Tunisia

 

Quick Facts

• Continental region –North Africa
• Currency symbol of Tunisia  –Tunisian dinar (‎TND‎)
• Capital City – Tunis
• Official languages –Arabic
• Population –11.57 million (2018) World Bank
• Country dialling code  –  (+216)
• Official website –TUNISIA
• Top 3 biggest industries  –Petroleum; Mining (Phosphate and Iron Ore); Tourism; Textiles
• Google Maps link –TUNISIA
• Where is it? –Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, covering 163,610 square kilometres.

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Tunisia In Pictures

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Tunisia History

• How did the country get its current name? -Tunisia was called Ifrīqiyyah in the early centuries of the Islamic period. That name, in turn, comes from the Roman word for Africa and the name also given by the Romans to their first African colony following the Punic Wars against the Carthaginians in 264–146 bce.
• When and by whom the country was first discovered? – Farming methods have been identified from around 5000 BC. 
• Who were the first Inhabitants? – The Berber tribes are one of the earliest known settlers in the area. 
• When it was first recognized as a country? -20 March 1956, the sovereign state of Tunisia became independent.
• Who was the first leader of the country? -Habib Bourguiba.

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Five significant events

1. Independence 1956 20 March: Tunisia becomes independent with Bourguiba as prime minister. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720)
2. 1961: Tunisia says French forces must leave their base in Bizerte. Fighting breaks out. France pulls out of Bizerte in 1963, after long-running talks. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720)
3. 1999: First multi-party presidential elections; Ben Ali wins a third term. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720)
4. Synagogue bombed 2005 July:  Parliament introduces an upper house – the Chamber of Councillors – which is dominated by the ruling party. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720)
5. Arab Spring 2010 December: Protests break out over unemployment and political restrictions, and spread nationwide. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720)

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Five Places to Visit in TUNISIA

1. El Djem: It doesn’t get much better than this for fans of the ancients. Colossal arches and elliptical amphitheaters to rival even the Colosseum in Rome are what mark the horizon of famous El Djem. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/)
2. Houmt Souk: The undisputed jewel of Djerba island comes topped with the adobe domes of the Bordj el Kabir fort, which was raised in the 1400s and 1500s to protect the harbor on the Gulf of Gabes below. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/)

3. Sousse: Still reeling from the horrific terror attacks of 2015, the seaside city of Sousse is now much less loud about its beauties. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/)

4. Sidi Bou Said: You could be forgiven for thinking that you’d made the hop across the Med to the islands of the Greek Aegean as you enter the vibrant interior of Sidi Bou Said town, sat just 20 kilometers from bustling Tunis. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/)

5. Tozeur: Every trip to Tunisia should include a jaunt to the great desert of the Sahara, whose shifting sands and dry escarpments begin here in earnest. (https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/)

References:

• https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia/History
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14107720
• https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-tunisia/5/