Sidi Bouzid Governorate ( aeb, ولاية سيدي بوزيد), sometimes spelt ''Sidi Bou Zid'', is one of the 24

governorates A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either State (administrative division), states or province, provinces, the term ''govern ...

(

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

s) of

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 in central Tunisia and landlocked. It covers an area of 7405 km² and has a population of 429,912 (2014 census). The capital is its most populous settlement,

Sidi Bouzid Sidi Bouzid ( ar, سيدي بوزيد '), sometimes called ''Sidi Bou Zid'' or ''Sīdī Bū Zayd'', is a city in Tunisia and is the capital of Sidi Bouzid Governorate in the centre of the country. Following the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in ...

Geography

Toward the east and south of the governorate feature narrow escarpments of the dorsal

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through Moroc ...

and the western border is elevated. The land otherwise slopes generally east throughout. Lakes are scarce relative to other northern and central divisions. A dammed lake, the Barrage Sidi Saad, commences on the northern border with

Kairouan Governorate Kairouan Governorate ( ') is one of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia. It is landlocked and in the centre-east of the country. It covers an area of 6,712 km2 and has a population of 570,559 (2014 census). The narrower province of Sous ...

; within the administrative area its principal effect is to widen the main river, the Oued El Hatech which rises close to the Algerian border on the far west side of neighbouring

Kasserine Governorate Kasserine Governorate ( ar, ولاية الڨصرين ' ), sometimes spelt ''Casrein'', is one of the twenty-four governorates (provinces) of Tunisia. It is in west-central Tunisia on the frontier with Algeria, wholly north of the true centre lin ...

. The river adjoins fields on the northern edge of the town of Sidi Bouzid. A larger seasonal salt lake, the Sebkhet en Noual is largely within the area and on the south-east border. It is described on some maps as a salt marsh.(U.S.) Defense Mapping Agency Map, 1981: Mediterranean extract
/ref> The smaller maximum-size Sebkhet Mecheguia forms a short part of the eastern border. The natural landscape is semi-arid with irrigated areas used for cultivation and grazing. The climate is therefore temperate at night, except in unusual overcast conditions and precipitation is confined largely to winter months/early spring, its levels are variable, see

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

Administrative divisions

The following cities and towns are located in the governorate: *

Bir El Hafey Bir El Hafey (Arabic: بئر الحفي) is a town and commune located at 34°55′48″N 9°12′00″E in the Sidi Bouzid Governorate, in Tunisia (Maghreb, North Africa). As of 2004 it had a population of 6,405.Cebbala Ouled Asker Cebbala Ouled Asker (Arabic: السبالة) is a town and commune in the Sidi Bouzid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2014, it had a population of 3,361. It is also the centre of a delegation. Each year, the Cebbala Festival takes place, a folklore e ...

Jilma Jilma is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 5,405.

Menzel Bouzaiane Menzel Bouzaiane is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 5,595.Meknassy Meknassy ( ar, المكناسي '), sometimes spelt ''Maknassy'', is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. In 2004 it had a population of 13,742.Mezzouna Mezzouna (Arabic: المزونة) is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004, it had a population of 6,101.Ouled Haffouz Ouled Haffouz is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 2,145.Regueb Regueb is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, central Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 7,892.Sidi Ali Ben Aoun Sidi Ali Ben Aoun is a town and commune in the Sidi Bou Zid Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 7,403.Sidi Bouzid Sidi Bouzid ( ar, سيدي بوزيد '), sometimes called ''Sidi Bou Zid'' or ''Sīdī Bū Zayd'', is a city in Tunisia and is the capital of Sidi Bouzid Governorate in the centre of the country. Following the suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi in ...

(capital)

References

Governorates of Tunisia {{Tunisia-geo-stub