ORAN, teriin' Pr. pron. (VriiN'. A depart ment of Algeria, sometimes called the Depart ment of the West, from the fact of its forming the western frontier of the country. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean, on the east by the Department of Algiers, on the west by the Empire of _Morocco. and on the south by the desert. Area. 44,616 square miles, of which 13.514 belong to the Tell and a large portion to the Sahara. Population, in 1891, 942.000: in 1901, 1.107,354, four-fifths being Arabs. Besides the capital, Oran (q.v.), the seats of arrondissements are the communes of Sidi bel-Abbes (population, in 1901, 25.739), Mostaganem (population, 17.956) , (population, 20,914), and Tlemcen (population, 35,3S2).
ORAN (Ar. Baran). A seaport and Catho lic episcopal city of Algeria, capital of the de partment of the same name. It stands at the in ner extremity of the Gulf of Oran. an inlet of the .Mediterranean. 260 miles west-southwest of Al giers, with which it is connected by rail (Map: Africa. D 1). The town, girt by walls and defended by strongly armed forts, is situated at the foot of a high mountain, crowned by the forts Santa-Cruz and The ravine of Oued Itekhi. laid out with boulevards and buildings, divides the port and old Spanish town on the west from the modern French town on the east. The streets and promenades are gen erally spacious, the houses elegant and airy. The principal edifices are the Chateau-Neuf, the le,;idelice of the general of division: the depart mental including the hotel de la Prdfec ture, the oivii, criminal. eommercial tribunals, etc.: the great mosque of In Rue Philippe; the Catholic cathedral, and the barracks. The city has a college, prima ry and native schools, a geological and archaeological society. Protestant
and other churches, synagogues, mosques; a branch of the Bank of Algeria ; exchequer, post, and telegraph offices: an immense military hos pital, with accommodations for 1400 beds; and various splendidly appointed magazines and Gov ernment stores. The town has a good water supply. Formerly vessels had to find shelter in the roadstead of _\lers-eI-Kebir, three miles dis tant, but the construction of moles since 1S87 has improved the harbor, and vessels with an aggregate tonnage of 2,310,000 entered and cleared the port in 1898. There is a large trade with interior Africa and with Spain. Almeria being only 140 miles and Gibraltar 220 miles distant. The exports include agricultural pro duce, iron ore, and alfa. The United States is represented by an agent. The country in the vicinity is bare and arid, although the land is not sterile. To the south of the town the country is uncultivated, but toward the southeast highly cultivated lands are seen. Cattle are raised, and grain, tobacco, and cotton are grown. The vine covers large tracts of land, and its cultivation is attended with great success; the wines produced are of good quality.
The town of Oran was built by the Moors. It was taken by the Spaniards in 1509, by the Turks in 1708, and again by the Spaniards in 1732. In 1791 it was destroyed by an earth quake, and shortly after it was altogether aban doned by the Spaniards. Oran was taken by the French in 1831, and has been developed by them into a large and prosperous town. Popula tion of commune, comprising the three suburbs, Mers-el-kebir, La Senia, and Ain-el-Tu•k, in 1891, 75,000; in 1901, 88,235.