Septentrional Tunisia harbour city (86 000 hab. in 1990), Bizerte (or Banzart) owes its importance with its remarkable position on the strait of Sicily. Until French protectorate, it remains, however, a modest village, heiress of a counter phenician former from Carthage and located on the narrow part connecting the lake to the sea. With the French, Bizerte becomes an important of war harbour of the Mediterranean: its lake is transformed into a broad channel; a powerful arsenal and dry docks are created in Ferryville (today Menzal-Bourguiba). But this primacy of the military function and the proximity of Tunis block the other harbour activities, which causes a great crisis after the departure of the French navy. Chief town of the governorship of Bizerte, Bizerte becomes again a small fishing port and the modest market of a limited agricultural area. Various creations will start again its activity: a cement factory, an oil refinery, a factory of tires, and especially the iron and steel complex of Menzal-Bourguiba using the iron ore of Tamirah. Menzal-Bourguiba (47 000 hab. approximately in 1990) also has a factory of assembly of cars as well as chemical industries. The port, whose traffic rose to 3,8 million tons in 1992, is connected to Bizerte by road and railway.