Tunisia lies on North Africa’s Mediterranean coast. In the 4th century BC, Tunisia, the land where the great city of Carthage was founded, lay at the centre of the ancient Carthaginian civilization. Since then, the region has been ruled by the Romans, Arabs, Ottomans and France. Northern Tunisia is mountainous, crossed by a fork of the Atlas Mountains, whose highest peaks are capped by snow in winter. In the centre of the country, the mountains slope down to wide, hot plains; in the south, these plains merge into the Sahara Desert. Here, the climate is extremely hot and dry, with very little rainfall. The north has a milder, Mediterranean climate, with sunny, warm weather all year round.

People

The first people to settle were nomads, who arrived around 7000 years ago. Modern Tunisians are descended from their descendants, the Berbers, and from the Phoenician, Roman and Arab peoples who settled in the area later on. Tunisian Arabic, or Darija, is a variety of Arabic easily understood by neighbouring Algerians and Moroccans. Many people also speak French, which is widely used in schools and businesses. Although most of Tunisia’s population is Muslim, it is a secular country: people are free to practise whichever religion they choose.

Industry

In the middle of the 20th century, Tunisia’s economy was based on exports of oil and gas, but when oil prices fell suddenly in the 1980s, its agriculture and textile industries became more important. Today, large textile factories on the outskirts of Tunis produce material, clothing and shoes for export to Europe. Tunisia is also an important producer of minerals, including phosphates, used to make fertilizers and other chemicals.

Agriculture

Northern Tunisia’s sunny, warm climate is perfect for growing crops such as grapes, oranges, limes and figs. Tunisia is a major producer of olive oil—its eastern Mediterranean coast is one of the most productive olive-growing regions in the world. In the southern desert, farmers grow date palms in oases.

Living underground

Traditional Berber homes in southern Tunisia are cool, underground caves known as “troglodyte” houses. Builders dig out a large, circular pit, which becomes the courtyard or patio, then carve out separate rooms from the pit’s walls. Large families join several open pit houses together by underground passageways. Since the temperature below ground is much cooler than at the surface, building houses in this way makes it comfortable to live in the scorching desert.

Tunisian Revolution

In December 2010, mass demonstrations and protests broke out in Tunisia. People were angry at high unemployment, rising food costs and lack of political freedoms. They began calling for the ruling political party, led by President Ben Ali, to step down. The protests became violent as police and security forces clashed with protesters. On 14th January 2011, Ben Ali’s government resigned and a new coalition government (one made up of several different parties), took control. The protesters had won.
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Facts about Tunisia

Population 12,460,000 (2023 estimate)

Area 155,360 sq km

Highest point Jebel Chambi 1544 m (5066 ft)

Capital Tunis, metro area population 2,510,670

Other major cities Sfax (pop. 1,018,341), Sousse (753,670)

Languages Arabic, Berber, French

Religions Muslim 99%, others 1%

Ethnicity mixed Arab / Berber 98%, European and others 2%

Currency Tunisian dinar (TND)

Chief exports clothing and textiles, olive oil, dates, phosphates (used to make chemicals and fertilizers), electrical equipment, oil and petroleum products