Sfax

Submitted by editor on Wed, 03/24/2010 - 20:49

Sfax

Sfax
صفاقس
A Sfax street (Rue Hédi Chaker)
Sfax is located in Tunisia
Sfax
Coordinates: 34°44′N 10°46′E / 34.733°N 10.767°E / 34.733; 10.767Coordinates: 34°44′N 10°46′E / 34.733°N 10.767°E / 34.733; 10.767
Country Tunisia
Governorates Sfax Governorate
Government
 - Mayor Moncef Abdelhedi
Population (2004)
 - Total 265,131
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Sfax (Arabic: صفاقس‎ Safāqis, Tunisian Arabic: [sˤfaːqs]) is a city in Tunisia, located 270 km (168 miles) southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 860,000 inhabitants in 2005) , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000 (2005 estimate). The economic activities of Sfax are industries (industrial center for processing phosphates), agriculture (Olive and Olive Oil transformation, nuts), fishing (first fishing port in Tunisia and trade (import-export activities). The city is often described as Tunisia's "second city", Tunis being the capital and having more inhabitants. Sfax was considered as the economic capital of Tunisia during the 1980s but no longer.

Contents

History

Looking across the Place de la République towards Sfax city hall (photographed in 2005).

By the end of the 10th century Sfax had become an independent city-state. The city was conquered by Roger II of Sicily in 1148 and occupied until it was liberated in 1156 by local forces, and was briefly occupied by European forces again, this time by the Spanish, in the 16th century. Sfax became an integral base of the Barbary piracy, prompting an unsuccessful invasion by Venice in 1785. In the late 19th century Sfax and the rest of Tunisia were conquered by France and incorporated into the French empire. During World War II, the Axis powers used the city as a major base until they were defeated by British forces. After World War II, Tunisia was returned to France, but gained its independence in 1956.

Transport

Sfax is served by a narrow gauge railway system of SNCFT that delivers phosphates and iron ore for export. Sfax is also served by Sfax – Thyna International Airport with regularly scheduled flights to Paris CDG and Tripoli, and charter flights to Jeddah for the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The A1 motorway connects Sfax with Tunis.

Communications

Founded in 1961, Radio Sfax broadcasts twenty hours a day on MW 720 kHz/105.21 MHz.

Education

The University of Sfax includes:

  • ENIS (Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Sfax) issued a number of well known scientists and industrials. [1]
  • ESCS (Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Sfax) issued a number of Managers, Economy and Management Researchers and Youth Entrepreneurs. [2]
  • FLSHS (Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Sfax) issued a number of renowned poets and prose writers .(http://www.flshs.rnu.tn)
  • Sfax Faculty of Medicine (Faculté de Médecine de Sfax). [3]
  • ISAAS (Institut Supérieur d'Administration des Affaires de Sfax) [4]

Sport

Wiki letter w cropped.svg This section requires expansion.

Notable people

  • Hedi Chaker, major national political leader assassinated by the French terrorist organization "La main rouge"
  • Farhat Hached, major syndicalist political leader assassinated by the French terrorist organization "La main rouge"
  • Sidi Ali Karray, savant and religious saint
  • Sidi Ali Ennouri, savant and religious saint
  • Ahmed Aloulou, medical doctor and nationalist militant under French occupation
  • Aboubakr Abdelkefi, Historian,Writer and Poet and co-founder of Radio Sfax
  • Mohamed Charfi, academic and politician, jurist and scholar committed Francophile and a supporter of secularism "reasoned", he headed the Tunisian League of Human Rights before being appointed to head the Department of Education.
  • Mohamed Jamoussi, artist, poet, composer and famous singer
  • Mansour Moalla, former Minister of Economy, economist and banker
  • Fakhri Karray, Professor, PAMI Associate Director, Electrical and Computer Engineering (University of Waterloo)
  • Nouri Bouzid, cineast
  • Moncef Dhouib, cineast and theatre writer
  • Hédi Bouraoui, a poet and writer now living in Canada
  • Max Azria, fashion designer
  • Hatem Trabelsi, former football player for Ajax Amsterdam, Manchester City, and the Tunisian national team
  • Christian Lauba, composer
  • Georges Perec, writer

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Tunisia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Sfax is twinned with:

Notes
  1. ^ LookLex Encyclopaedia accessed 10 July 2008
  2. ^ LookLex Encyclopaedia accessed 10 July 2008
  3. ^ Jeter, James Phillip; Rampal, Kuldip R.; Cambridge, Vibert C.; Pratt, Cornelius B. (1996). International Afro mass media: a reference guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 130. ISBN 0313284008. http://books.google.com/books?id=uLenDhrLQ8oC&lpg=PA130&dq=radio%20sfax&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=radio%20sfax&f=false. Retrieved 2011-01-01. 
  4. ^ Radio Tunis (2010). "Radio Sfax, official site". Radiodiffusion Television Tunisienne. http://www.radiotunis.com/sfax.html. Retrieved 2011-01-01. 
  5. ^ Jérôme Steffenino, Marguerite Masson. "Ville de Grenoble - Coopérations et villes jumelles". Grenoble.fr. http://www.grenoble.fr/jsp/site/Portal.jsp?page_id=92. Retrieved 2009-10-29. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Universitätsstadt Marburg Partnerstädte". marburg.de. http://www.marburg.de/detail/11753. Retrieved 2011-3-20. 

See also

Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia portal
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