Mahdia Governorate

Mahdia Governorate (Tunisian Arabic: ولاية المهدية‎) is in central-eastern Tunisia, named after its largest town and administrative centre. It comprises an area of coastal relative lowland, but extends further inland than its coastal length. It is one of the twenty-four governorates (provinces). It covers an area of 2,966 km², and has a population of 410,812 (as at the 2014 census).[1] Four other governorates are its neighbours - clockwise from south, Sfax, Kairouan, Sousse and Monastir Governorates.

Mahdia ولاية المهدية
Governorate
Map of Tunisia with Mahdia highlighted
Coordinates: 35°30′N 11°04′E
Country	Tunisia
Created	June 5, 1974
Capital	Mahdia
Area
• Total	2,966 km^2 (1,145 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 16th of 24
Population  (2014)
• Total	410,812
• Rank	Ranked 14th of 24
• Density	140/km^2 (360/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Postal prefix	xx
ISO 3166 code	TN-53

Economic summary

Swordfish on a roundabout in Mahdia. The tourist industry is reflected in the area by luxury accommodation, restaurants and impressive works of art.

Mahdia, the administrative centre, is a coastal resort with prominent weaving and fish processing industries.[2]

The other coastal urban centre is the small town of Chebba, on the headland of a bay. Ksour Essef is midway between these towns and approximately 2.5 km inland. El Djem is 13 km inland and a mid-sized town on a major crossroads of roads in the district and having Tunisia's main north-south railway. The nearest international airport is connected by road and rail and is 15 km north of Mahdia (the town), Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport.

Synopsis of history

Ship's anchor of the Mahdia shipwreck, many of the artefacts of which are in the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.

Main articles: Mahdia, Chebba, El Djem, and Ksour Essef

The two main coastal cities are of historic note to Greek, Roman, and early Muslim societies. They include the Mahdia shipwreck – a sunken ship found off Mahdia's shore, containing Greek art treasures – dated to about 80 BC, the early part of Roman rule in this region. The old part of Mahdia corresponds to the Roman city called Aphrodisium and, later, called Africa (a name perhaps derived from the older name),[3][4] or Cape Africa.[5][6][7][8]

Climate

Main article: Tunisia § Climate

The climate is semiarid throughout particularly in the summer and due to the high albedo effects compared to provinces of the far north, nighttime temperatures tend to fall more, to a similar temperature to average upland parts of the north. Much of the developed area benefits from the Sousse area's advanced water distribution network from dammed rivers and lakes including those hundreds of miles to the west which provides water for domestic use and pools.

Administrative divisions

The governorate is divided into eleven delegations (mutamadiyat), listed below with their populations at the 2004 and 2014 Censuses:[9]

Delegation	Area in km^2	Pop'n 2004 Census	Pop'n 2014 Census
Bou Merdès	191	29,559	33,890
Chebba	119	23,334	24,515
Chorbane	444	28,577	25,935
El Djem	287	41,064	48,611
Essouassi	348	46,276	50,424
Hebira	316	11,057	10,654
Ksour Essef	221	48,799	54,366
Mahdia	166	71,719	79,545
Melloulèche	161	19,464	22,085
Ouled Chamekh	325	22,732	23,020
Sidi Alouane	289	35,272	37,767

Eighteen municipalities are in Mahdia Governorate: Bou Merdes, Bradaa, Chebba, Chorbane, Eljem, Essouassi, Hebira, Hkaima, Kerker, Ksour Essef, Mahdia, Melloulèche, Ouled Chamekh, Rejiche, Sidi Alouane, Sidi Zid, Tlelsa and Zelba.

Code	Municipality	Population (2014)[10]
3311	Mahdia	51,833
3312	Rejiche	10,806
3313	Bou Merdes	4,338
3314	Ouled Chamekh	5,120
3315	Chorbane	5,700
3316	Hebira	3,248
3317	Essouassi	5,381
3318	El Djem	21,234
3319	Kerker	7,467
3320	Chebba	22,227
3321	Melloulèche	6,704
3322	Sidi Alouane	7,500
3323	Ksour Essef	28,842
3324	El Bradâa	7,404

Electorally and for some more national purposes, Mahdia has eleven delegations, most boundaries of which are similar to the governorates.

See also

• Mansoura, Tunisia

References

1. (in French) Census 2014 (National Institute of Statistics) Archived 2014-10-29 at the Wayback Machine
2. "MAHDIA:Finger pointing at the sea". Lexicorient.com. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
3. "Aphrodisium, which is now commonly called Africa, but by the Moors Mahdia" (Antique Map of Tunis, Mahdia & Peñon de Veles by Braun & Hogenberg
4. Fiche technique des sites archéologiques de Mahdia
5. Geographical Names: Cape Africa: Tunisia
6. Satellite view of Cape Africa
7. Kenneth Meyer Setton, The Papacy and the Levant, 1204-1571 (American Philosophical Society 1984 ISBN 978-0-87169161-3), p. 533
8. Charles Tissot, Géographie comparée de la province romaine d'Afrique (Paris 1888), p. 176
9. Institut National de la Statistique Tunisie (web).
10. 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.