Tunisia, officially called the Republic of Tunisia, is a country belonging to the North African Maghreb.

It is bordered to the north and east by the Mediterranean Sea, west by Algeria with 965 kilometers of shared border and southeast by Libya with 459 kilometers of border. Its capital Tunis is located in north-east, in the Gulf of Tunis. Over 30% of the land area is occupied by the Sahara desert, the rest is mountainous and fertile plains, the birthplace of the Carthaginian civilization which reached its apogee in the third century BC. AD, before becoming the "breadbasket" of the Empire romain.Intégrée the main bodies of the international community, Tunisia is also part of the Arab League, African Union and the Commonwealth of Sahel-Saharan States.

Culture

Culture of Tunisia is diversifying by a legacy of some 3000 years of history and a location right in the Mediterranean, the cradle of civilizations and the most prestigious of the major monotheistic religions. Tunisia has indeed been a crossroads of civilizations and culture reflects the traces of cultures Punic, Arabic, Turkish, African, European and Muslim as well as the influence of successive dynasties that ruled the country.

Tradition

Tunisia is famous for its handicraft products which are across the country specificity. Tunisian pottery is mainly after Guellala city behind the creation of other pottery centers on the coast of Tunisia, including Tunis, Nabeul, Moknine, etc.. But if the pottery porous Guellala identifies with, the enamel (yellow, green or brown) is the trademark of Nabeul. Ironwork dates for his part in the Andalusian era when decorated the studded doors, ornamental wrought iron has become characteristic of Tunisia. Blue traditionally designed to beautify homes and safeguard the privacy of residents; these grids are reminiscent moucharabiehs of Arab-Andalusian tradition, carved wooden panels that allowed women to watch in the street without being seen. Kairouan is in turn the national center of carpet production. Finally, Tunisia has a rich tradition of mosaics dating back to ancient times.

The traditional costume of choice is the holding weddings and other ceremonies. At the national level is the jebba which has become traditional dress. The men's slippers are usually the natural color of leather, these women are the majority of the son of embroidered silk, cotton, gold and silver with floral motifs or croissants.

Imported by the Andalusians in the sixteenth century, jasmine has become the floral emblem of Tunisia. Upon nightfall, sellers confectionnent small bouquets and sell them to passersby on the street or to motorists stopped at intersections. In addition, the jasmine is the subject of a specific language. Thus, a man door to the left ear indicates that he is single. In addition, offer white jasmine is a proof of love so that offering winter jasmine, odorless, is a sign of insolence.

Gastronomy

Tunisian kitchen is based mainly on vegetables, mutton and beef (and parts of the camel), fish - especially along the coast - and pasta. The dish is eaten the most likely pasta and especially the spaghetti and macaroni served usually with tomato sauce and harissa, even if the traditional dish is couscous. The Italian bread (white bread with lots of bread) is also a popular food of many Tunisians. The tuna sandwich consists of half a baguette filled with bits of tuna, harissa, sometimes with green olives, capers and sliced hard-boiled eggs, is sold in all the food stalls. Another dish is very famous brik with egg or with fillings of meat and cheese.

Tunisian cuisine differs somewhat from its neighboring Maghreb. The Tunisian tajine, unlike the Moroccan version, is a kind of egg dish, meat, potatoes and parsley. Couscous, it is characterized by a combination of vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, squash, etc..), Meat (especially that of the lamb).