South East Tunisia is the region in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

which contains three of the country's

governorates A governorate is an administrative division of a state. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states or provinces, the term ''governorate'' is often used in translation from ...

: Gabes,

Medenine Medenine ( ar, مدنين ) is the major town in south-eastern Tunisia, south of the port of Gabès and the Island of Djerba, on the main route to Libya. It is the capital of Medenine Governorate. Overview In pre-colonial times, Medenine wa ...

and

Tataouine Tataouine ( ber, Tiṭṭawin; ar, تطاوين) is a city in southern Tunisia. It is the capital of the Tataouine Governorate. The below-ground "cave dwellings" of the native Berber population, designed for coolness and protection, render the c ...

Geography

The region has an arid climate with 99% of its area desert. It measures 62,767 kilometers square. The area makes more than a quarter of the total Tunisian territory with a population of 1,958,694Census 2014 (National Institute of Statistics)
Million makes it the Second Populated region After the North East Tunisia.

Economy

The economy of the south east is mainly based on commerce with neighboring country

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

, tourism (mainly the island of

Djerba Djerba (; ar, جربة, Jirba, ; it, Meninge, Girba), also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is a Tunisian island and the largest island of North Africa at , in the Gulf of Gabès, off the coast of Tunisia. It had a population of 139,544 ...

) and petrol industries in both Tataouine and Gabes. Due to the geographical nature of the area, agriculture is well known in

Sfax Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterrane ...

Especially with olive and olive oil. The region remains quite impoverished and marginalized in comparison to the north and the coast.

Culture

The south east of Tunisia has maintained an image of moderate

conservatism Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilizati ...

unlike many other regions (North and coast) which have embraced a European-like lifestyle. Inhabitants of the south east have their unique accent, social norms and a distinctive folklore.

References

{{Governorates of Tunisia Geography of Tunisia