Sousse Governorate

Sousse ولاية سوسة
Governorate
Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted Map of Tunisia with Sousse highlighted
Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate Subdivisions of Sousse Governorate
Coordinates:
Country	Tunisia
Created	21 June 1956
Capital	Sousse
Government
• Governor	Sofiane Tanfouri (since 2024)
Area
• Total	2,669 km2 (1,031 sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 19th of 24
Population  (2024)
• Total	762,281
• Rank	Ranked 4th of 24
• Density	285.6/km2 (739.7/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01 (CET)
Postal prefix	xx
ISO 3166 code	TN-51

Sousse Governorate (Arabic: ولاية سوسة Wilāyat Sūsah pronounced [ˈsuː.sə]; French: Gouvernorat de Sousse) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is beside the eastern coast of Tunisia in the north-east of the country and covers an area of 2,621 km² and has a population of 762,281 (2024 census). The capital is Sousse. The governorate of Sousse is Tunisia's second largest tourist destination, boasting 115 hotels with a capacity of 40,000 beds spread across the Sousse-Jawhara, Sousse-Medina, Sousse-Nord, and Sousse-Sud regions. Two new tourist areas are currently being developed in Hergla and Bouficha. They will have a capacity of over 20,000 beds.

Geography

The area compasses most of the broad eastern coastal plain (which has a hot Mediterranean climate) featuring salt and fresh water lakes, fed by winter rains. A narrow strip of forest, the Foret Nationale de Tunisie, adjoins part of the beach swathe between Sousse and Hammamet to the far north, the beach forming most of the coastline. These cities are on the Gulf of Hammamet which is a gently curved bay. The largest lake is the Sebkhet de Sidi El Hani which is shared with two other areas but is mostly in the Sousse Governorate.

Elevations are pronounced in the second national park in the area, which is mainly in Nabeul Governorate, is on all of the seaward sides of Hammam Bent Djadidi adjoining the northern border.

Transport

Linked by the widest road in the country and railways to Tunis, the area has roads and railways leading further into the country and towards Libya as well as an airport beside the main port city of Sousse, Monastir Habib Bourguiba International Airport which is beyond its short eastern border in much smaller Monastir Governorate. There is a Metro line that goes from Sousse Beb Djedid through Monastir to Mahdia.

Administrative divisions

The governorate is divided into sixteen delegations (mutamadiyat), listed below with their populations at the 2004 and 2014 Censuses:

Delegation	Area in km2	Pop'n 2004 Census	Pop'n 2014 Census
Akouda	44.6	25,717	34,494
Bouficha	261.8	23,581	26,760
Enfidha	369.8	43,426	49,335
Hammam Sousse	18.5	34,685	42,691
Hergla	84.4	7,913	9,343
Kalâa Kebira	232.9	51,196	59,132
Kalâa Seghira	102.9	27,726	37,797
Kondar	173.7	11,636	13,565
M'saken	332.5	85,380	97,225
Sidi Bou Ali	128.7	17,606	19,543
Sidi El Hani	318.7	11,614	13,505
Sousse Jawhara	14.3	62,663	86,517
Sousse Médina	6.3	29,680	35,288
Sousse Riadh	10.1	....	64,532
Sousse Sidi Abdelhamid	12.3	46,257	52,787
Zaouia-Ksiba-Thrayet	36.5	....	32,304

Sixteen municipalities are in Sousse Governorate: {{#section:Template:Table of Tunisian municipalities|sousse}}

Governors

Governors of Sousse since the independence:

• Mohamed Makni (21 June 1956-1 October 1957)
• Abelhamid El Kadhi (1 October 1957-1 September 1962)
• Amor Chachia (1 September 1962-8 September 1969)
• Abdessalem Ghédira (8 September 1969-27 August 1970)
• Ahmed Bellalouna (27 August 1970-7 September 1972)
• Mohamed Ennaceur (7 September 1972-8 June 1973)
• Ahmed Bennour (8 June 1973-5 March 1974)
• Mansour Skhiri (5 March 1974-10 March 1977)
• Nouredine Fennich (10 March 1977-22 April 1980)
• Hamadi Khouini (22 April 1980-16 March 1983)
• Kantaoui Morjane (16 March 1983-26 July 1986)
• Brahim Jameleddine (26 July 1986-1 April 1988)
• Habib Daldoul (1 April 1988-25 October 1990)
• Rafaâ Dekhil (25 October 1990-5 August 1991)
• Abdelbaki Bacha (5 August 1991-10 October 1992)
• Amor N'sairi (10 October 1992-22 July 1996)
• Mabrouk Bahri (22 July 1996-3 February 1997)
• Mohamed Soudani (3 February 1997-6 July 1998)
• Abderahmen Limam (6 July 1998-12 July 2006)
• Taïeb Ragoubi (12 July 2006-2 February 2011)
• Khemaïes Argoubi (2-19 February 2011)
• Fawzi Jaoui (19 February 2011-27 August 2012)
• Mokhles Jemal (27 August 2012-28 February 2014)
• Abdelmalak Sellami (28 February 2014-4 July 2015)
• Fethi Bdira (4 July 2015-18 May 2017)
• Adel Chlioui (18 May 2017-14 April 2020)
• Raja Trabelsi (14 April 2020-29 March 2022)
• Nabil Ferjani (6 June 2022-8 September 2024)
• Sofiane Tanfouri (Since 8 September 2024)