Constantine Department

The area of the former department, centered on the city of Constantine, is also referred to as Constantinois (Arabic: قسنطينة Qusanṭīnah).

Constantinois was part of the Roman province of Africa which also included areas to the east (what is today Tunisia and Tripolitania [western Libya]).

Constantine covered an area of 87,578 km2, and comprised six arrondissements: these were Batna, Bône, Bougie, Guelma, Philippeville and Sétif.

Less than two years later, in May 1957, population increases triggered the creation of the stand-alone departments of Sétif and of Batna from the western and southern portions of the département of Constantine.

The 1957 departmental reorganisation was marked by a change in the "suffix" number appearing on automobile license plates and in other places that used the same code.