As Oran is located in Northern Algeria, it faces the constant threat of earthquakes that can cause damage to the city. The last major earthquake was in 1790 which killed 3,000 people. Many of the existing older buildings in the city have had been reinforced and newer construction is made to withstand earthquakes from the start. While the city dates back to the 900s, the oldest remaining buildings are from the French period in the 1800s making it easier to reinforce these buildings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/WCEE2012_2310.pdf|title=Earthquakes In Algeria|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}}</ref>
