Sousse Governorate

Sousse ولاية سوسة
Governorate
Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted
Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate
Coordinates: 35°50′N 10°38′E
Country	Tunisia
Created	21 June 1956
Capital	Sousse
Government
• Governor	Sofiane Tanfouri (since 2024)
Area
• Total	2,669 km2 (1,031 sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 19th of 24
Population  (2014)
• Total	674,971
• Rank	Ranked 4th of 24
• Density	250/km2 (650/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Postal prefix	xx
ISO 3166 code	TN-51

Sousse Governorate (Arabic: ولاية سوسة Wilāyat Sūsah pronounced [ˈsuː.sə]; French: Gouvernorat de Sousse) is one of the twenty-four governorates (provinces) 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 674,971 (2014 census). The capital is Sousse.

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.

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:

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

Sixteen municipalities are in Sousse Governorate:

Code	Municipality	Population (2014)
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