Gulf of Gabes

Subject: Geography

Section: Mapping

Context- A tanker carrying 750 tonnes of diesel fuel from Egypt to Malta sank saturday in the Gulf OfGabes off Tunisia Coast.

Concept-

Gulf of Gabes:

The Gulf of Gabes also known as Lesser Syrtis contrasting with the Greater Syrtis in Libya, is a gulf on Tunisia’s east coast in the Mediterranean Sea, off North Africa.
The gulf roughly spans the coast from Sfax to Djerba.
At the head of the gulf is the city of Gabès (Ghannouche) where the tides have a large range of up to 2.1 m at spring tides.
Both Gabès and Sfax are major ports on the gulf, supporting sponge and tuna fisheries, with Gabès being the economic and administrative centre.
It is 60 miles (100 km) long and 60 miles wide and is bounded by the Qarqannah (Kerkena) Islands on the northeast and by Jarbah (Djerba) Island on the southeast.

gulf of gabes

Regional economy of the gulf:

Except for the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Venice, it is the only part of the Mediterranean with a substantial tidal range, causing the uncovering of extensive sandbanks at low water.
Sponge and tuna fisheries are located at the main ports of Qābis (Gabès) and Ṣafāqis (Sfax).
Oil and natural-gas deposits have been found in the gulf, east of Ṣafāqis.