Tunis – Capital of Tunisia

Tunisia is commonly considered as the origin of the so-called Arab Spring, a 2011 uprising against governments in many North African and Middle Eastern nations. Tunisia has a land area of 163,610 km², which is roughly two-thirds the size of the United Kingdom or slightly larger than the US state of Georgia. Tunisia has a population of 11.7 million people (as of 2020) and the Official languages are Arabic and French, with English and other languages spoken in tourist destinations. The state’s official religion is Islam.

Tunis – Capital of Tunisia:

Tunis, Tunisia’s capital, was founded in 1956. Tunis has been the country’s capital since 1956 and serves as the country’s legislative house. It also is the country’s largest city. The greater Tunis metropolitan region, sometimes known as “Grand Tunis,” has a population of around 2,700,000 inhabitants. It is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casablanca and Algiers) and the eleventh-largest city in the Arab world as of 2020. The city spreads over the coastal plain and the hills that surround it, located on a large Mediterranean Sea gulf (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette (all il-Wd).

Tunis, located on the Mediterranean coast but lacking in beaches, has spared the onslaught of package tourism to the resorts to the north and south. On the shores of Lake Tunis, the city center is about 10 kilometers from the sea. Tunis began as a little town in comparison to cities like Carthage, Kairouan, and Mahdia. It was later overrun by several Muslim and Christian empires after becoming the capital of the Almohad Caliphate in 1159. Tunis has been Tunisia’s capital since its independence in 1956, and it is now the country’s commercial and cultural heart, as well as its important transportation hub.

Climate of Tunis:

Tunis, Africa’s northernmost city, with a Mediterranean climate that is somewhat warmer than on the European side. Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures over 40°C not uncommon, however not as scorching as in the Sahara desert due to the sea and surrounding mountains. The majority of the rain falls during the winter months, however, even those months do not experience more than 8-9 days of rain on average. Tunis occasionally gets temperatures below freezing and, in extremely rare circumstances some snow, however, nighttime temperatures hardly go below 10°C. The mild climate of Tunis makes it a pleasant destination throughout the year.

Tunis is divided into two parts: the old city, known as the medina, and the modern city, known as the Ville nouvelle in French. Ave Habib Bourguiba is a major street that connects the Clock Tower to the Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul in the new city. It then becomes Ave de France, which runs for a few blocks until ending at the Place de la Victoire and the Port de France, a massive free-standing gate that used to be the medina's entrance. This can be an important landmark for taxi drivers because some of the smaller streets nearby may be unfamiliar to them.

Tunis Economy:

Tunisia’s economy is diverse, with significant agricultural, mining, energy, tourist, and manufacturing sectors. While government control over economic activities stays strong, it has gradually weakened over the last decade as a result of increased privatization, tax simplification, and a conservative attitude to debt. In the 1990s, real growth averaged 5%. In 2004,15 percent of the active population was unemployed. Tourism expansion and increasing trade have been significant drivers of this consistent growth. Tunisia is ranked as Africa’s most competitive economy in the 2007 edition of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report. It is also the first in the Arab World and the twenty-ninth in the world.

TUNIS is Famous For:

Medina is one of North Africa’s most spectacular medieval medinas and a major tourist attraction in Tunisia. The medieval Arab walled town, also known as the Medina, is the most attractive area of the country’s capital city. Couscous is the core of Tunisian cuisine. This staple food, made from semolina, is famous throughout Northern Africa and can be found on practically every Tunisian dinner table. Couscous is a flexible, fluffy delight that is prepared in a variety of ways around the country.