Travel Guide Metlaoui

The industrial city of Metlaoui is known in the country for its phosphate mines. It is a French geologist, Philippe Thomas, who discovered the first deposits, while bringing to light a rich collection of fossils. Most of the finds from the excavation site can be seen in the museum, along with various animal collections. Mining, by a French company, began in 1896. The railroad, which runs along the road, connects Gafsa to Redeyef and to Algeria. Another track is used to transport the wagons of ore from the quarries to the factories. This activity, essential for the whole region, provides a living for many households in southern Tunisia. 8 million tons of phosphate are extracted each year, making Tunisia the5th largest producer in the world. These factories and mines have a somewhat frightening reputation, because the old ones, those who have made their whole career breathing phosphate fumes, do not always have a happy old age, which encourages many young people in the region to want to escape this fate. Violent demonstrations broke out in 2008 following a major social plan and a poor redistribution of the wealth generated by the export of ore. These events marked the beginning of a long process of protest against the regime by the people of the interior of the country, and were the first steps towards the 2011 revolution.