Kebili
| Kebili ڨبلي |
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Entrance of the Kebili town
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Kebili is located in Tunisia
 Kebili
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| Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |
| Country | Tunisia |
| Governorates | Kebili |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 62,301 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Kebili (Arabic: ڨبلي <phonos file="Gbili.wav">Gbillī</phonos>) is a town in the south of Tunisia and one of the main cities in Nefzaoua. It is located at around Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., south of the Chott el-Jerid. It is the capital of the Kebili Governorate.
Contents
History
Kebili is one of the oldest Oasis in Tunisia and North Africa. Kebili holds the earliest hard evidence of human habitation in Tunisia (found near the town) and dates back about 200,000 years. Kebili, as many other Tunisian towns, entered under the control of Roman Empire after the Punic Wars.
Demographics
The Kebili population more diverse compared to other Tunisian governorates. There are three main origins to the population of the city:
- Berbers: The native inhabitants of Tunisia and North Africa.
- Arabs: They came to Kebili in early days of Islamic Conquest. Most came from the Southern Arabian Peninsula (known today as Saudi Arabia and Yemen). They still hold the names of their ancestor's tribes.
- Black Africans: They came to the city when it was a famous slavery trade center. See economy for more information.
Language and religion
Arabic is the dominant language in the region. The everyday Arabic known also as Tunisian Arabic differs from literal Arabic to varying degrees. The most noticeable difference in its southern variant is the pronunciation of the letter Qäf; it is pronounced Gä. Some villages conjugate verbs with the Arabic second person plural, feminine: You-(all) - ('antunna) أنتن and the third person plural: feminine They - (hunna) هُنّ, which are rarely used in Tunisia. Bedouin vocabulary and expressions are less used by new generations. Islam is the dominant religion. Kebili, as many other Tunisian towns, holds a great number of Soofiat Maqams (Saleheen)[citation needed].
Economy
The Kebilian economy has seen diverse orientations through its history. Kebili was one of the main hubs of the African slavery trade to satisfy European needs at that time. Slaves were taken to Europe through the port of Gabès. Nowadays, Kebili relies heavily on agriculture and tourism.
Agriculture
The main agricultural product in the region is dates, or deglets. Kebili produce a very high quality date, exported around the world and contributing significantly to the local and national economy.
Tourism
Beginning with national independence, the government of Tunisia has encouraged tourism projects and resorts in the Saharan region. Of these Douz, south of Kebili, is the most famous Saharian destination of Tunisia (known as the Sahara Gate).
Climate
Temperature records have been kept here from 1901-1939, 1949-1953, and 2000-2012 so far The French colonial authorities of the Service Meteorologique de Tunis maintained the older records. A portion of the original data logs for this early period is in the NCDC archives and at the POR of 1907 to 1932. Like Azizia, Kebili is subject to the foehn-like wind phenomena known as a Ghibili.
| Climate data for Kebili (1886 - 1938) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 34 (93) |
36 (97) |
42 (107) |
48 (119) |
49 (120) |
52 (125) |
55 (131) |
54 (130) |
53 (128) |
52 (125) |
42 (107) |
36 (97) |
55 (131) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 24 (76) |
26 (78) |
27 (80) |
29.2 (84.5) |
33 (92) |
37.8 (100.0) |
41.7 (107.0) |
41.6 (106.8) |
38 (101) |
34.2 (93.5) |
29 (85) |
25.8 (78.4) |
32.28 (90.18) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 20 (68) |
21 (70) |
22.5 (72.5) |
24.9 (76.9) |
29.1 (84.4) |
33 (92) |
37 (99) |
37.2 (98.9) |
34 (93) |
29.7 (85.5) |
25 (77) |
21.2 (70.2) |
27.88 (82.28) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16 (60) |
17 (62) |
18 (65) |
20.7 (69.3) |
24.8 (76.7) |
28.9 (84.0) |
33 (91) |
33 (91) |
29 (85) |
25.3 (77.5) |
21 (69) |
17 (62) |
23.64 (74.38) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4 (39) |
3 (37) |
6 (42) |
8 (47) |
8 (46) |
13 (55) |
16 (60) |
16 (60) |
13 (56) |
9 (48) |
7 (44) |
4 (40) |
3 (37) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13 (0.5) |
10 (0.4) |
15 (0.6) |
8 (0.3) |
5 (0.2) |
3 (0.1) |
0 (0.0) |
3 (0.1) |
15 (0.6) |
18 (0.7) |
10 (0.4) |
15 (0.6) |
115 (4.5) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.0 mm) | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 25.8 |
| [citation needed] | |||||||||||||
Extreme 50 °C+ (122.0 °F) temperatures were recorded on July 17, 1910: 53.0 °C (127.4 °F), July 1925: 50.0 °C (122.0 °F), August 1926: 50.8 °C (123.4 °F), July 1927: 54.0 °C (129.2 °F), and of course July 1931 with 55.0 °C (131 °F). No further 50 °C+ (122.0 °F) temperatures were measured after 1931. However, during the 2000-2012 POR the maximum temperature measured (using modern equipment) has been 48.5 °C (119.3 °F) on July 26, 2005. So this certainly throws suspicion on the older Kebili records. The lowest temperature in Kebili was 37 °F (3 °C). Though unconfirmed, it has been reported that Kebili reached 133 °F (56.0 °C) on July 8, 1888.
