# Bizerte

> Tunisian town

**Wikidata**: [Q189546](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189546)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizerte)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bizerte

## Summary
Bizerte is a municipality and city located in northern Tunisia, serving as the capital of the Bizerte Governorate. Known historically by the names Hippo Diarrhytus and Hippo Zarytus, it is situated at coordinates 37.2744°N 9.8739°E and covers an area of 34 square kilometers. As of the 2014 census, the town has a population of 142,966 and maintains twin-city relationships with numerous international municipalities, including Kalamata, Tangier, and Saint Petersburg.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: Municipality of Tunisia; City (large human settlement).
- **Location**: Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia (Coordinates: 37.274444444444, 9.8738888888889).
- **Area**: 34 square kilometres.
- **Elevation**: 4 metres above sea level.
- **Population**: 
  - 2014: 142,966
  - 2013: 126,491
  - 2011: 121,483
  - 2009: 119,243
  - 2007: 117,126
  - 2004: 114,371
  - 1956: 46,700
- **Timezone**: Central European Time.
- **Postal Code**: 7000.
- **UN/LOCODE**: TNBIZ.
- **License Plate Code**: BI.
- **Demonym**: Bisertini (masculine plural).
- **Official Website**: http://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn/ (Arabic).

## FAQs
**What are the historical and alternative names for Bizerte?**
Bizerte has been known by several names throughout history, including Hippo Diarrhytus, Hippo Zarytus, Bizerta, Binzart, Biserta, and Binzert. In other languages, it is referred to as ビゼルテ (Japanese) and Бицерта (Russian).

**What is the administrative role of Bizerte?**
Bizerte functions as the capital of the Bizerte Governorate. Additionally, it serves as the capital for the delegation of Bizerte Nord and the delegation of Bizerte Sud.

**Which cities are twinned with Bizerte?**
Bizerte is twinned with 13 administrative bodies globally: Kalamata (since 1997), Tangier (since 1976), Port Said (since 1977), Annaba, Palermo (since 2000), Saint Petersburg (since 2014), Kherson, the Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque (since 2007), Samsun (since 2013), Rostock, Nador, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, and Niš.

**How is Bizerte identified in academic and library systems?**
The entity possesses numerous identifiers including a GND ID (4355924-4), VIAF ID (159553268), Library of Congress Authority ID (n88160506), and GeoNames ID (2472706). It is also indexed in major encyclopedias such as Britannica, Brockhaus, and the Great Russian Encyclopedia.

## Why It Matters
Bizerte represents a significant urban center within Tunisia, evidenced by its status as a governorate capital and its inclusion in major historical and contemporary encyclopedic works such as the *Encyclopædia Britannica* and the *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*. Its strategic importance is highlighted by a substantial population growth from 46,700 in 1956 to over 142,000 by 2014. The city maintains a robust international profile through active diplomatic and cultural partnerships with 13 cities across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Furthermore, its extensive catalog of aliases (such as Hippo Diarrhytus) and identifications in multilingual Wikipedia sites (68 sitelinks across languages like Arabic, French, Russian, and Japanese) underscore its enduring historical and global relevance.

## Notable For
- **Extensive International Twinning**: Maintains active partnerships with major cities like Saint Petersburg, Tangier, and Port Said, with some relationships dating back to the 1970s.
- **Historical Documentation**: Described by a wide array of historical sources, including the *Sytin Military Encyclopedia*, *The Nuttall Encyclopædia*, and the *Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition*.
- **Multilingual Presence**: Possesses Wikipedia articles in 57 different languages, including Asturian, Azerbaijani, Kabyle, and Uzbek.
- **Port Infrastructure**: Identified by the UN/LOCODE "TNBIZ" and visually represented by the "Old port of Bizerte" in media files.
- **Population Growth**: A tripling of the population between 1956 and 2014.

## Body

### Geography and Administration
Bizerte is situated in the northern region of Tunisia within the Bizerte Governorate, of which it is the capital. The city's specific coordinates are 37.274444444444 latitude and 9.8738888888889 longitude. It occupies a total area of 34 square kilometres and sits at an elevation of 4 metres above sea level. Administratively, the city is further designated as the capital of both the "delegation of Bizerte Nord" and the "delegation of Bizerte Sud." The city operates in the Central European Time zone and utilizes the postal code 7000 and the license plate code BI.

### Demographics
The population of Bizerte has demonstrated consistent growth over the last half-century according to census data provided. Key population figures include:
- **1956**: 46,700
- **2004**: 114,371
- **2007**: 117,126
- **2009**: 119,243
- **2011**: 121,483
- **2013**: 126,491
- **2014**: 142,966
Residents of Bizerte are referred to by the demonym "Bisertini" (specifically the masculine plural form).

### International Relations
Bizerte maintains an extensive network of town twinning (jumelage) and cooperative agreements with cities across three continents. These relationships are managed by the municipality and documented on the official government website.
- **Africa**: Tangier (since 1976), Nador, Annaba (Algeria), Port Said (since 1977).
- **Europe**: Kalamata (since 1997), Palermo (since 2000), Communauté urbaine de Dunkerque (since 2007), Saint Petersburg (since 2014), Kherson, Samsun (since 2013), Rostock, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Niš.

### Identity and Nomenclature
The city is known by various aliases historically and linguistically. Historical names include *Hippo Diarrhytus* and *Hippo Zarytus*. Variant spellings include *Bizerta*, *Binzart*, *Biserta*, and *Binzert*. The city is also indexed as *Benzert* in the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam and *Biserta* in Italian and Russian sources (Бизерта).

### Technical and Academic Identifiers
Bizerte is cataloged in numerous international databases and academic works.
- **Standard IDs**: VIAF ID 159553268; GeoNames ID 2472706; GND ID 4355924-4; Library of Congress Authority ID n88160506; Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ID 7001083.
- **Encyclopedic References**: The entity is described by the *Encyclopædia Britannica* (place/Bizerte), *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, *Great Russian Encyclopedia* (ID 1865897), *Encyclopaedia of Islam* (Second Edition, ID SIM_1200), and *Sytin Military Encyclopedia*.
- **Digital Archives**: It holds a U.S. National Archives Identifier (10044544), a BBC Things ID (83f2eb38-729a-49f4-baa0-1098c4baba65), and a Who's On First ID (421200583).

### Digital and Media Presence
The city maintains an official website (http://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn/) in Arabic. It is represented in digital media through the "Old port of Bizerte, 2008.jpg" image and a specific page banner on Wikimedia Commons. The city is categorized under "Category:Bizerte," "Category:Maps of Bizerte," and "Category:Views of Bizerte." It has a Quora topic ID and a Goodreads character ID (731039).

## References

1. GEOnet Names Server. 2018
2. [الشراكة والتوأمة. 2023](https://www.commune-bizerte.gov.tn/index.php/2023-03-14-07-13-06/2023-03-14-09-26-17/2023-03-14-15-05-43)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. MusicBrainz
5. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
6. BBC Things
7. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/tn.htm)
8. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/benzert)