Mine de phosphate, Phosphate mine in Métlaoui, Tunisia
The Métlaoui phosphate mine extracts mineral-rich deposits from the Gafsa basin using open-pit methods, producing several million tons annually for fertilizer manufacturing and export to markets across more than twenty countries worldwide.
Operations began in 1887 under the Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa, making this site one of the oldest industrial mining facilities in Tunisia and a major contributor to the country's economic development throughout the twentieth century.
The mine has shaped local communities for over a century, providing employment and infrastructure for thousands of families while becoming a symbol of Tunisia's mining heritage and its ongoing role in the national economy despite social and economic challenges.
Visitors must arrange guided tours with authorized personnel for safety reasons, and the recommended visiting period runs from March through November to avoid the extreme summer heat typical of this southern Tunisian region.
The facility produces phosphate concentrates with phosphorus pentoxide content ranging from sixty to sixty-eight percent, with higher grades designated for export and lower grades used domestically in Tunisia's chemical industry.
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