Gabès Governorate

Gabès
ڨابس
Gabis
Governorate

Coat of arms

Map of Tunisia with Gabès highlighted
Coordinates: 33°53′N 10°07′E / 33.883°N 10.117°E / 33.883; 10.117Coordinates: 33°53′N 10°07′E / 33.883°N 10.117°E / 33.883; 10.117
Country Tunisia
Created June 21, 1956[1]
Capital Gabès
Government
  Governor Abdelkarim Mesbah (DCR)
Area
  Total 7,166 km2 (2,767 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 8th of 24
Population (2014)
  Total 374,300
  Rank Ranked 16th of 24
  Density 52/km2 (140/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Gabesian
(Arabic: قابسي, Gabsi)
Time zone CET (UTC+01)
Postal prefix 60xx
Calling code 75-2/75-3
ISO 3166 code TN-81

Gabès Governorate (Tunisian Arabic: ولاية ڨابس Wilāyat Gābis) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia and in south-eastern Tunisia. It covers an area of 7166 km²[1] and had a population of 374,300 as at the 2014 census.[2][3] The capital is Gabès.

Geography

The governorate of Gabès is in southeast Tunisia on the coast of the Gulf of Gabès, 376 km south of the capital, Tunis.

Gabès has a hot Mediterranean climate. Gabès offers five contrasting landscapes: the beach, the mountains, the desert, small forest, oasis. It contains the eastern end of Chott el Fejej.

The coast is approximately half of that of the large bay. The gulf has several alternative names dating to antiquity and to an etymological association with onshore winds and sandbanks making navigation difficult, including Lesser Syrtis (see Gulf of Sidra which takes in also the mainly Libyan portion of the continental gulf).

Administrative divisions

Administratively, the governorate is divided into ten delegations (mutamadiyat), ten municipalities, nine rural councils, and 73 sectors (imadas).[1] The delegations and their populations from the 2004 and 2014 censuses,[2] are listed below:

Delegation Population in 2004 Population in 2014
El Hamma 62,390 73,512
El Metouia 25,862 27,878
Gabes Medina 47,057 46,731
Gabes Ouest 28,389 31,768
Gabes Sud 61,699 74,422
Ghannouch 22,681 28,051
Menzel El Habib 11,477 10,148
Mareth 61,340 63,122
Matmata 5,766 4,444
Nouvelle Matmata 15,969 14,224

Ten municipalities are in Gabès Governorate:

Code Municipality Population
(2014)[4]
5111 Gabès 130,984
5112 Chenini Nahal 14,803
5113 Ghannouch 28,051
5114 Métouia 10,716
5115 Oudhref 9,932
5116 El Hamma 41,607
5117 Matmata 1,847
5118 Nouvelle Matmata 7,526
5119 Mareth 11,678
5120 Zarat 5,627

Tourism

Matmata is a Berber-speaking town largely of underground homes conserved with a community-based pre-industrialized lifestyle. The south-centre of the Wilāyat has semi-desert mountains and natural features nearby include splendid oases and caves. Eclectic souqs feature in the main municipalities, with traditional wood, stone, metal and textile products.

References


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