: ''For the departamento in Argentina, see Orán Department.'' Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) was a

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...

'' in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

existing from 1848 until 1974. Originally a French province, it was departmentalised on 9 December 1848. Its principal town,

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

, was made the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

of the ''département''. There were three French ''départements'' in

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

: Oran in the west, Alger in the center, and Constantine in the east. Oran covered 67,262 km², encompassing five sub-prefectures of

Mascara Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has vari ...

Mostaganem Mostaganem ( ber, Mustɣanem; ar, مستغانم) is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of O ...

, Sidi Bel Abbès, Tiaret and

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the p ...

. It was only in the 1950s that the

Sahara , photo = Sahara real color.jpg , photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972 , map = , map_image = , location = , country = , country1 = , ...

was annexed into departmentalised Algeria, which explains why the ''département'' of Oran limited itself to what is the northwest of Algeria today. However, prior to departmentalisation, the two eastern territories of the south were managed by the department of Oran. In 1956 an administrative reform aimed at taking into account the strong demographic growth in Algeria split the province into four parts,

, Tiaret and

, taking place on 20 May 1957. After independence the department continued to exist until 1974 when it was split into

Mascara Province Mascara ( ar, معسكر ', ber, ⵎⵄⴻⵙⴽⴻⵔ ') is a province ('' wilaya'') in Algeria. It was named after its capital, whose name is Arabic for "military garrison", and which is unrelated to "mascara", the cosmetic. Another important ...

, Oran Province, Saïda Province,

Sidi Bel Abbès Province Sidi Bel Abbès ( ar, ولاية سيدي بلعباس) is one of the provinces ('' wilayas'') of Algeria. Its name is derived from the name of its capital, the city of Sidi Bel Abbès. It is situated in the northwestern part of the country. H ...

and

Tlemcen Province Tlemcen ( ar, ولاية تلمسان) is a province ('' wilaya'') in northwestern Algeria. The Tlemcen National Park is located there. History The province was created from Oran (department) and Tlemcen department in 1974. Administrative div ...

References

*
Département d'Oran
" Wikipedia, l'encyclopédie libre. 30 July 2006, 21:08 UTC. 18 October 2005 Former departments of France in Algeria States and territories established in 1848 Oran 1848 establishments in Algeria 1962 disestablishments in Algeria {{Algeria-hist-stub