Quick answerConstantine is a city in Algeria, with 464,219 people inside the city limits in 2008. The wider metropolitan area had about 0.9 million people in 2008. It is best known for the City of Bridges, the Sidi M'Cid Bridge and the Emir Abdelkader Mosque. Its official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and its currency is the Algerian dinar.
Constantine is a city in north-eastern Algeria, with about 464,000 people (2008 census) and about 938,000 in the agglomeration. It is the capital of Constantine Province and is known as the City of Bridges.
Key facts
| Country | Algeria |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 464,219 (2008) |
| Population (metro) | 938,475 (2008) · Constantine agglomeration |
| Elevation | 694 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Algiers |
| Language | Arabic, Amazigh |
| Currency | Algerian dinar (DZD, د.ج) |
| Coordinates | 36.35° N, 6.6° E |
Overview
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria, about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of the Rhumel River. The city had 464,219 people in the 2008 census, and about 938,475 people with the agglomeration, making it the third-largest city in the country after Algiers and Oran. It sits on a plateau at an elevation of 694 metres, framed by a deep ravine.
In antiquity the city was called Cirta and was the capital of the Berber kingdom of Numidia. It was rebuilt in 313 and renamed Constantina after the Emperor Constantine the Great. It was captured by the Vandals, returned to Byzantine rule, and taken by Arab armies in the 8th century. Under Ottoman rule it was governed by a bey, and France captured it in 1837. In 1880, in the military hospital here, Alphonse Laveran discovered that malaria is caused by a protozoan, work that won him the Nobel Prize in 1907.
Today Constantine is regarded as the capital of eastern Algeria and the commercial centre of its region, with flour mills, a tractor factory and textile and leather industries. It is often called the City of Bridges, for the bridges that join the hills and valleys across the Rhumel gorge, including the Sidi M'Cid Bridge and the Sidi Rached Viaduct. In 2015 it was named the Arab Capital of Culture.
What Constantine is known for
- City of Bridges
- Sidi M'Cid Bridge
- Emir Abdelkader Mosque
- Ahmed Bey Palace
- Roman ruins of Tiddis
- Ancient Cirta
Landmarks
- Sidi M'Cid Bridge
- Emir Abdelkader Mosque
- Ahmed Bey Palace
- Sidi Rached Viaduct
- Mellah Slimane Bridge
- Cirta Museum
- Tiddis Roman ruins
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Constantine?
About 464,000 people live in Constantine (464,219 in the 2008 census), and the agglomeration had about 938,000 people. That makes Constantine the third-largest city in Algeria, after Algiers and Oran, and the capital of eastern Algeria. Its population figure is old, because the last full census was in 2008.
What is Constantine famous for?
Constantine is famous as the City of Bridges, for the many bridges that cross the deep ravine of the Rhumel River around its hilltop old town. It is known for the Sidi M'Cid Bridge, the Emir Abdelkader Mosque and the Ahmed Bey Palace, and as the ancient city of Cirta, capital of the Berber kingdom of Numidia.
Where is Constantine located?
Constantine is in north-eastern Algeria, about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of the Rhumel River. It is the capital of Constantine Province and sits on a plateau about 694 metres above sea level. Its coordinates are 36.35° N, 6.60° E, and its time zone is Central European Time.
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Keep exploring
- Algeria — the country Constantine is in
- Algiers — another city in Algeria
- Oran — another city in Algeria
- Annaba — another city in Algeria
- All cities in Algeria
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.