Sfax

Sfax

Sfax (/s(ə)ˈfæks/ s(ə-)FAKS; Arabic: صفاقس, romanized: Ṣafāqis, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Tunisian Arabic: [ˈsˤfaːqəs] ⓘ) is a city in Tunisia, located 270 km (170 mi) southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014),[citation needed] and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has a population of 330,440 (census 2014).[1] Its main industries include phosphate, olive and nut processing, fishing (it is the largest fishing port in Tunisia) and international trade. The city is the second-most populous in the country after the capital, Tunis.[2] Present-day Sfax was founded in AD 849 on the site of the Berber town of Taparura. The modern city has also grown to cover some other ancient settlements, most notably Thenae in its southern suburb of Thyna.