The Tunisian Sahel ( ar, الساحل) or more precisely the Central East Tunisia Region is an area of central eastern

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

and one of the six Tunisian regions. It stretches along the eastern shore, from Hammamet in the north to

Mahdia Mahdia ( ar, المهدية ') is a Tunisian coastal city with 62,189 inhabitants, south of Monastir and southeast of Sousse. Mahdia is a provincial centre north of Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located ...

in the south, including the

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 ...

of Monastir,

and

Sousse Sousse or Soussa ( ar, سوسة, ; Berber:''Susa'') is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf ...

. Its name derives from the

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

word ''sāḥil'' (ساحل), meaning "shore" or "coast". The region's economy is based especially on

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

and it contains the second-biggest airport in Tunisia:

Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport (french: link=no, Aéroport International de Monastir–Habib Bourguiba, AIMHB, ar, مطار الحبيب بورقيبة الدولي) is an airport serving Monastir and Sousse areas in Tunisia. T ...

Geography

The Sahel extends inland to the hills which protect the low plains of the coast and are covered in

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

plantations; the region's low rainfall is compensated for by the atmospheric

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

. Since antiquity, it has formed a clear geographic unity with its own unique demographic and economic characteristics. Today it consists of the governorates of

, Monastir and

. Its geographic area is quite large: about 140 km from north to south and varying between twenty and sixty kilometres east to west. The total area is around , 4.02% of the total surface area of Tunisia.

History

Long inhabited, the area of the modern Tunisian Sahel seems to have been a distinct region dominated by urban settlements on the sea since antiquity; this tradition predates the region's

conversion to Islam Conversion to Islam is accepting Islam as a religion or faith and rejecting any other religion or irreligion. Requirements Converting to Islam requires one to declare the '' shahādah'', the Muslim profession of faith ("there is no god but Allah; ...

and Arabisation, but its continuity with region's Arab history is clear.

Phoenician settlement

Most of the cities of the Sahel were founded by the

Phoenicians Phoenicia () was an ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, ancient thalassocracy, thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-st ...

. Thus

Hadrumetum Hadrumetum, also known by #Names, many variant spellings and names, was a Phoenician Phoenician colonies, colony that pre-dated Carthage. It subsequently became one of the most important cities in Roman Africa before Vandal Kingdom, Vandal and Uma ...

was founded at the beginning of the 9th century BC by Tyre - even before

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...

. It gained importance in the following centuries, becoming one of the main Phoenician ports in the

Western Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the eas ...

. The area was a key part of the Carthaginian empire, but after the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...

it came under increasing

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

n influence. In 146 BC, after the

Third Punic War The Third Punic War (149–146 BC) was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between Carthage and Rome. The war was fought entirely within Carthaginian territory, in modern northern Tunisia. When the Second Punic War ended in 201 ...

, it became part of the new

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

province of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Rome and Byzantium

The Sahel was the location of one of the key battles of the War between Pompey and Caesar.

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

landed at

Ruspina Ruspina was a Phoenician, Carthaginian and Roman town near Monastir, Tunisia, situated in Roman times in '' Africa propria'', and mentioned by Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy. Name The Phoenician and Punic name () or () seems to mean "Angle Cape" ...

on 28 December 47 BC, marched to

Thapsus Thapsus, also known as Tampsus and as Thapsus Minor to distinguish it from Thapsus in Sicily, was a Carthaginian and Roman port near present-day Bekalta, Tunisia. Geography Thapsus was established on Ras ed-Dimas, an easily defended promontory ...

and put it under siege at the end of February 46 BC. The

Battle of Thapsus A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...

took place on 6 April and was a massive victory for Caesar and the city surrendered to him shortly after. Then he proceeded to take control of northern Tunisia. Around 293 AD the Romans divided the province of Africa and the Sahel became its own province, named

Byzacena Byzacena (or Byzacium) ( grc, Βυζάκιον, ''Byzakion'') was a Late Roman province in the central part of Roman North Africa, which is now roughly Tunisia, split off from Africa Proconsularis. History At the end of the 3rd century AD, t ...

, which was among the provinces ceded to the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal Kingdom, Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The ...

in 442. It was recaptured by the

Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

in the

Vandalic War The Vandalic War was a conflict fought in North Africa between the forces of the Byzantine Empire and the Vandal Kingdom, Vandalic Kingdom of Carthage in 533–534. It was the first of Justinian I's wars of reconquest of the Western Roman Empi ...

and then formed one of the seven provinces of the

Exarchate of Africa The Exarchate of Africa was a division of the Byzantine Empire around Carthage that encompassed its possessions on the Western Mediterranean. Ruled by an exarch (viceroy), it was established by the Emperor Maurice in the late 580s and survived ...

, which stretched west to the Atlantic.

Caliphates

With the arrival of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

and the establishment of the capital of

Ifriqiya Ifriqiya ( '), also known as al-Maghrib al-Adna ( ar, المغرب الأدنى), was a medieval historical region comprising today's Tunisia and eastern Algeria, and Tripolitania (today's western Libya). It included all of what had previously ...

Kairouan Kairouan (, ), also spelled El Qayrawān or Kairwan ( ar, ٱلْقَيْرَوَان, al-Qayrawān , aeb, script=Latn, Qeirwān ), is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by th ...

, in the region, the Sahel's maritime ports became the key to its security. This explains the construction of several

ribat A ribāṭ ( ar, رِبَـاط; hospice, hostel, base or retreat) is an Arabic term for a small fortification built along a frontier during the first years of the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb to house military volunteers, called ''murabitun'' ...

s in the region, which served defensive, religious and

Marabout A marabout ( ar, مُرابِط, murābiṭ, lit=one who is attached/garrisoned) is a Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the function of a chaplain serving as a part of an Islamic army, notably in North Africa and the Saha ...

ic purposes. The most important ribats are those of Monastir, built by governor Harthama ibn A'yun in 796, and of

, built by the

Aghlabid The Aghlabids ( ar, الأغالبة) were an Arab dynasty of emirs from the Najdi tribe of Banu Tamim, who ruled Ifriqiya and parts of Southern Italy, Sicily, and possibly Sardinia, nominally on behalf of the Abbasid Caliph, for about a cen ...

emirs.

African Emirates

The city of Sousse received a shipyard which played an important role in the conquest of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

, which was launched from it. The foundation of

by the Fatamids in 916 gave the Sahel a key political role which continued under the

Zirids The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from ...

. Kairouan lost some of its religious role to Monastir, where figures including the Zirid princes and Imam Mezri were buried. Mahdia became the seat of a splendid court which drew poets from across the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

Al-Andalus Al-Andalus DIN 31635, translit. ; an, al-Andalus; ast, al-Ándalus; eu, al-Andalus; ber, ⴰⵏⴷⴰⵍⵓⵙ, label=Berber languages, Berber, translit=Andalus; ca, al-Àndalus; gl, al-Andalus; oc, Al Andalús; pt, al-Ândalus; es, ...

and

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. However, the invasion of

Banu Hilal The Banu Hilal ( ar, بنو هلال, translit=Banū Hilāl) was a confederation of Arabian tribes from the Hejaz and Najd regions of the Arabian Peninsula that emigrated to North Africa in the 11th century. Masters of the vast plateaux of th ...

plunged the region into chaos and Tunisia fractured into numerous

taifa The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), re ...

s; only the Sahel remained under Zirid control. Even Sousse broke away from their power, adopting a republican government. The invasion led to the further urbanisation of the region, with the establishment of many villages which still exist today. A little later the region suffered from

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

attacks – Mahdia was taken in 1148 by troops of

Roger II of Sicily Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Rog ...

– until the arrival of the

Almohads The Almohad Caliphate (; ar, خِلَافَةُ ٱلْمُوَحِّدِينَ or or from ar, ٱلْمُوَحِّدُونَ, translit=al-Muwaḥḥidūn, lit=those who profess the unity of God) was a North African Berber Muslim empire fo ...

in 1160. After this period the Sahel experienced a decline in importance following the transfer of the capital to

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

Beylik of Tunis

In the 19th century, the Sahel was divided into two

qaid Qaid ( ar , قائد ', "commander"; pl. '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those ...

ates, one based at Sousse and the other at Monastir, which occupied approximately the same area as the modern Tunisian

of Monastir and Mahdia. They were alternatively called ''awtan'' (plural of ''watan'', meaning "district"), individually ''watan Susah'' and ''watan al'Munastir''. The two qaidates were awarded only to individuals close to the

beys Bey ( ota, بك, beğ, script=Arab, tr, bey, az, bəy, tk, beg, uz, бек, kz, би/бек, tt-Cyrl, бәк, translit=bäk, cjs, пий/пек, sq, beu/bej, sh, beg, fa, بیگ, beyg/, tg, бек, ar, بك, bak, gr, μπέης) is ...

. Often both positions were controlled by a single individual, as was the case with the

grand viziers Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

Shakir al-Taba'a (1836) and Mohammed Khaznadar (1851), who was also named "Mohammed governor of the Sahel" (''Mohammed 'amil as-Sahil''). The majority of the cities and villages of the Sahel revolted against the Bey in 1864. After this, the general Ahmed Zarrouk imposed a heavy tribute (financed by the sail of goods and property) and confiscated large areas of olive plantation.Esma Harrouch, ''Murãbitûn : la ballade d'El M'zoughi'', éd. L'Harmattan, Paris, 1999, p. 428
/ref>

French protectorate

After the establishment of a French protectorate, the new power established the qaidate of

Jemmal Jemmal ( ar, جمال) is a city in the Monastir Governorate of Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = ...

(which took part of modern Monastir and Mahdia governorates) and centralised the region at Sousse which became the seat of civil government, contributing to the weakening of the other regional centres.

Modern Tunisia

After independence, the government of

Neo Destour The New Constitutional Liberal Party ( ar, الحزب الحر الدستوري الجديد, '; French: ''Nouveau Parti libéral constitutionnel''), most commonly known as Neo Destour, was a Tunisian political party founded in 1934 by a group o ...

ended the Sahel's administrative union during the abolition of the qaidates and establishment of the modern system of governorates. The whole region was under the control of the governor of Sousse from 1956 to 1974, when the governorates of Monastir and Mahdia were created.

Cities

* Akouda * Bekalta * Bembla * Beni Hassen *

Bennane Bennane is a town in Monastir Governorate, Tunisia. Governed by the joint municipality of Bennane-Bodher, it belongs to the . See also *List of cities in Tunisia This is the list of 350 cities and towns in Tunisia. In the list by governor ...

* Bouhjar * Boumerdes *

Chebba Chebba (La Chebba, Ash Shabbah, aš-Šābbah, Sheba) is a small city in the Mahdia Governorate of Tunisia in North Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.Jacobs, Daniel and Morris, Peter (2001) ''The rough guide to Tunisia'' Rough Guides, Lo ...

* Chorbane * Chott Meriem * El Bradâa *

El Jem El Djem or El Jem (Tunisian Arabic:, ') is a town in Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia. Its population was 21,576 during the 2014 census. It is home to Roman remains including the " Amphitheater of El Jem". History The Roman city of Thysdrus was buil ...

El Masdour El Masdour is a town and commune in the Monastir Governorate, Tunisia. See also *List of cities in Tunisia This is the list of 350 cities and towns in Tunisia. In the list by governorate, capitals are shown in bold. List of most-populated ...

* Enfida * Hammam Sousse * Hebira *

Hergla Hergla ( ar, هرقلة) is a small cliff-top town in north-eastern Tunisia at the Gulf of Hammamet. White houses of Hergla with often blue window and door surroundings are built in the classic style characteristic for Tunisia. Sousse is about 24& ...

Kalâa Kebira Kalâa Kebira is a town and commune in the Sousse Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 45,990. Kalâa Kebira was used as the host of the 2012 UNAF U-17 Tournament. History During the Roman Empire it was the site of a '' civ ...

Kalâa Seghira Kalaa Sghira is a town and commune in the Sousse Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 25,078. Notable people * Mohamed Hedi El Amri (1906–1978) was a Tunisian historian and writer. See also *List of cities in Tunisia ...

* Kerker * Khniss * Kondar * Ksar Hellal * Ksibet El Mediouni *

Ksour Essef Ksour Essef or Ksour Essaf () is a town and commune in the Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia, on the coast of the Sahel, about 200 km south of Tunis. As of 2014 it had a population of 36,274.Lamta The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (sometimes referred to as LAMTA or MTA I) was a public agency formed in 1951. Originally tasked with planning for rapid transit in Los Angeles, California, the agency would come to operate the vestig ...

* Malloulech * Menzel Kamel *

Moknine Moknine ( ar, المكنين) is a town and commune in the Monastir Governorate, Tunisia. See also *List of cities in Tunisia This is the list of 350 cities and towns in Tunisia. In the list by governorate, capitals are shown in bold. Lis ...

* Monastir *

M'saken M'saken ( ''Msākan''; also spelled ''Masakin'', ''Msaken'') is a town in north-eastern Tunisia, close to Sousse. Etymology The origin of the word comes from "Msaken" masken (plural masken) meaning "habitat", "house" or "dwelling". This refer ...

* Messaadine * Ouardanine * Ouled Chamekh * Rejich *

Sahline Moôtmar Sahline Moôtmar is a town and commune in the Monastir Governorate, Tunisia. See also *List of cities in Tunisia This is the list of 350 cities and towns in Tunisia. In the list by governorate, capitals are shown in bold. List of most-p ...

Salakta Salakta is a small Tunisian village situated by the sea. Salakta has been occupied or ruled by many civilisations, including the Phoenicians, Byzantines, Romans, and Muslim Oubéidines. The attractions include a beach, catacombs, an ancient cem ...

* Sayada * Sidi Ameur * Sidi Alouane *

Sidi Bou Ali Sidi Bou Ali is a town and commune in the Sousse Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 9,011. Ancient history During the Roman occupation of present-day Tunisia, Sidi Bou Ali was known as Ulissipira. The only remnant of the t ...

* Sidi El Hani *

Souassi Essouassi or Souassi ( ar, السواسي) is a town and commune in the Mahdia Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2004 it had a population of 4,633.Sousse Sousse or Soussa ( ar, سوسة, ; Berber:''Susa'') is a city in Tunisia, capital of the Sousse Governorate. Located south of the capital Tunis, the city has 271,428 inhabitants (2014). Sousse is in the central-east of the country, on the Gulf ...

Takrouna Takrouna ( Berber: ⵜⴰⴽⵔⵓⵏⴰ ; Arabic: تكرونة) also spelled as ''Ta Kurunna'', is a small village in the Sahel region of Tunisia. It stands on a hill at approximately 200 metres above sea level, overlooking the Gulf of Hammamet, ...

Téboulba Téboulba ( ar, طبلبة) is a town in the Sahel region of Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , ...

Zaouiet Kontoch Zaouiet Kontoch is a city in the Tunisian Sahel located in the immediate vicinity of Jemmal at 35 ° 38 'North, 10 ° 46 ' e. Attached to the Monastir Governorate, it is a municipality with 6 713 inhabitants at the 2014 census, whereas there were ...

* Zeramdine

Demographics

The Sahel has long been characterised by a large population; its three governorates contain inhabitants of 1,634,611 million peoplesCensus 2014 (National Institute of Statistics)
The region is thus the Third most populous in Tunisia after North East Tunisia region and

South East Tunisia South East Tunisia is the region in Tunisia which contains three of the country's governorates: Gabes, Medenine and Tataouine. Geography The region has an arid climate with 99% of its area desert. It measures 62,767 kilometers square. The area mak ...

Economy

The Sahel occupies a central position on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and is one of the country's most important areas for bathing and tourism on account of the large number of beaches. The cities of Monastir and Sousse are key tourist centres and Mahdia has been attempting to develop its tourist industry since the 1990s. It is home to the

, which is the busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger numbers and has the most charter flights of any airport in Africa. There is a commercial port at Sousse, numerous fishing ports and two marinas (

Port El Kantaoui Port El Kantaoui ( ar, مرسى القنطاوي) is a tourist complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse city in central Tunisia. It was built in 1979 specifically as a tourist center, around a large artificial harbour that provides mooring with 340 ...

and

Cap Monastir A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

). The A1 crosses the region from north to south and there are two railways (national and regional).

Transport

The public transport authority for bus travel within and between the cities of the Sahel is the Société de transport du Sahel (STS), which has its headquarters at Sousse and is divided into three regional branches corresponding to the three governorates. The

Sahel Metro The Sahel Train is an electrified, metre gauge railway and suburban rail line with trains serving Sousse and Mahdia, with a spur to Monastir, in Tunisia. The line has overhead electrification at 25 kV, 50 Hz. Stations The line's stations ...

is the regional railway line, making several trips daily between Mahdia and Sousse. The Sahel is an important part of the Tunisian autoroute network, with a major node of the A1 at

, which continues north for 140 km to Tunis and south for 98 km to

Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterrane ...

. A parallel route runs along the coast.

Sport

The region's name is used by the

omnisports A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...

club of Sousse, the

Étoile sportive du Sahel Étoile may refer to: Places ;France * Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, station of the Paris Métro * Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in France * Étoile-sur-Rhône, commune in the Drôme department in France * L'Éto ...

. The club is supported throughout the region and is one of the most popular sporting clubs in the country. The football club

Étoile Sportive du Sahel Étoile may refer to: Places ;France * Charles de Gaulle – Étoile, station of the Paris Métro * Étoile-Saint-Cyrice, commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in France * Étoile-sur-Rhône, commune in the Drôme department in France * L'Éto ...

has achieved several continental victories. The second famous and historical

team in the region is US Monastir located in Monastir since 1923 under the name of Ruspina Sports that was changed in 1942 by Union Sportive Monastirienne. The club was known as the club of the first president of

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

native from Monastir

Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (; ar, الحبيب بورقيبة, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah; 3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1957 as the prime minister of the Kingdom of T ...

who was seen present in Mustapha Ben Jannet stadium for many times. The football club plays in the first division of Tunisian league and has no national and continental title, and the basketball team has won several Tunisian titles and one continental title. The region is also known for

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

, the second most popular sport in Tunisia. The region is home to several handball clubs, of which the most important are the Étoile Sportive du Sahel H.C.,

El Makarem de Mahdia El Makarem de Mahdia ( ar, مكارم المهدية), often referred to as ''EMM'' or mainly ''El-Makarem'' is a Tunisian football team from the city of Mahdia. The club was founded in 1937. They play in blue and white colors and are based at t ...

and SC Moknine.

Famous individuals

Politics

Abdelwahab Abdallah Abdelwahab Abdallah ( ar, عبد الوهاب عبد الله; born 14 February 1940) is a Tunisian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia and was advisor to the President. Early life Abdallah was born ...

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ( ar, زين العابدين بن علي, translit=Zayn al-'Ābidīn bin 'Alī; 3 September 1936 – 19 September 2019), commonly known as Ben Ali ( ar, بن علي) or Ezzine ( ar, الزين), was a Tunisian politician ...

* Hedi Baccouche *

Abdelaziz Ben Dhia Abdelaziz Ben Dhia (19 December 1936, Moknine – 23 February 2015) served as the Tunisian Special Adviser to the President and Spokesman of the Republic under former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In the aftermath of the 2010–2011 Tunisian ...

Amor Rourou Amor Rourou ( ar, عمر رورو), born 16 March 1931 in Ksar Hellal Ksar Hellal ( ar, قصر هلال) is a town and commune in the Monastir Governorate, Tunisia. As of 2014 it had a population of 49,376. Notable people * Houcine Dimassi, the ...

Mohamed Ghannouchi Mohamed Ghannouchi ( ar, محمد الغنوشي ''Muhammad Al-Ghannushi''; born 18 August 1941) is a Tunisian politician who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from 1999 to 2011. Regarded as a technocrat, Ghannouchi was a long-standing figure in the ...

* Idriss Guiga *

Hamadi Jebali Hamadi Jebali ( ar, حمادي الجبالي, '; born 12 January 1949) is a Tunisian engineer, Muslim politician and journalist who was Prime Minister of Tunisia from December 2011 to March 2013. He was the Secretary-General of the Ennahda Mov ...

Mohamed Jegham Mohamed Jegham ( aeb, محمد جغام), (born August 8, 1943 in Hammam Sousse), is a Tunisian politician and businessman. Biography Youth Mohamed Jegham's father died when he was two and mother died when he was an adult.Hamed Karoui Hamed Karoui ( ar, حامد القروي) (30 December 1927 – 27 March 2020) was Prime Minister of Tunisia from 27 September 1989 to 17 November 1999. From 1986 to 1987 he was Minister of Youth and Sports and from 1988 to 1989 he was Minister ...

Habib Chatty Habib Chatty (9 August 1916 – 6 March 1991) was a Tunisian politician and diplomat. He served as the fourth Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from 1979 to 1984. Biography Habi Chatty was born on 9 August 1916 i ...

Kamel Morjane Kamel Morjane, also spelled Kemal Mourjan, ( ar, كمال مرجان; born 9 May 1948) is a Tunisian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Defense from 2005 to 2010 and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2011. After the T ...

Mohammed Mzali Mohammed Mzali ( ar, محمد مزالي, 23 December 1925 – 23 June 2010) was a Tunisian politician who served as Prime Minister between 1980 and 1986. Early life Mzali was born in Monastir, Tunisia on 23 December 1925. His family has ancest ...

* Hedi Nouira * Rachid Sfar *

Bechir Tekkari Bechir Tekkari is a Tunisian politician. He is the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Sciences and letters

M'hamed Hassine Fantar M'hamed Hassine Fantar ( ar, محمد حسين فنطر) ( Ksar Hellal, 1936) is a professor of Ancient History of Archeology and History of Religion at Tunis University. Biography He was born in Ksar Hellal and received a BA in Classics from Un ...

* Youssef Rzouga

Sports

* Abdelmajid Chetali

References

Bibliography

* Ridha Lamine, ''Villes et citadins du Sahel central'', Faculté des lettres et sciences humaines de Sousse / L'Or du Temps, Sousse / Tunis, 2001 * Abdellatif Mrabet, ''Du Byzacium au Sahel'', L'Or du Temps, Tunis, 1998 * Xavier Thyssen, ''Des manières d'habiter dans le Sahel tunisien'', Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Paris, 1983

External links

Ezzeddine Houimli et Pierre Donadieu, « Le meskat. Un système hydraulique de production oléicole menacé par l'étalement urbain. Le cas de la région de Sousse Nord (Tunisie) », Actes du séminaire « Étapes de recherches en paysage », n° 7, éd. École nationale supérieure du paysage, Versailles, 2005
{{coord, 35, 56, N, 10, 32, E, region:TN-51_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Geography of Tunisia