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 Jendouba Governorate ( ' ; ) is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is predominantly in the high hills of the Tell Atlas in north-western Tunisia, bordering Algeria and the Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of and has a population of 40 ...

. It is an important crossroads with many road links to other towns such as

El Kef El Kef ( '), also known as ''Le Kef'', is a city in northwestern Tunisia. It serves as the capital of the Kef Governorate. El Kef is situated to the west of Tunis and some east of the border between Algeria and Tunisia. It has a population of ...

Tabarka Tabarka ( ') is a coastal town located in north-western Tunisia, close to the Algeria–Tunisia border, border with Algeria. Tabarka was occupied at various times by Punic people, Punics, Greeks, Roman people, Romans, Arabs, Genoa, Genoese and O ...

, Ain Draham and

Béja Béja ( ') is a city in Tunisia. It is the capital of the Béja Governorate. It is located from Tunis, between the Medjerdah River and the Mediterranean, against the foothills of the Khroumire, the town of Béja is situated on the sides of D ...

. The main economic activity is agriculture. It is close to the famous ancient Roman city of Bullaregia or

Bulla Regia Bulla Regia was a Berbers, Berber, Punics, Punic, and ancient Romans, Roman town near present-day Jendouba, Tunisia. Its surviving ruins and archaeological site are noted for their Emperor Hadrian, Hadrianic-era semi-subterranean housing, a prote ...

, as well as the ancient marble quarry of

Chemtou Chemtou or Chimtou was an ancient Roman-Berber town in northwestern Tunisia, located 20 km from the city of Jendouba near the Algerian frontier. It was known as Simitthu (or Simitthus in Roman period) in antiquity. History Chemtou was foun ...

. 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 In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...

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 ...

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 ...

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

and

. 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 The conquest of the Maghreb by the Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates commenced in 647 and concluded in 709, when the Byzantine Empire lost its last remaining strongholds to Caliph Al-Walid I. The North African campaigns were part of the century ...

. Under the

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

, 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 Salah Mejri (; born June 15, 1986) is a Tunisian former professional basketball player who represented the senior Tunisian national basketball team internationally. Standing at , he played at the center position. After a successful career in E ...

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