Oran << oh RAN or aw RAHN >> (pop. 803,329) is a Mediterranean seaport in Algeria. It lies about 225 miles (362 kilometers) west of Algiers.
Oran trades with cities of inland Africa and ports of southern Europe. It was founded by Muslim sailors from Spain in the A.D. 900’s. The city was captured by the Spaniards in 1509, by the Ottomans in 1708, and again by the Spaniards in 1732. Spain abandoned Oran after much of it was destroyed in 1791 by an earthquake. The Santa Cruz fort, built by the Spaniards between 1698 and 1708, still overlooks the city from a nearby hill. In 1831, the French occupied Oran. During World War II (1939-1945), Allied forces landed near Oran as part of the campaign to drive the Axis powers from North Africa.
