| Tataouine | |
| Native Name: | ولاية تطاوين |
| Native Name Lang: | aeb |
| Type: | Governorate |
| Image Alt: | Moonlit landscape of Tataouine |
| Image Map1: | Tunisie Gouvernorat de Tataouine.svg |
| Map Caption1: | Subdivisions of Tataouine Governorate |
| Coordinates: | 32.9256°N 10.4442°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Established Title: | Created |
| Established Date: | 2 March 1981 |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Tataouine |
| Leader Title: | Governor |
| Leader Name: | Hafedh Fitouri (since 2022) |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 38889 |
| Area Rank: | Ranked 1st of 24 |
| Population Total: | 149453 |
| Population As Of: | 2014 |
| Population Rank: | Ranked 23rd of 24 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | CET |
| Utc Offset1: | +01 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal prefix |
| Postal Code: | xx |
| Area Code Type: | Calling code |
| Iso Code: | TN-83 |
Tataouine Governorate (; French: Gouvernorat de Tataouine) is the southernmost of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia, the only one to border both Algeria and Libya. It is also the largest, covering an area of 38,889 km2. It had a population of 149,453 (at the 2014 census),[1] [2] nearly tied for second least-populated with Kebili (156,961) after Tozeur (107,912). The capital is Tataouine.
Wells from aquifers dot the eastern slopes of the pronounced long escarpment climbing gradually from 100 m to 500 m in elevation two provinces north in the south extreme of Gabes Governorate, passing through a thin strip of Medenine and then at the heart of the province ending around a capital city Tripoli, Libya. The ridge attracts variable winter and early spring relief precipitation and little other rain and shares with the rest of the area a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with long, extremely hot summers throughout (see North-south graduation of Tunisian climatic zones), the patchy and infrequent rainfall in winter is greater than the average for the Sahara Desert of which the area forms part. Approximately half of the escarpment exceeds 500 m in the province, the peak within Tunisia being 631 m near the town of Remada on the main road south of Tatouine leading into mid-eastern Libya. The tripoint of the three countries is close to the Libyan town of Ghadames which has surrounding it three airstrips, one of which constitutes an airport and one of which lies in Algeria. Close to the west or south-west border is El Borma Airport and the province has a second, which is for defence and rescue, Remada Air Base.
The Tataouine Governorate is divided into seven delegations (mutamadiyat) and further divided into 64 sectors (imada).[3] The delegations with their populations at the 2004 and 2014 censuses are listed below:[4]
| Delegation | Area in km2 | Population 2004 Census | Population 2014 Census | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245 | 9,270 | 8,460 | ||
| 3,222 | 3,971 | 4,295 | ||
| 689 | 18,335 | 15,957 | ||
| 27,595 | 9,977 | 10,173 | ||
| Smâr | 1,994 | 13,826 | 14,793 | |
| Tataouine Nord | 2,839 | 54,362 | 61,431 | |
| Tataouine Sud | 1,898 | 33,783 | 34,344 |
Five municipalities are in Tataouine Governorate:
Fortified settlements (ksars), manifestations of Berber architecture, such as Ksar Ouled Soltane, Chenini, Douiret, and Ksar Hadada, are popular tourist sites.
This is where George Lucas filmed part of Star Wars, and a homophone of the Tatooine city was chosen to be the home planet of the protagonist's family (Tatooine).[5]