Jendouba ( ; Formerly known as Souk El Arba until 30 April 1966) is a city in northwestern
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
, and capital of the
Jendouba Governorate. It is an important crossroads with many road links to other towns such as
El Kef,
Tabarka,
Ain Draham and
Béja. The main economic activity is agriculture. It is close to the famous ancient Roman city of
Bullaregia or
Bulla Regia, as well as the ancient marble quarry of
Chemtou. The city's name is derived from Amazigh with the exact translation being “land of grain.”
History
Historically, this region was important and wealthy.
During the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
the town was called
Libertina and was a
civitas of the
Roman Province
The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...
of
Byzacena
Byzacena (or Byzacium) (, ''Byzakion'') was a Late Roman province in the central part of Roman North Africa, which is now roughly Tunisia, split off from Africa Proconsularis.
History
At the end of the 3rd century AD, the Roman emperor Dioclet ...
in
North Africa
North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...
. The historical importance of the area is evidenced by the nearby great Roman cities of
Bulla Regia and
Chemtou. Several other historical sites witness the role this city played centuries ago in the economic life of the region.
Around 670 the town fell to the
Muslim conquest of the Maghreb.
Under the
French, Jendouba Ville is remembered as the Tunisian area where the civil demand for
independence from French colonization started on April 9, 1934. The protests started in the town of
Oued Meliz on April 4, 1934, before arriving in the capital and becoming a national movement.
The "events of April 9, 1938 " ( 9 أحداث أفريل 1938) were street protests demanding political reforms, including the establishment of a parliament, a major step towards the independence of Tunisia whilst a French protectorate. They resulted in a bloody shootout that marked the start of the Tunisian national movement.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
there was
an airfield outside the village. During
Operation Torch
Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...
, the town was captured by paratroops of the
British 1st Parachute Brigade on 16 November 1942.
[Kurowski, F. (1982) Endkampf in Afrika, Leoni-am-Starnberger See:Druffel-Verlag, p.54. (German language).]
It is also the birthplace of former
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
center
Salah Mejri.
Climate
Jendouba has a
hot semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of sem ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BSh''). In winter there is much more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Jendouba is . About of precipitation falls annually.
References
Notes
Populated places in Jendouba Governorate
Communes of Tunisia
Cities in Tunisia
{{Tunisia-geo-stub