Mateur

Mateur (Arabic: ماطر‎) is a toun in northren Tunisie. It is locatit at aroond 37°2′24″N 9°39′59″E / 37.04000°N 9.66639°E / 37.04000; 9.66639, close tae the Lac Ichkeul National Park.

Locatit in the soothwast o the govrenorate o Bizerte, Mateur is the coonty seat o a delegation o 47,562 inhabitants (2004) while its toun coonts 31,345 inhabitants dividit in 7319 families an occupy 6060 accommodation accordin tae the magazine editit bi the municipality o Mateur (edition 2006).

Concernin the etymological ruit o the name o the ceety, some fowk see a Laitin oreegin : Matarensis wad hae been the name o an oppidum locatit on the site o Mateur durin the auncient period. It is an aa kent in different epochs unner ither names as Materense, Matarus, Matari, Mataris, Matar an Mataritanae. On the ither hand, the Arabists see a rapprochement wi the term o Matra (in the plural Amtar) which means "precipitation", referrin tae the rainfaw level o the region.

This ceety, the first toun cooncil o which is instawed on 12 October 1898, wis considered tae be an important strategical point durin the Seicont Warld War. It is tae note that the municipality o Mateur celebratit the 110t birthday during year 2008.

The ceety is locatit in the middle o a first-rate agrarian region awin tae the fecundity o the lands o the ambient lawland. An important mercat is held there ivery Friday an Seturday in the course o which they notably sell there the stock an grain. It unites producers o the neighbourin localities (Jefna, Joumine, Bazina, Sedjenane, Ghezala, etc) an purchasers come frae juist aboot ivery ceety in Tunisie. Mateur coonts an aa 2 industrial zones whaur is instawed aboot twinty foreign firms wirkin in various auries: wirin, mechanics, telecommunications, textile industry, etc.

Nearby is the naitional pairk o Ichkeul, which contains sites protectit bi mony internaitional institutions (UNESCO an WWF), awin tae the diversity o its fauna an its flora. It shelters the lake o the same name which is the biggest natural lake o North Africae.

Nouadays, the ceety haes twa establishments o heicher education:

• The heich o heicher education o agricultur

• The Heich Institute o rapid sciences an electricity (ISET Mateur)