wounded soldiers were originally placed in the Lambert barrack. Few days later they were relocated to the {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} away camp Lazouaz. Almost 200 barracks were built in the camp complex.<ref name=bizerta/> Citizens of Bizerte, French soldiers and administration were highly obliging to the Serbs, especially the Bizerte governor, admiral [[Émile Guépratte]]. He was involved in the care of the soldiers on daily basis and organized ceremonial greetings for every ship upon arrival. The last Serbian soldiers left Bizerte on 18 August 1919.<ref name=vojska/> Admiral Guépratte directly disobeyed the order from the French High Command by which he was ordered to dislocate Serbs into the Sahara's hinterland.<ref name="Politika">{{Citation | author = Slobodan Kljakić | title = Svedočanstvo o srpskim vojnicima u severnoj Africi | newspaper = [[Politika]] | language = sr | date = 16 March 2015 | url = http://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/321929/Svedocanstvo-o-srpskim-vojnicima-u-severnoj-Africi}}</ref> When Guépratte visited [[Belgrade]] for the first time in 1930, he was awaited by the crowd which carried the admiral on their shoulders from the [[Belgrade Main railway station]] to the [[Slavija Square]]. The street where the admiral was carried, today bears his name ({{langx|sr| Улица адмирала Гепрата | lit = Admiral Guépratte Street}})''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Beograd – plan grada|date=2006|publisher=M@gic M@p|isbn=86-83501-53-1}}</ref>

=== Hospitals ===

In Northern Africa, Serbian wounded soldiers were treated in the hospitals in Bizerte, [[Tunis]], [[Sousse]], [[Menzel Bourguiba|Sidi Abdala]], [[Algiers]], [[Oran]] and [[Annaba]]. From December 1915 to August 1919, a total of 41,153 Serbian soldiers were treated. In Tunisian hospitals, 833 soldiers died ([[typhus]], [[malaria]], wounds, hunger and [[frostbite]]s). In Sidi Abdala, local population helped the Serbs providing food, medicines and nurture. A total of 1,722 people died there.<ref name="Politika"/>

=== Cemeteries ===
The dead in Bizerte, Sousse and Tunis were buried in the memorial [[ossuary]] on the Christian cemetery in Bizerte. Those who died in Sidi Abdala were interred on the joint French-Serbian military cemetery. Those two cemeteries are the largest of all in Northern Africa where Serbian soldiers were buried – a total of 24 cemeteries in Tunisia, [[Algeria]] and [[Morocco]], with 3,005 buried soldiers.<ref name="Politika"/><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.blic.rs/vesti/reportaza/vecna-straza-kraj-bizerte/92f7wp5 |author=Ranko Pivljanin |title= Večna straža kraj Bizerte |date=24 May 2010| publisher= [[Blic]]|language=sr}}</ref>

==Notable residents==
*[[Georges Madon]] (1892–1924), [[ace pilot]]
*[[Claude Pujade-Renaud]] (born 1932), writer
*[[Maurice Poli]] (born 1933), actor
*[[Abdelmajid Lakhal]] (1939–2014), actor and theatre director
*[[Nikita Mandryka]] (1940–2021), cartoonist
*[[Lionel Duroy]] (born 1949), writer
*[[Pierre Cohen]] (born 1950), politician
*[[Jean-Marc Luisada]] (born 1958), pianist
*[[Mondher Kebaier]] (born 1970), football coach
*[[Hassen Bejaoui]], (born 1975), former footballer
*[[Malek Jaziri]] (born 1984), tennis player
*[[Hamdi Harbaoui]] (born 1985), footballer
*[[Souheïl Ben Radhia]] (born 1985), footballer
*[[Farouk Ben Mustapha]] (born 1989), footballer
*[[Hamza Mathlouthi]] (born 1992), footballer
*[[Bilel Saidani]] (born 1993), footballer

==International relations==

===Sister cities===
Bizerte is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
* {{Flagicon|Morocco}} [[Tangiers]], Morocco, since 1976
* {{Flagicon|Egypt}}   [[Port Said]], Egypt, since 1977 
* {{Flagicon|Algeria}} [[Annaba]], Algeria, since 1985 
* {{Flagicon|Greece}}  [[Kalamata]], Greece, since 1997 
* {{Flagicon|Italia}}  [[Palermo]], Italy, since 2005
* {{Flagicon|Russia}}  [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia, since 2013
* {{Flagicon|Germany}} [[Rostock]], Germany, since 2016
|}

===Cooperation agreement===
* {{Flagicon|France}} [[Clermont-Ferrand]], France, (a program of rehabilitation of historic centers)
* {{Flagicon|France}} [[Dunkerque]], France,

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Old port of Bizerte (132040767).jpg
File:Pilsum leaving Bizerte.jpg
File:Ksiba, Bizerte3.jpg
File:Vieux port by night.JPG
File:Bizerte jarzouna.jpg
File:RouteCornicheBizerte.jpg
File:RouteCornicheBizerte2.JPG
File:Bizerta-downtown.JPG
File:Bizerte2020.jpg
File:Binzaret.jpg|alt=|A photo for Bizerte dock, also knows as leksiba
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Africa}}
* [[European enclaves in North Africa before 1830]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

===Bibliography===
* {{citation |first=Peter |last=Brown |title=Through the Eye of a Needle: Wealth, the Fall of Rome, and the Making of Christianity in the West, 350–550 AD |location=Princeton |publisher=Princeton University Press |date=2013 |isbn=978-1400844531 }}.
* {{citation |last=Ghaki |first=Mansour |contribution=Toponymie et Onomastique Libyques: L'Apport de l'Écriture Punique/Néopunique |contribution-url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/50105050/Toponymie_et_onomastique_Lapport_de_lecriture_punique_neopunique.pdf |pages=65–71 |date=2015 |location=Naples |publisher=Unior |editor=Anna Maria di Tolla |display-editors=0 |title=La Lingua nella Vita e la Vita della Lingua: Itinerari e Percorsi degli Studi Berberi |series=Studi Africanistici: Quaderni di Studi Berberi e Libico-Berberi |number=4 |isbn=978-88-6719-125-3 |issn=2283-5636 |access-date=2 November 2018 |archive-date=28 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200428044658/https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/50105050/Toponymie_et_onomastique_Lapport_de_lecriture_punique_neopunique.pdf |url-status=dead }}. {{in lang|fr}}

==External links==
* [https://archive.today/20121211040840/http://i-cias.com/e.o/bizerte.htm "Bizerte"] in the ''Encyclopedia of the Orient''
* {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Bizerta|volume=4}}
* {{cite CE1913|wstitle=Hippo Diarrhytus|first=Sophron |last=Pétridès|volume=7}}

{{Phoenician cities and colonies navbox}}
{{Communes of Tunisia}}
{{Barbary Corsairs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bizerte| ]]
[[Category:Catholic titular sees in Africa]]
[[Category:Cities in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Communes of Tunisia]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Phoenician colonies in Tunisia]]
[[Category:Populated places in Bizerte Governorate]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of the Arab League]]
[[Category:Transport in the Arab League]]