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ORAN
(oh-RON)
Coastal
city of northwest Algeria
Common
clues:
Algerian
seaport; Mediterranean gulf; Port on the Mediterranean; North
African port; “The Plague” setting
Crossword
puzzle frequency:
2 times a year
Frequency
in English language:
86469 / 86800
Video:
Oran
– Mt Aidour
Oran
(population 700,000) is a city in northwest Algeria, situated on
the Mediterranean Sea coast. During French rule in Algeria Oran
was the prefecture of the Oran département. It now is the
capital of an Oran Province (wilaya).
[Source:
The
World Fact Book]
Oran
was founded in the 10th century by Moorish Andalusian traders,
but was captured by the Spanish under Cardinal Cisneros in 1509.
Spanish sovereignty lasted until 1708, when the city was
conquered by the Ottomans. Spain returned in 1732 taking the city
over again. However, its value as trade post had decreased
greatly, so King Charles IV sold the city to the Turkish. Ottoman
rule lasted until 1831, when it fell to the French.
During
the French colonial rule over Algeria, Oran was the capital of a
département of the same name (number 92).
During
World War II, Oran was held by Vichy France until it was captured
by the Allies in late 1942, during Operation Torch.
In
July 1940, the British Royal Navy shelled French warships in the
port after they refused to respond to a British ultimatum
designed to ensure they would not fall into German hands. The
action sealed the hatred of Vichy France for Britain but
convinced the world, especially the United States, of the British
will to fight on alone against Nazi Germany and its allies.
Before
the Algerian War of Independence, Oran had one of the highest
proportions of Europeans of any city in North Africa. However, by
the end of the war, most of the Europeans and Jews living in Oran
had fled to France. The July 5, 1962 massacre of European
civilians, four days after the Independence votation, triggered
the exodus to France. In less than three months Oran lost about
half its population.
In
the 1960's, the city became an important business and education
centre.
Today,
Oran is a major port and a commercial centre, and has a
university. The old quarter of Oran has a casbah and an
18th-century mosque.
This
article is licensed under the GNU
Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia
article "Oran".
ORAN
(288) 105 We- >1 09 Algerian port
40
Tu+ >1 09 Algerian seaport
18
Th- >1 08 Mediterranean port GAZA
9
Mo+ >1 09 North African port
9
We+ >1 04 "The Plague" setting
7
Tu >1 04 Algerian city
00
Gulf of the Mediterranean
4
Tu+ >1 05 Mediterranean seaport ACRE
4
We- >1 05 Port of Algeria
4
We+ LAT 06 Port WSW of Algiers
4
Th LAT 07 Port east of Tangier
3
We >1 09 African port
3
We+ >1 07 Setting of "The Plague"
3
Th+ >1 01 Yves Saint Laurent's birthplace
3
Fr+ LAT 08 Setting of Camus's "The Plague"
2
Tu >1 05 Setting for "The Plague"
2
We- NYT 99 Algeria's Gulf of ___
2
We >1 09 Algerian city on the Mediterranean
2
Th- >1 07 Setting for Camus's "The Plague"
2
Th- >1 00 Port near Algiers
2
Th- >1 99 City WSW of Algiers
2
Th WSJ 05 Port between Algiers and Tangier
2
Th >1 05 Setting of Camus' "The Plague"
2
Th >1 01 Port east of Gibraltar
03
Algiers metropolis
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