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Quick answerOran is a city in Algeria, with 920,000 people inside the city limits in 2024. The wider metropolitan area had about 1.6 million people in 2024. It is best known for the Fort of Santa Cruz, the Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mosque and the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Its official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, and its currency is the Algerian dinar.
Oran is a major port city in north-western Algeria, with about 920,000 people in the urban area (2024) and about 1.6 million in the metropolitan area (2019). It is the capital of Oran Province and the second-largest city in Algeria.
Key facts
| Country | Algeria |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 920,000 (2024) |
| Population (metro) | 1,570,000 (2024) · Oran metropolitan area, 2019 |
| Elevation | 1 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Africa/Algiers |
| Language | Arabic, Amazigh |
| Currency | Algerian dinar (DZD, د.ج) |
| Coordinates | 35.69694° N, 0.63306° W |
Overview
Oran is a major coastal city in the north-west of Algeria, about 432 kilometres west-southwest of the capital, Algiers. The urban area had 920,000 people in 2024 and the metropolitan area about 1,570,000 in 2019, while the city proper had 803,329 people in the 2008 census. It is the capital of Oran Province and sits almost at sea level, about 1 metre above it, with the Fort of Santa Cruz on Mount Murdjajo rising behind it.
Oran was founded in 902 by Andalusians, and its name comes from the Berber word for lions, which once lived on the nearby mountain. It was ruled by Arab-Berber dynasties, occupied by Spain from 1509 to 1792, and then grew fast under French rule, when it became the second-largest city in Algeria. After independence in 1962, most of its European population left for France.
Today Oran is the second most important city in Algeria after Algiers, because of its population and its commercial, industrial and cultural weight. It is the economic capital of western Algeria and its main financial, commercial and industrial centre, with a large port facing Spain across the Mediterranean. Its landmarks include the Fort of Santa Cruz, the Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mosque and the Sacred Heart Cathedral.
What Oran is known for
- Fort of Santa Cruz
- Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mosque
- Sacred Heart Cathedral
- November 1st Square
- Port of Oran
- Second city of Algeria
Landmarks
- Fort of Santa Cruz
- Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mosque
- Sacred Heart Cathedral
- Hassan Pasha Mosque
- Oran City Hall
- Bahia Center
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Oran?
About 920,000 people live in the Oran urban area (2024), and the metropolitan area had about 1.6 million people (2019). The city proper had 803,329 people in the 2008 census. That makes Oran the second-largest city in Algeria, after Algiers, and the economic capital of the west.
What is Oran famous for?
Oran is famous as the second city of Algeria and the economic capital of the west, with its large Mediterranean port. It is known for the Fort of Santa Cruz above the city, the Abdelhamid Ibn Badis Mosque, and the two giant lion statues in front of its city hall, which recall the lions its name comes from.
Where is Oran located?
Oran is on the Mediterranean coast in north-western Algeria, about 432 kilometres west-southwest of Algiers. It is the capital of Oran Province and sits almost at sea level, with the Fort of Santa Cruz on Mount Murdjajo above it. Its coordinates are 35.70° N, 0.63° W.
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Keep exploring
- Algeria — the country Oran is in
- Algiers — another city in Algeria
- Annaba — another city in Algeria
- Constantine — 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.