Tunisia - officially the Tunisian Republic is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is the northernmost African country and the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range, bordering Algeria, to the West, and Libya to the South East. Around forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil, and a 1300-km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, which became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. It is thought that the name Tunis (Arabic for both the nation and capital city) originated from Berber.
Politics - Tunisia is a republic with a strong presidential system dominated by a single political party. The President is elected to 5-year terms - with virtually no opposition - and appoints a Prime Minister and cabinet, who play a strong role in the execution of policy. Regional governors and local administrators also are appointed by the central government; largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected.
Economy - Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors.
Demographics - While the vast majority of modern Tunisians identify themselves as Arabs, they are mainly the descendants of indigenous Berbers: less than 20% of their genetic material comes from the Middle East. Numerous civilizations have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia. Significant influxes of population have come through conquest by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Vandals coming from Germany, the Arabs, the Ottomans, and the French. Many Spanish Moors and Jews also arrived at the end of the 15th century. Nearly all Tunisians (99% of the population) are Muslim. There has been a Jewish population on the southern island of Djerba (Jerba) for 2500 years, and though considerably diminished, there remains a small Jewish population in Tunis
Universities in Tunisia - International University of Tunis, University of Aviation and Technology, Universite Libre de Tunis.
Climate - Temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south.
Drink - Being a Muslim country, alcohol availability is restricted to certain licensed (and invariably more expensive) restaurants, resort areas and Magasin General Shops.
Clothes - Tunisia is a Muslim country, and dress code is important, particularly for females. Whilst a lot of skin (even topless) is tolerated on beaches and within hotel complexes, a modest amount of exposed skin may be frowned upon outside these areas.
The coast of Tunisia is beautiful. Towns like Mahdia , Sousse , Sfax, Monastir and Tozeur are worth a visit. The beaches are quite nice. You might try to avoid staying in the big tourist traps on the coast, however, there it is quite hard to appreciate real Tunisian life.
The south of Tunisia is mostly desert. A striking sight in this region are the cave dwellings in Matmata . This is where Star Wars was filmed! The island of Jerba, called dream island, is also a great place to go in the south.