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Tunis
Arabic:
tūnis
Capital of Tunisia with 1.2 million inhabitants (2005 estimate), situated in the northeast of the country, at the end of Lake of Tunis, in from the Gulf of Tunis, which is a part of the Mediterranean Sea.
Tunis is situated close to the sea only with Lake Tunis between it and Mediterranean Sea. Lake Tunis serves to some extent as a harbour, but many other port activities are served in some of the satellite cities out on the coast, like Goulette.
Tunis is the commercial and economic centre for northern Tunisia, and the administrative for the whole of Tunisia. Tunis produces textiles, clothing, carpets, cement, metal building structures. Industries include chemicals, metallurgical products, machinery, electric equipment and railway parts. There are also significant industries out of town, employing inhabitants of Tunis. Tourism has come to play an important role. Agriculture is also of some importance, although the trade of agricultural products from nearby areas is of greater importance.
As one would expect, Tunis has the best communication lines in all of the country, with both roads and railways. Out of town are two airports, of which the International Airport of Tunis-Carthage is the only one in the country with frequent international connections.
Tunis is divided into three parts, the old city, called medina; the French, which now is the centre; and the newer and larger regions built in the south and the north of the city. The suburbs, known under their French name, banlieus are also a part of Tunis, even if these often are separated from the capital with open areas.
Tunis has some landmarks, most dominant are the 8th century Zitouna mosque and the few leftovers after ancient Carthage (one of the banlieus, on the coast some kilometres out of Tunis). The old town is quite large and in excellent condition, complete with many of its original open-air markets and city gates.
Tunis has two universities, of which the oldest, the University of Tunis was founded in 1960.
HISTORY
2 millennium BCE: Founded by the Libyans, and possibly named Tunes.
9th century: Surrendered to the coast to the Phoenicians of Tyre, who then founded Carthage.
146: Destroyed together with Carthage by the Romans, during the 3rd Punic War. Tunis would flourish during the Roman reign.
7th century: Comes under Arab Muslim control.
9th century: The Aghlabids have several great buildings added to Tunis, like the Great Mosque (Zitouna).
894: The Aghlabids make Tunis the capital of their new state.
909: Fall of the Aghlabids. The new rulers, the Fatimids make Mahdia their new capital.
1535: Roman Emperor Charles 5 conquers Tunis.
1539: Falls to the Ottomans.
1573: Conquered by the Spanish.
1574: The Spanish are forced to return Tunis to the Ottomans.
1881: Passes to the French, and becomes the capital of the French protectorate.
1942: Occupied by the Germans.
1943: Reconquered by British and Allied troops.
1956: Tunisia gains its independence, and Tunis becomes capital of the new state.
© Copyright 1996-2008 LookLex Ltd. All rights reserved
By: Tore Kjeilen
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