Sousse Governorate

Wikipedia

Sousse
ولاية سوسة
Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted
Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted
Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate
Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate
Coordinates: 35°50′N 10°38′E / 35.833°N 10.633°E / 35.833; 10.633
Country Tunisia
Created21 June 1956
CapitalSousse
Government
  GovernorSofiane Tanfouri (since 2024) [1]
Area
  Total
2,669 km2 (1,031 sq mi)
  RankRanked 19th of 24
Population
 (2024)
  Total
762,281
  RankRanked 4th of 24
  Density285.6/km2 (739.7/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01 (CET)
Postal prefix
xx
ISO 3166 codeTN-51

Sousse Governorate (Arabic: ولاية سوسة Wilāyat Sūsah pronounced [ˈsuː.sə]; French: Gouvernorat de Sousse) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is beside the eastern coast of Tunisia in the north-east of the country and covers an area of 2,621 km2 and has a population of 762,281 (2024 census).[2] The capital is Sousse. The governorate of Sousse is Tunisia's second largest tourist destination, boasting 115 hotels with a capacity of 40,000 beds spread across the Sousse-Jawhara, Sousse-Medina, Sousse-Nord, and Sousse-Sud regions. Two new tourist areas are currently being developed in Hergla and Bouficha. They will have a capacity of over 20,000 beds.

Geography

The area compasses most of the broad eastern coastal plain (which has a hot Mediterranean climate) featuring salt and fresh water lakes, fed by winter rains. A narrow strip of forest, the Foret Nationale de Tunisie, adjoins part of the beach swathe between Sousse and Hammamet to the far north, the beach forming most of the coastline. These cities are on the Gulf of Hammamet which is a gently curved bay. The largest lake is the Sebkhet de Sidi El Hani which is shared with two other areas but is mostly in the Sousse Governorate.[3]

Elevations are pronounced in the second national park in the area, which is mainly in Nabeul Governorate, is on all of the seaward sides of Hammam Bent Djadidi adjoining the northern border.

Transport

Linked by the widest road in the country and railways to Tunis, the area has roads and railways leading further into the country and towards Libya as well as an airport beside the main port city of Sousse, Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport which is beyond its short eastern border in much smaller Monastir Governorate. There is a Metro line that goes from Sousse Beb Djedid through Monastir to Mahdia.

Administrative divisions

The governorate is divided into sixteen delegations (mutamadiyat), listed below with their populations at the 2004 and 2014 Censuses:[4]

DelegationArea
in km2
Pop'n
2004
Census
Pop'n
2014
Census
Akouda44.625,71734,494
Bouficha261.823,58126,760
Enfidha369.843,42649,335
Hammam Sousse18.534,68542,691
Hergla84.47,9139,343
Kalâa Kebira232.951,19659,132
Kalâa Seghira102.927,72637,797
Kondar173.711,63613,565
M'saken332.585,38097,225
Sidi Bou Ali128.717,60619,543
Sidi El Hani318.711,61413,505
Sousse Jawhara14.362,66386,517
Sousse Médina6.329,68035,288
Sousse Riadh10.1....64,532
Sousse Sidi Abdelhamid12.346,25752,787
Zaouia-Ksiba-Thrayet36.5....32,304

Sixteen municipalities are in Sousse Governorate:

CodeMunicipalityPopulation
(2014)[5]
3111Sousse221,530
3112Ksibet Thrayet11,623
3113Ezzouhour17,348
3114Zaouiet Sousse20,681
3115Hammam Sousse42,937
3116Akouda27,200
3117Kalâa Kebira53,323
3118Sidi Bou Ali10,282
3119Hergla7,419
3120Enfidha10,990
3121Bouficha9,931
3122Sidi El Hani2,706
3123M'saken60,165
3124Kalâa Seghira34,548
3125Messaadine12,916
3126Kondar3,804

Governors

Governors of Sousse since the independence:

  • Mohamed Makni (21 June 1956-1 October 1957)
  • Abelhamid El Kadhi (1 October 1957-1 September 1962)
  • Amor Chachia (1 September 1962-8 September 1969)
  • Abdessalem Ghédira (8 September 1969-27 August 1970)
  • Ahmed Bellalouna (27 August 1970-7 September 1972)
  • Mohamed Ennaceur (7 September 1972-8 June 1973)
  • Ahmed Bennour (8 June 1973-5 March 1974)
  • Mansour Skhiri (5 March 1974-10 March 1977)
  • Nouredine Fennich (10 March 1977-22 April 1980)
  • Hamadi Khouini (22 April 1980-16 March 1983)
  • Kantaoui Morjane (16 March 1983-26 July 1986)
  • Brahim Jameleddine (26 July 1986-1 April 1988)
  • Habib Daldoul (1 April 1988-25 October 1990)
  • Rafaâ Dekhil (25 October 1990-5 August 1991)
  • Abdelbaki Bacha (5 August 1991-10 October 1992)
  • Amor N'sairi (10 October 1992-22 July 1996)
  • Mabrouk Bahri (22 July 1996-3 February 1997)
  • Mohamed Soudani (3 February 1997-6 July 1998)
  • Abderahmen Limam (6 July 1998-12 July 2006)
  • Taïeb Ragoubi (12 July 2006-2 February 2011)
  • Khemaïes Argoubi (2-19 February 2011)
  • Fawzi Jaoui (19 February 2011[6]-27 August 2012)
  • Mokhles Jemal (27 August 2012-28 February 2014)
  • Abdelmalak Sellami (28 February 2014[7]-4 July 2015)
  • Fethi Bdira (4 July 2015[8]-18 May 2017)
  • Adel Chlioui (18 May 2017[9]-14 April 2020)
  • Raja Trabelsi (14 April 2020[10]-29 March 2022[11])
  • Nabil Ferjani (6 June 2022[12]-8 September 2024)
  • Sofiane Tanfouri (Since 8 September 2024[13])

References

  1. "President of the Republic reshuffles governors". tap.info.tn. 2024-09-09. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
  2. "National institute of statistics 2024" (PDF). 23 May 2025.
  3. Physical Map of Tunisia
  4. Institut National de la Statistique Tunisie (web).
  5. Recensement Général de la Population et de l'Habitat 2014 – Population, logements et ménages par commune et arrondissement [Census 2014 results – population, accommodation and households per municipality and delegation] (Report) (in French). National Institute of Statistics. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  6. "Nomination de 10 nouveaux gouverneurs". shemsfm.net (in French). 19 February 2011..
  7. "Tunisie - Liste des nouveaux gouverneurs nommés par Mehdi Jomâa". businessnews.com.tn (in French). 28 February 2014..
  8. "Biographie du nouveau gouverneur de Sousse". jawharafm.net (in French). 4 July 2015..
  9. "Tunisie : remaniement dans le corps des gouverneurs". webdo.tn (in French). 18 May 2017..
  10. "Deux nouveaux gouverneurs pour Sousse et La Manouba". realites.com.tn (in French). 14 April 2020..
  11. "Les gouverneurs de Sousse et de Sfax démis de leurs fonctions". lapresse.tn (in French). 29 March 2022..
  12. "Mouvement parmi les gouverneurs". mosaiquefm.net (in French). 6 June 2022..
  13. "Tunisie : mouvement dans le corps des gouverneurs". webdo.tn (in French). 9 September 2024..