PRESENTATION OF GAFSA TOWN |
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Gafsa : Location, History And Civilization |
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Prehistoric Gafsa |
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Roman Gafsa |
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Arab-Islamic Gafsa |
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Agriculture And Water Resources |
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Industry |
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Collective Equipments |
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Health |
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Housing |
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Transportation |
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Services |
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Education |
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Vocational Training And Employement |
Lying between the high steppes and the desert, the Gouvernorate of Gafsa stretches out on the southern side of the saharan Atlas in the south west, It covers a total area of 780,775 hectares inhabited by 323.709 people. Is located in a main crossoads which open out on to the different cities of the Republic and joins the northern part of the contry to the desert. is also the point at wich the Maghrebian road (sir-Tebessa) and the african road (Tunisia- Niger via Gafsa – Hezoua) intersect. Amidst three economic regions, Gafsa is surrounded by five governorates, Within a range of approximately 100 Km, forming an open crescent.
The region of Gafsa is an area where splendid oases, lowlands, pools and plains are intertwined. It lies as a transition area between the steppes of central Tunisia and the Saharan South where water sources and rivers play an important role in agricultural and pastoral life.
Within this natural environment and due to specific geographical factors, human activites soon sprang.
Capsian Civilization spread so widely, affecting many other civilizations. Rigas, an historian, says that the origin of the french and even the European
civilization at one phase of the “ Balutan period, the Aurniacan “
stemmed” from the arrival of waves of Capsian men because of the existence
of relics of the Capsian civilization which had preceded those that existed
in Europe and which were of the same type that was found in the french city
“ Aurillac”. That’s why the “American” phase which
corresponds to our Capsian period was Called so.
The city has known several civilizations (Public, Carthaginian). The Roman
civilization appeared in 117 B.C. Gafsa then enjoyed a flexible municipal system
which was crowned by the obtention of Latin City Status during the region of
Emperor “Trajenus” ( 89-117 B.C. ). During the Vandal invasion, Gafsa
was the capital of south “ALBI-ZASAN” until it was split into two
parts in 442 by Genceric. After his death,Gafsa became the Capital of a Berber
Kingdom till the arrival of the Byzantines in 534.
In 79 Hejra / 698 AC, the Arab leader-Hassen Ibn Noaman – completed the Islamic conquest. Gafsa was then the capital of a vast territory considered the third one in Ifrikya. The Hilali invasion and the Zirid state central Government loss of control over the country led to its division into small fiefs, Gafsa became the capital of one of them – the state of Beni Rand-which lasted for a whole century ( 445-545) and ended with the foundation of the ALMOHADS state in Marocco.
Gafsa was defeated in 583 Hejra by Al Mansour, the ALMOHAD as a result of its disobedience. However, during the Turkish Reign, the state’s main purpose was to collect taxes thus, the state helped many Turkish families to settle in Gafsa and sympathised with others from the rest of the tribes.
Gafsa played a major part in the struggle for independence and greatly contributed
in the building up of the national economy. It readily responded to the appeal
of change and endorsed the new era which restored its esteem and provided
it with the conditions suitable for progress and growth.
The agricultural sector is regarded as vital in the region and the government has increase of the amount of public sector investments (20.7 % ) and continue to provides encouragements to private investors ( the investment finds reaches up to 60 % in some fields). Over the recent years, emphasis has been laid on consolidating basic development factors, among which are the replenishment of water resources and the conservation of water and soil.
Gafsa has har the merit of being the cradle of agricultural deep-rooted traditions. In fact, in addition to the oases extending over an area of 1630 HA, with a date palm production capacity estimated at 3160 Tons per annum, olive groves streching out aver 67 thousand tons provide 6.000 tons of olive oil, we also find the fruit tree sector. The region is distinguished by pistachio-tree planting.
Animal husbandry is considered us a vital sector in the region too. In fact,
the cattle totals a number of 345.600 heads shared between bovine, ovine and camels.
With all its components, this sector reached an average annual production of
86 million dinars during the eighth five-year plan and will reach up to 106
million dinars during the ninth five year plan.
With its manufacturing and mining sub-sectors, the industrial sector involves various branches such as the chemical industries contributing to the transformation of approximately 80 % of Gafsa Phosphate company’s production into the manufacture of phosphate by-products. This product ranks first in the world because of the high quality of the phosphate intended for agricultural in immediate use. The industrial sector in the region includes units for wool, mechanical, electrical, plastic transformation industries and quarries for basic materials such as silika and feldspath sand, red clay and plaster, found in Sidi Aich mountains, Elguetar, Mdilla, Metlaoui and Redeyef.
According to researches and analyses, these materials are likely to be improved if exploitation units for the manufacture of high quality glass, bricks and ceramics are set up.
Likewise, the reinforcement of the regional basic infrastructure, the setting up of finance and investment structures, such as the fund for reorientation and development of mining centers, the two companies for investment in the West Center and the South, the center for supporting the setup of institutions, the strengthening of the Office for the South is development and strategic studies, authorized by the President of the Republic, concerning the mining basin development, contribute to the creation of an industrial texture and varied services, in close partnership with the regional institutions.
requirements, but also to the industrialization of the agricultural produce
and to the optimum exploitation of the available resources and means.
The citizen has been given evil priority in the region, as he is not
only a means of development but its aim too. The amount of achieved investments
in this sector tessifies to it.
During the 8th plan, the regional health network witch has been reinforced thanks to numerous achievements, has reached 8 Million dinars and involved the whole territory of the governorate (urban and rural). Thus many achievements took place:
· Construction of the regional hospital and the multi-disciplinary clinic in Metlaoui.
· Extending and equipping the Gafsa regional hospital with scanning and an echography technologies.
· Construction of 12 out- patient's departments and 11 medical centers.
· Modernization of medical equipment such as providing x-ray radiography, dentist chairs......etc.
· Consolidating the stock of ambulances.
· A multi-disciplinary private clinic is currently being built.Eversince the Change, the housing sector has known a qualitative leap . Real-estate agencies have set-up preparation of land parceling in Zarroug (Gafsa) and are scheduling a set-up preparation of 30 hectares in Ras El Kef. Moreover new housing units are being undertaken by the Tunisian National Real-Estate Company which launared start a housing project costing 1.6 million dinars, in 1997.
Needless to say that individual high-standard building have been improved in
quality and increased in number.
The total achievements undertaken in this sector are part and parcel of the
national plan concerned with the evolution of the road and railway networks
which connect the governorate of Gafsa both to the different towns in the republic
and to the harbors of Gabes, Sfax and the capital, Tunis. Besides, they
were strengthened by the setting up of a bridge network and an international
airport which will become operational for public air-transport since 1998 with a
traffic of over200.000 passengers per year.
Since the Change, services have been granted primordial concern as they represent a stimulating sector. This is materialized through the achieved investments which represents 18% of overall investments.
In keeping with economic policy pursued by the Government, the services
sector is required to improve so as to meet the needs of companies planning subcontracting
work projects in the domain of maintenance of heavy implements and others; especially
Gafsa phosphate company’s decision to carry out far-reaching researches
so as to promote the private sector at the expense of some
competitive activities.
In accordance with the national goals arming at pursuing comprehensive training for the young so as to develop their proper capacities and root the values of civil society in their minds, the education sector has archieved a qualitative leap. Besides an integrated infrastructure and an up-to date equipment are provided to meet the demand of technology and scientific progress.
In fact, the number of basic, intermediate, secondary and technical schools
has risen. Higher education too, will realize a qualitative leap as soon as
the university pol-the construction of which lasts 3 years starting from 1998
– gets ready. A fund of 53 million dinars and 10000 student intake capacity
will not enrich the civilization al anchorage and the intellectual heritage of the
region of development, but also open new promising perspectives to satisfy the demands
of the forthcoming phase and to provide an strong impetus to the cultural innovational movement which
characterized the region.
The Vocational Training and Employment Center-El Aguila. In addition to the
big number of vocational training centers in industry, maintenance, building
and agriculture in the region, there are several private institutions, for rehabilitation
and training in computing and office automation which could provide specialized
workers to satisfy the economic needs of the region.