Tataouine Governorate
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Tataouine ولاية تطاوين |
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|---|---|
| Governorate | |
Moonlit landscape of Tataouine
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 Map of Tunisia with Tataouine highlighted |
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| Coordinates: 32°55′32″N 10°26′39″E / 32.92556°N 10.44417°ECoordinates: 32°55′32″N 10°26′39″E / 32.92556°N 10.44417°E | |
| Country | Tunisia |
| Created | March 2, 1981 |
| Capital | Tataouine |
| Area | |
| • Total | 38,889 km2 (15,015 sq mi) |
| Area rank | Ranked 1st of 24 |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 149,453 |
| • Rank | Ranked 23rd of 24 |
| • Density | 3.8/km2 (10.0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+01) |
| Postal prefix | xx |
| ISO 3166 code | TN-83 |
Tataouine Governorate (Tunisian Arabic: ولاية تطاوين Wilāyat Taṭāwīn) is the southernmost of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia, the only one to border Algeria and Libya. It is also the largest in covering an area of 38,889 km² and has a population of 149,453 (as at the 2014 census), nearly tied for second least-populated with Kebili (156,961) after Tozeur (107,912). The capital is Tataouine.
This is where George Lucas filmed part of Star Wars, and a homophone of the city was chosen to be the home planet of the protagonist's family, (Tatooine).
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.
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