Sousse ولاية سوسة | |
|---|---|
 Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted | |
 Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate | |
| Coordinates:35°50′N10°38′E / 35.833°N 10.633°E /35.833; 10.633 | |
| Country |  Tunisia |
| Created | 21 June 1956 |
| Capital | Sousse |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Sofiane Tanfouri (since 2024)[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,669 km2 (1,031 sq mi) |
| • Rank | Ranked 19th of 24 |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 762,281 |
| • Rank | Ranked 4th of 24 |
| • Density | 285.6/km2 (739.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01 (CET) |
| Postal prefix | xx |
| ISO 3166 code | TN-51 |
Sousse Governorate (Arabic:ولاية سوسةWilāyat Sūsahpronounced[ˈsuː.sə];French:Gouvernorat de Sousse) is one of the 24governorates 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 isSousse. 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.
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 theGulf of Hammamet which is a gently curved bay. The largest lake is the Sebkhet deSidi 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 inNabeul Governorate, is on all of the seaward sides ofHammam Bent Djadidi adjoining the northern border.
Linked by the widest road in the country and railways toTunis, 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 smallerMonastir Governorate. There is a Metro line that goes from Sousse Beb Djedid through Monastir to Mahdia.
The governorate is divided into sixteendelegations (mutamadiyat), listed below with their populations at the 2004 and 2014 Censuses:[4]
| Delegation | Area in km2 | Pop'n 2004 Census | Pop'n 2014 Census |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akouda | 44.6 | 25,717 | 34,494 |
| Bouficha | 261.8 | 23,581 | 26,760 |
| Enfidha | 369.8 | 43,426 | 49,335 |
| Hammam Sousse | 18.5 | 34,685 | 42,691 |
| Hergla | 84.4 | 7,913 | 9,343 |
| Kalâa Kebira | 232.9 | 51,196 | 59,132 |
| Kalâa Seghira | 102.9 | 27,726 | 37,797 |
| Kondar | 173.7 | 11,636 | 13,565 |
| M'saken | 332.5 | 85,380 | 97,225 |
| Sidi Bou Ali | 128.7 | 17,606 | 19,543 |
| Sidi El Hani | 318.7 | 11,614 | 13,505 |
| Sousse Jawhara | 14.3 | 62,663 | 86,517 |
| Sousse Médina | 6.3 | 29,680 | 35,288 |
| Sousse Riadh | 10.1 | .... | 64,532 |
| Sousse Sidi Abdelhamid | 12.3 | 46,257 | 52,787 |
| Zaouia-Ksiba-Thrayet | 36.5 | .... | 32,304 |
Sixteenmunicipalities are in Sousse Governorate:
| Code | Municipality | Population (2014)[5] |
|---|---|---|
| 3111 | Sousse | 221,530 |
| 3112 | Ksibet Thrayet | 11,623 |
| 3113 | Ezzouhour | 17,348 |
| 3114 | Zaouiet Sousse | 20,681 |
| 3115 | Hammam Sousse | 42,937 |
| 3116 | Akouda | 27,200 |
| 3117 | Kalâa Kebira | 53,323 |
| 3118 | Sidi Bou Ali | 10,282 |
| 3119 | Hergla | 7,419 |
| 3120 | Enfidha | 10,990 |
| 3121 | Bouficha | 9,931 |
| 3122 | Sidi El Hani | 2,706 |
| 3123 | M'saken | 60,165 |
| 3124 | Kalâa Seghira | 34,548 |
| 3125 | Messaadine | 12,916 |
| 3126 | Kondar | 3,804 |
Governors of Sousse since theindependence:
Governorates and regions of Tunisia | ||
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| Governorates | | |
| Regions | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
