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Deep blue waters of the Mediterranean, sheer cliffs, sunny skies and old cities with exotic souks full of the magic of Arabian nights – carpets, perfume, incense, spices, copper and brass, gold and silver. A warm and friendly people who live in the heart of the Mediterranean, whose civilization and culture developed and grew with new influences absorbed the from both the east and the west - from Phoenicians to the Romans, Byzantinians, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and the French; a country resplendent with a heritage of Punic and Roman ruins and medieval cities.

A country that is part of the Arab world yet stands apart in its liberal outlook. So come to Tunisia - the smallest of the Maghreb states attracts millions of tourists to its sun soaked beaches, legendary cities and ancient ruins.

The sun soaked beaches, legendary cities and ancient ruins are a major attraction in Tunisia. There's lot of action and adventure in the country and so you won't be disappointed on your trip to Tunisia.

Historically Speaking

Tunisia was once part of the ancient Empire of Carthage established by the Phoenicians. Phoenician merchants traders founded the city of Carthage in 814 BC at a location slightly northeast of the site of modern Tunis. Carthage became the capital of a mighty empire that dominated most of northern Africa and part of the Iberian Peninsula, Sardinia and Sicily.

The growing power of Carthage threatened the mighty Roman Empire and resulted in a series of battles known as the Punic Wars. During the Third Punic War (149-146 BC), Rome defeated the Carthaginians and completely destroyed their capital and the region now constituting Tunisia became part of the Roman province of Africa. The Romans lost this part of their empire to the Teutonic tribe known as the Vandals in 439 AD. The Vandals moved through the Iberian Peninsula, crossed the Mediterranean, and established their sovereignty over Carthage. The Byzantine general Belisarius regained this region for Rome after 100 years of Vandal rule.

The Byzantine in turn lost it to the Arab adherents of Islam in the 7th century. The Arabs proved to be most influential of all conquerors. Carthage saw a period of peace and prosperity from 1207-1574 AD under the rule of the Almohads who appointed the Hafsid family as their governors. During this period of Arab domination the region came to be known as Tunis, or Tunisia, from its chief city. The Arab rulers replaced the Roman-Christian culture with a Muslim way of life. The Ottoman Turks thereafter defeated the Hafsids and Tunisia came under their rule. In 1574, the armies of the Ottoman Empire conquered the region and established their hegemony over Tunisia. The Ottoman Sultans ruled Tunisia through administrators called ‘deys’ or ‘beys’ – the first of them, al-Husayn ibn Ali (1705-1740) founded the Husaynid dynasty, which ruled Tunisia in a semi independent way.

In 1881, the reigning bey signed the Treaty of Kasser Said, known also as the Bardo Treaty, which made Tunisia into a French protectorate. The early decades of the 20th century saw a growing dissatisfaction with colonial rule and the birth of an independence movement under Bourguiba. The French remained in charge of Tunisia through the Second World War, till November 1956 when the Tunisian National Assembly deposed the bey, threw out their colonial masters and proclaimed Tunisia an independent country.

Modern Tunisia is one of North Africa’s most stable and moderate Arab countries with good relations with most western countries.

Habitat

Tunisia can be broadly divided into four distinct topographical regions. In the north of the country lie the low ranges of the Atlas Mountains crisscrossing the country from the southwest to the northwest. These mountain ranges flatten out on to the fertile valleys and water fed plains of the Medjerda Valley. Tunisia has only one permanent river, the Majardah. The Majardah traverses the region from west to east, before its confluence with the waters of the Gulf of Tunis.

Tunisia's Mediterranean coast is characterized by a series of indentations and inlets that form natural harbours, coves and bays; the most important of them being the Gulfs of Tunis, Hammamet, and Qabis. The islands of Jarbah (Djerba) and Qarqanah (Kerkennah) lie in the Gulf of Gabes. The total length of coastline is 1,150 km. The north coast is Tunisia’s green belt with the fertile coastal plain backed by the densely forested Krounirie Mountains.

In the southern part of the country lies a 2000m high plateau. On its far side, the plateau wanes off into a series of shallow salt lakes called ‘shatts’ in the local lingo. These extend towards the sandy desert on the edges of the Sahara called the Grand Erg Oriental.

Flora & Fauna

The fertile northern regions of Tunisia are characterized by flourishing vineyards and thick forests of softwoods like cork and hardwood forests of oak, pine, and juniper trees. The semiarid southern parts have a typical grassland type vegetation of wild grasses like the esparto grass and a wide variety of shrubs. In the arid regions of the extreme south, date palms flourish around the water holes in the oases. Among the wildlife found in the country are hyena, wild boar, jackal, gazelle and hare. Several varieties of poisonous snakes, including cobras and horned vipers, are also commonly found.