Mateur ( aeb, ماطر ') is a town in northern

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. It is located at around , close to the Lac Ichkeul National Park.

Overview

Located in the southwest of the governorate of Bizerte, Mateur is the county seat of a delegation of 61,919 inhabitants (2006) while its town counts 49,785 inhabitants divided in 8735 families and occupy 7120 accommodation according to the magazine edited by the municipality of Mateur (edition 2006). Concerning the etymological root of the name of the city, some people see a Latin origin : Matarensis would have been the name of an oppidum located on the site of Mateur during the ancient period. It is also known in different epochs under other names as Materense, Matarus, Matari, Mataris, Matar and Mataritanae. On the other hand, the Arabists see a rapprochement with the term of Matra (in the plural Amtar) which means "precipitation", referring to the rainfall level of the region. This city, the first town council of which is installed on October 12, 1898, was considered to be an important strategical point during the Second World War. It is to note that the municipality of Mateur celebrated the 110th birthday during year 2008. The city is located in the middle of a first-rate agrarian region owing to the fecundity of the lands of the ambient lowland. An important market is held there every Friday and Saturday in the course of which they notably sell there the stock and grain. It unites producers of the neighbouring localities ( Jefna, Joumine,

Bazina Mario Bazina (born 8 September 1975) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Club career Bazina played for Austrian club, Grazer AK for five years and one year with Rapid Wien and for Croatian sides Hrvatski D ...

Sedjenane Sedjenane is a town in northern Tunisia, on the railway line to Mateur and the port of Bizerta. The Battle of Sedjenane was fought during World War II between the Allies and Axis for control of a town in northern Tunisia, on the railway line t ...

Ghezala Ghezala is a town of north-western Tunisia located at 50 kilometres west of Bizerte and 70 kilometres northwest of Tunis. Attached to the Bizerte Governorate Bizerte Governorate ( ar, ولاية بنزرت ' ) is the northernmost of the 24 go ...

, etc.) and purchasers come from whole Tunisia. Mateur counts also 2 industrial zones where is installed about twenty foreign firms working in various areas: wiring, mechanics, telecommunications, textile industry, etc.

National parks

Nearby is the national park of

Ichkeul Lake Ichkeul ( ar, بحيرة اشكل) is a lake in northern Tunisia, located 20 kilometres (12 miles) to Bizerte, the northernmost city in Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. The lake and wetlands of Ichkeul National Park are an important stopping- ...

, which contains sites protected by many international institutions (

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

and WWF), owing to the diversity of its fauna and its flora. It shelters the lake of the same name which is the biggest natural lake of North Africa.

Education

Nowadays, the city has two establishments of higher education: * Graduate school of agriculture * Higher institute of applied sciences and technology (ISSAT Mateur)

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Bizerte Governorate Communes of Tunisia Catholic titular sees in Africa