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 of 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 entirely 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[1] people, the North West is the fourth most populous region in the country. The most populated Governorates of the North West are:

GovernoratePopulation (2014)Population DensityLargest town/city
Jendouba401,477130/km²Jendouba (113,116) (2014 est.)
Béja303,03281/km²Béja (109,299)
El Kef243,15649/km²El Kef (73,706)
Siliana223,08748/km²Siliana (59,140)

The region is characterized by its rurality. In 2004 only 37,1% live in the cities (compared to 64,9% nationwide).[2] This can be explained by the dominance of the agricultural sector in the region's economy. The region is also marked by its negative net migration of -45,300 between 1999 and 2004.[3]

Cities and towns

Despite the region's rurality, there are 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 ago the North West has become one of the poorest region in Tunisia; it registers of the highest rates of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy in the country.

References

  1. 1 2 (in French) Census 2014 (National Institute of Statistics) Archived 2014-10-29 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ http://www.odno.nat.tn/en/index.php?id=17%5Bdead+link%5D
  3. ↑ "Statistiques Tunisie". احصائيات تونسية. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
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