Sétif
Encyclopedia
Sétif is a town in northeastern Algeria
. It is the capital of Sétif Province
and it has a population of 239,195 inhabitants as of the 1998 census. Setif is located to the east of Algiers
and is the second most important Wilaya after the country's capital. It is 1,096 meters above sea level, making it the second highest capital of a Wilaya in Algeria. The streets are tree-lined with a fountain and theater, giving the town a French
feel.
Sétif is one of the coldest regions in Algeria. Sétif is connected by rail as well as the main national highway. It is a university town located approximately 190 miles east of Algiers
on the highway to Constantine
.
It is near Sétif that Jugurtha campaigned and lost against Marius in 105 BC. Overcome by Marius, he was taken to Rome where was executed in the prison of Tullianum.
Sitifis was founded by the Romans, during the reign of Nerva
, as a colony for veterans. The ruins of this are still visible. A Roman mausoleum
may be found in the outskirts of the city as well as Byzantine ruins.
As the town grew, around 297 AD, the province of Mauretania Sitifensis was established, with Sitifis as the central city.
In 647 AD (the year 27 of the Hegira), the first Muslim expedition to Africa took place. By 700 AD, the area had been conquered and converted to the Islamic fath.
During the triumph of the Shiite doctrine, missionaries left the East worked on there in the area of Sétif to win proselytes to their cause which aspired to the imamat, that is to the inheritance of the temporal and spiritual authority of the Prophet from whom they claimed to descend.
Between 700 AD and the French conquest of Algeria, there is little recorded history. In 1838, a French garrison, or military post was established.
in Europe, an uprising
against the occupying French forces in Sétif and the nearby towns Guelma
and Kherrata
resulted in the deaths of 104 pieds-noirs. The uprising was suppressed through what is now known as the Sétif massacre. Estimates of Algerian casualties vary widely from 2,000 to 40,000 (see Setif massacre
for details).
s are made, phosphate
s are mined and cereal
s grown. A large amusement park is located in the center of the city where the city Zoo can be found.
Soccer Team is one of Algeria's most prestigious top division clubs.
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
. It is the capital of Sétif Province
Sétif Province
Sétif Province is a province in north-eastern Algeria. Its capital and largest city is Sétif, the next largest city is El Eulma. There is also the World Heritage Site of Djémila there.-Administrative divisions:...
and it has a population of 239,195 inhabitants as of the 1998 census. Setif is located to the east of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
and is the second most important Wilaya after the country's capital. It is 1,096 meters above sea level, making it the second highest capital of a Wilaya in Algeria. The streets are tree-lined with a fountain and theater, giving the town a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
feel.
Sétif is one of the coldest regions in Algeria. Sétif is connected by rail as well as the main national highway. It is a university town located approximately 190 miles east of Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
on the highway to Constantine
Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the capital of Constantine Province in north-eastern Algeria. It was the capital of the same-named French département until 1962. Slightly inland, it is about 80 kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, on the banks of Rhumel river...
.
History
Sétif was at first Numidian: it was a part of the kingdom of Massaesyles and in the year 225 BC, it was the capital of the kingdom, a title which it lost when Juba switched it to Cherchell.It is near Sétif that Jugurtha campaigned and lost against Marius in 105 BC. Overcome by Marius, he was taken to Rome where was executed in the prison of Tullianum.
Sitifis was founded by the Romans, during the reign of Nerva
Nerva
Nerva , was Roman Emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became Emperor at the age of sixty-five, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the rulers of the Flavian dynasty. Under Nero, he was a member of the imperial entourage and played a vital part in exposing the Pisonian conspiracy of 65...
, as a colony for veterans. The ruins of this are still visible. A Roman mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
may be found in the outskirts of the city as well as Byzantine ruins.
As the town grew, around 297 AD, the province of Mauretania Sitifensis was established, with Sitifis as the central city.
In 647 AD (the year 27 of the Hegira), the first Muslim expedition to Africa took place. By 700 AD, the area had been conquered and converted to the Islamic fath.
During the triumph of the Shiite doctrine, missionaries left the East worked on there in the area of Sétif to win proselytes to their cause which aspired to the imamat, that is to the inheritance of the temporal and spiritual authority of the Prophet from whom they claimed to descend.
Between 700 AD and the French conquest of Algeria, there is little recorded history. In 1838, a French garrison, or military post was established.
Sétif massacre
On 8 May 1945, the day of the formal end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe, an uprising
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
against the occupying French forces in Sétif and the nearby towns Guelma
Guelma
Guelma is the capital of Guelma Province and Guelma District, located in northeastern Algeria, about 65 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast...
and Kherrata
Kherrata
Kherrata is a town in northern Algeria....
resulted in the deaths of 104 pieds-noirs. The uprising was suppressed through what is now known as the Sétif massacre. Estimates of Algerian casualties vary widely from 2,000 to 40,000 (see Setif massacre
Setif massacre
The Sétif massacre refers to widespread disturbances and killings in and around the Algerian market town of Sétif located to the west of Constantine in 1945. Shooting by the French authorities against local demonstrators occurred on 8 May 1945. Then, riots in the town itself were followed by...
for details).
Economy
The local economy deals both with trade and industries. The trade is mainly in grain and livestock from the surrounding region. Locally produced wheat is processed by local factories to produce semolina, couscous and noodles. Other industries are woodworking, manufacture of carpets and metal handicrafts. Zinc is extracted from nearby deposits and there are hydroelectric development to the north. It has become the commercial center of a region where textileTextile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s are made, phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
s are mined and cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s grown. A large amusement park is located in the center of the city where the city Zoo can be found.
Climate
Because of Sétif's location on the High Plateaus at an elevation of 1,096 metres, it is one of the coldest regions during winter in Algeria. The Wilaya frequently sees an annual snowfall of up to 40 centimeters. Flash floods are rare but have recently occurred around the spring and fall seasons. The summer is fairly hot where extreme heat waves are common around the month of July where temperatures can sometimes even reach 40°C.Soccer Team
The ES SétifES Sétif
Entente Sportive Sétifienne , commonly referred to as ES Sétif or ESS for short, is an Algerian professional football club based in Sétif currently playing in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1...
Soccer Team is one of Algeria's most prestigious top division clubs.