North West Tunisia

North-West Tunisia is one of the six geographic and economic regions of the country, it consists of four governorates : Béja, Kef, Siliana and Jendouba. The region had a population 1.170.752>[1] representing 12.2% of the total population of Tunisia, which making it the 4th most populous region in the country after Grand Tunis, the Central-East and the Central-West

Geography

The North-West region is located in the extreme north of the country, bounded to the west by the Tunisian-Algerian border and to the east by Grand Tunis and the North-East region. In the north, the region is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea (with a 51 km long coast) and Bizerte Governorate and to the south by the Central-West Region.

A view from the Medjerda River


The region is divided by half by the Medjerda River which is the longest river in the country.
The North-West is characterized by its unique forests and mountains (the Khroumire and Mogod Mountains), coral coasts and the large plains.

There are three national parks in the North-West, some of them are totally in the region and some are partially in it : El Feidja National Park in Jendouba, Jebel Serj National Park sheared between Siliana and Kairouan and the Jebel Chitana-Cap Négro National Park divided between Béja and Bizerte.

Demographics

With 1.170.752[2] people of the North West is the fourth most populous region in the country, these are the most populated Governorates of the North West :

Governorate Population (2014) Population Density Largest town/city
Jendouba 401,477 130/km² Jendouba (113,116) (2014 est.)
Béja 303,032 81/km² Béja (109,299)
El Kef 243,156 49/km² El Kef (73,706)
Siliana 223,087 48/km² Siliana (59,140)

characterised by its vast rurality. in 2004 only 37,1% lives in the cities (compared to 64,9% nationwide)[3] This can be explained by the dominance of the Agricultural sector on the economic activities in the region. The region is also mark by its negative net migration results (-45,3 thousands between 1999 and 2004)[4]

Cities and towns

Despite the large rurality that domains in the North West region, that didn't prevent the existence of several cities and towns :

Béja City Souk
Ain Draham city centre
A view of Tabarka from a hill
Jerissa city

Population > 100,000

Population > 50,000

Population > 40,000

Population > 20,000

Population > 10,000

Social deprivation

Since several years the North West has become one of the poorest region in Tunisia, it registers of the highest rates of poverty in the country, same thing for the level of employment and illiteracy.

References

  1. ↑ (French) Census 2014 (National Institute of Statistics)
  2. ↑ (French) Census 2014 (National Institute of Statistics)
  3. ↑ http://www.odno.nat.tn/en/index.php?id=17
  4. ↑ http://www.ins.nat.tn/indexen.php
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