Gafsa
Encyclopedia
Gafsa is the capital of Gafsa Governorate
of Tunisia
. Its name was appropriated by archaeologists for the Mesolithic
Capsian culture
. With a population of 84,676, it is the 9th Tunisian city.
industry. Of note are the Roman
baths, still used today. The city lies 369 km by road southwest of Tunis
. Its geographical coordinates are 34°25′N 8°47′E.
In January 2008 Gafsa was the epicentre of a popular spontaneous uprising protesting against the corruption and nepotism of the country's authoritarian regime of president Ben Ali
. The uprising was swiftly suppressed and went unreported in the state-controlled Tunsian media. Youtube
was blocked in Tunisia because it carried video footage from the riots and information about the subsequent treatment of its instigators by the Tunisian regime. http://fortresseurope.blogspot.com/2006/01/tunisia-dictatorship-south-of-lampedusa.html
. It has given name to the Mesolithic Capsian industry.
On January 27, 1980 about 300 soldires, coming from Libya, occupied the town as an act against the government of Habib Bourguiba
and because of alleged dissatisfaction in the region. 48 people were killed in battles.
Other
football clubs: stade sportif gafsien, la flèche sportive de Ksar Gafsa
Gafsa Governorate
Gafsa Governorate is one of the 24 governorates of Tunisia. It is situated in central Tunisia, bordering Algeria. It covers an area of 8,990 km² and has a population of 324,000 . The capital is Gafsa....
of Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Its name was appropriated by archaeologists for the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
Capsian culture
Capsian culture
The Capsian culture was a Mesolithic culture of the Maghreb, which lasted from about 10,000 to 6,000 BCE.It was concentrated mainly in modern Tunisia, and Algeria, with some sites attested in southern Spain to Sicily....
. With a population of 84,676, it is the 9th Tunisian city.
Overview
The city had 84,676 inhabitants at the 2004 census. Contemporary Gafsa is a modern town, and the centre of the Djerid area's important phosphatePhosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
industry. Of note are the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
baths, still used today. The city lies 369 km by road southwest of Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
. Its geographical coordinates are 34°25′N 8°47′E.
In January 2008 Gafsa was the epicentre of a popular spontaneous uprising protesting against the corruption and nepotism of the country's authoritarian regime of president Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a Tunisian political figure who was the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed Prime Minister in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President Habib Bourguiba, who was...
. The uprising was swiftly suppressed and went unreported in the state-controlled Tunsian media. Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
was blocked in Tunisia because it carried video footage from the riots and information about the subsequent treatment of its instigators by the Tunisian regime. http://fortresseurope.blogspot.com/2006/01/tunisia-dictatorship-south-of-lampedusa.html
History
In Roman times, Gafsa was known as CapsaCapsa (see)
Capsa is a titular see of North Africa.The city, said to have been founded by the Libyan Hercules, belonged to King Jugurtha, who had deposited his treasures there; it was captured by Gaius Marius in 106 BC and destroyed, but later became a Roman colony. When Africa was divided into two provinces...
. It has given name to the Mesolithic Capsian industry.
On January 27, 1980 about 300 soldires, coming from Libya, occupied the town as an act against the government of Habib Bourguiba
Habib Bourguiba
Habib Bourguiba was a Tunisian statesman, the Founder and the first President of the Republic of Tunisia from July 25, 1957 until 7 November 1987...
and because of alleged dissatisfaction in the region. 48 people were killed in battles.
Sport
El Kawafel Sportives de Gafsa (Arabic: القوافل الرياضية بقفصة, often referred to as EGSG) is the main football club of Gafsa.Other
football clubs: stade sportif gafsien, la flèche sportive de Ksar Gafsa