What to Know Before Visiting Tunisia?

Country Facts:
 Before the country of Tunisia was created, the area was called Ifriquiya or Africa.
 El Djem is the 3rd largest Roman ruin in the world.
 Domestic violence is a crime. The Law of Eliminating Violence against Women is
the first piece of legislation ever passed by the Tunisian government which
criminalizes domestic abuse.
 El Ghriba synagogue is the oldest in Tunisia and still in use today.
 Matmata is a place in Tunisia where people live in underground houses. Its
subterranean dwellings were featured in the Star Wars movies.
 Souad Abderrahim was voted the first female mayor in the Arab world on July 3,
2018.
 Tunisia is slightly larger than England.
 Tunisia boasts a total of 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including a 6,000 year
old amphitheatre!
 This amazing country is home to a wide range of wild animals, including
cheetahs, panthers, lions, leopards, gazelles, mongooses, otters, hyaenas,
wolves, deer and hartebeest.
 Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956.
 In countries such as South Africa, Ghana, and Tunisia, red is the color
symbolizing mourning.
 Habib Bourguiba was the first president of Tunisia.
 El Jem is one of the most ancient, yet best-preserved Roman ruins in the world.
It was built in 238 AD when present-day Tunisia was part of the Roman province
of Africa. Built for spectator events, El Jem has a capacity of 35,000 people.
Source:
1. https://facts.uk/23-top-facts-about-tunisia/
2. https://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2018/08/06/ten-fun-facts-about-tunisia/
3. https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/8-interesting-facts-about-tunisia.html

Country Flag:
Capital: Tunis is the capital of Tunisia.
Government: The politics of Tunisia takes place within the framework of a unitary semi-
presidential representative democratic republic, with a President serving as head of
state, Prime Minister as head of government, a unicameral legislature and a court
system influenced by French civil law.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Tunisia
Prime Minister: Elyes Fakhfakh is Prime Minister of Tunisia since 28 February 2020.
Economy: Tunisia has a mixed economic system in which there is a variety of private
freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.
Tunisia is a member of the League of Arab States (Arab League). For the 2018
estimate, GDP per capita in Tunisia will be $12661 in PPP per capita and $3287 in
nominal per capita.
Population: The population of Tunisia was estimated to be 11.57 million in 2018.
Religion by Percentage:  Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%.
Source: https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/profiles/Tunisia/Religion

Top Tunisia Foods: Tunisian cuisine. A good and tasty variety of flavours, combining
Mediterranean (mostly French but also Italian) and North African culinary traditions. This
fusion and diversity come from the many civilisations which have ruled the land:
Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Spanish, Turkish, Italians, French, and the native
Punics-Berber people. Below are top “must try” dishes for visitors to Tunisia:

 Kamounia: Kamounia is a traditional dish that's a part of Tunisian, Egyptian, and

Sudanese cuisine. This hearty stew is usually prepared with beef, liver, and
cumin. Variations exist, so lamb is sometimes used instead of the beef, and there
are also different spices used depending on the region. Some people like to add
parsley, olive oil, and garlic to the stew. Once done, kamounia is often served
with rice, either on top of it or on the side.

 Harissa: Harissa is a traditional spicy paste originating from Tunisia. This spicy
paste is made with roasted red peppers as the main ingredient, along with olive
oil and spices and herbs such as cumin, coriander, caraway, and garlic. There
are so many variations on harissa that there is no fixed recipe and every family
has their own version. Some people like to add lemon juice or fermented onions
to the mix. The condiment is traditionally used in sandwiches or with couscous
and meat such as beef, poultry, lamb, and goat. Harissa can also be added to
soups and stews.

 Kafteji: Kafteji is a traditional Tunisian dish made with fried vegetables. Typical
veggies used in the dish include eggplants, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes,
zucchinis, and pumpkins. The vegetables are fried, chopped, then combined with
(often fried) eggs and seasonings.

 Lablabi: Tunisian chickpea soup is a real working class staple — cheap, quick to
prepare, filling, and commonly found at inexpensive restaurants. Lablabi is a hot
and spicy dish, also quite greasy and heavy, and typically flavored with garlic,
 cumin, and harissa. It is traditionally served ladled over chunks of stale crusty
bread, drizzled with olive oil, sometimes even with either vinegar or lemon or lime
juice, and often garnished with cilantro, parsley, and scallions. Special versions
of lablabi include capers, olives, pickled vegetables and tuna, while another
variety called hergma is made with cow's hooves.

 Fricassee: Fricassee is a traditional Tunisian sandwich packed with flavor, but it

is also packed with lots of calories. The base for fricassee is made with flour,
eggs, oil, salt, water, and yeast. The dough is then shaped into round or
elongated rolls which are fried in hot oil and filled with tuna, hummus, boiled
eggs, capers, olives, harissa, and boiled potatoes. Although this sandwich can be
made at home, it is especially popular at fast food restaurants and sandwich
shops.

 Msemen: Msemen is a traditional Moroccan flatbread made with a combination

of flour, semolina, sugar, salt, yeast, warm water, oil, and clarified butter. The
dough is kneaded until it becomes smooth, and pieces of it are then flattened and
shaped into squares. Once the dough has been folded and shaped, it is cooked
on a griddle or fried in a pan until it becomes crispy on the exterior and chewy on
the inside. Although msemen is traditionally consumed on its own as an
accompaniment to coffee or tea, it can also be stuffed with various meats and
vegetables. In Tunisia, the flatbread is often based on semolina flour and made
without yeast.

 Mechouia Salad: Mechouia is a Tunisian salad made with grilled, coarsely

chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, drizzled with olive oil and
seasoned with caraway, salt, and black pepper. The salad is then typically
garnished with hard-boiled eggs, olives, or tuna. The salad can be served on its
own, but it is also often served on toasted bread or baguette slices. It is quite
common to find it in Tunisia as a part of a mix of appetizers in traditional
restaurants.

 Brik: Tunisian brik is a popular dish that incorporates flaky dough filled with a
variety of savory ingredients. Traditionally, malsouqa dough is used to create
brik, but the more available phyllo pastry is commonly used as a replacement.
Brik is usually made with layers of laminated pastry, to achieve a crunchy,
layered texture. 

 ShakShouka: Shakshouka is a delicious combination of eggs poached in a spicy

tomato sauce. Although it has an unusual name, the dish is straightforward and
easy to make. It is usually made in a skillet in which onions, tomatoes, and
spices are cooked until they form a delicious tomato sauce.

 Couscous: Numerous tiny, light, tender grains, ideally arranged to form a

pyramid and served on a platter at the end of a meal - that is couscous, the
national dish of Morocco and a must-have dish in any Moroccan restaurant. The
 word itself refers both to the complete dish and the tiny grains of semolina.
Semolina flour is sprinkled with water until it forms into tiny pellets that are then
pushed through a sieve. Couscous is usually prepared on Fridays for lunch,
when whole families get together for the most important meal of the week. The
dish is traditionally made in a metal steamer pot called a couscoussier, where the
stew is on the bottom, while the small grains are in the perforated basket on top,
cooking in the steam that is rising from the rich stew.

Language: The vast majority of the population today speaks Tunisian Arabic (also
called Derja) as their native language, which is mutually intelligible to a high degree with
other Maghrebi Arabic dialects.
Dress for Men and Women: Normally wearing simple pants and shirts in everyday
wear, Tunisian men wear a ceremonial costume called a 'jebba', a long sleeveless tunic
worn over a shirt; a vest known as a 'farmla' and trousers named 'sarouel'.
Holidays: There are several national holidays in Tunisia such as:
 New Year's Day
 Revolution and Youth Day
 Independence Day of Tunisia
 Martyrs' Day in Tunisia
 Labour Day
 Eid al-Fitr
 Republic Day
 Eid al-Adha
 Women's Day
 Islamic New Year
 Evacuation Day
 Prophet's Birthday
 National Revolution Day
Travel Tips:

 The golden era in which Tunisia used to be a prime tourist destination came to
an end with the 2015 terrorist attacks – unfortunately – but, even during those
times, the vast majority of visitors were resort-like tourists, the most adventurous
ones visiting the most typical tourist attractions on an organized tour.
 Tunis International Airport has connections with several European cities and
other major cities in Africa.
 As always, don’t forget to travel to Tunisia with proper travel insurance.
 The best thing about Tunisia is that this is really a year-round destination. The
northern part of the country is purely Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot
summers.
  The countryside of Tunisia is breathtaking in parts and you can cruise by and
marvel at the desert terrain, vineyards and olive trees. If you’re traveling between
the main cities, avoid the tour bus and get a cheaper ride on a train.
 Pickpockets generally stick to crowded areas in the souks, but outside of that
area, crime is pretty uncommon.
 Many hotels are known to charge up to 15% more than a bank on changing the
money. Instead, use the bureau de change at the airport or city centers — a
good bank to go with is the Central Bank of Tunisia.
 Taxis are usually super cheap in Tunisia and can be had for 50-80 dinars per
hour.
 Like other countries in North Africa, haggling is expected and a way of life in
Tunisia.

Top 10 Attractions and places to visit:

1. Bardo National Museum

2. Port El Kantaoui
3. El Jem Amphitheatre
4. Sousse Ribat
5. Antonine Baths
6. Ichkeul Lake
7. Cape Bon
8. Zaytuna Mosque
9. Carthageland
10. Houmt Souk
Tunisia Boys Name:
 Ahmad
 Karim
 Slim
 Ali
 Bilel
 Khalil
 Youssef
 Akram
Top Universities in Tunisia:
1. University of Manouba
2. University of Monastir
3. University of Sfax
4. University of Sousse
5. University of tunis
6. University of carthage
 7. University of Tunis El Manar
Top 10 Websites:
1. Google.com
2. Youtube.com
3. Mosaiquefm.net
4. Facebook.com
5. Nessma.tv
6. Google.tn
7. Google.fr
8. Yahoo.com
9. Babnet.net
10. Tunisienumerique.com
Top 3 Search engines used:
1. Google
2. Yahoo
3. Bing
Top exports:
 Electrical machinery
 Mineral fuels
 Knit clothing
 Animal or vegetables fats.
 Oils
 Waxes
Top 5 Cars:
Top cars in Tunisiaincludes:
1. Hyundai
2. Renault clio
3. Opal corsa
4. Volkswagen Polo
5. Dacia Logan
Natural Disasters:
Many types of natural disasters occur in Tunisiasuch as:
 Earthquake
 Floods
 Landslides
Home Designs / Architecture:
Homes in Tunisia have traditionally used clay from the ground or the ground itself for
shelter from the heat. In the southern areas of the country underground homes build
into the sides of caves or into large deep holes were the solution for the Berbers people.
Deaths and Mortality:
In 2019, death rate for Tunisia was 6.3 per 1,000 people. Death rate of Tunisia fell
gradually from 15.5 per 1,000 people in 1970 to 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2019.
Source: https://knoema.com/atlas/Tunisia/Death-rate