Tunisian Republic
Northern Africa
Mediterranean · Ancient · Moderate
Tunisia (officially Tunisian Republic) is a country located in Northern Africa. Its capital city is Tunis, with other major cities including Sfax and Sousse. With a population of approximately 12.0M, the main languages spoken are Arabic, French. The country covers an area of 163,610 km². The official currency is the Tunisian dinar (د.ت). Traffic drives on the right side.
Tunisia was the first Arab country to grant women equal inheritance rights (2017) and was the sole 'success story' of the Arab Spring — its National Dialogue Quartet was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015.
Tunis serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Tunisia, positioned in Northern Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Sfax, Sousse, Ettadhamen — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Tunis was built adjacent to Carthage — the Phoenician city that challenged Rome for Mediterranean supremacy — and the Bardo National Museum houses the world's finest Roman mosaic collection, assembled from the villas of a province that was Rome's granary for four centuries and whose agricultural wealth funded the artistic production now visible behind museum glass in the same North African landscape that produced it.
With a population of approximately 12.0M, Tunisia is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Arabic, French, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Tunisia is reached via the dialling code +216. Tunisians launched the Arab Spring in December 2010 when Mohammed Bouazizi's self-immolation in protest at police harassment triggered protests that toppled President Ben Ali in 28 days — a democratic opening that Tunisia alone sustained into a functioning multi-party democracy before President Kais Saied's 2021 constitutional changes concentrated power in the presidency, making Tunisia's democratic trajectory the region's most-watched political experiment.
Tunisia spans 163,610 km², in the Northern Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 34.0°N, 9.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Tunisian dinar (د.ت), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Tunisia's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Tunisia's national identity. Football is Tunisia's defining sport, with the national team's 1978 World Cup appearance being the first by an African team to win a World Cup match (defeating Mexico 3-1) — a historic moment amplified by the 2022 World Cup's extraordinary game against France in a tournament held in the Arab world for the first time, where Tunisia came within minutes of eliminating the eventual champions.
The highest point in Tunisia is Jebel Chambi, rising to 1,544 metres above sea level. The Saharan landscape of southern Tunisia — the salt lakes (chotts) of Chott el-Djerid that change colour from white to pink to gold at different times of day, the troglodyte villages carved into hillsides at Matmata, and the dune fields of the Erg Oriental — provided the location for the original Star Wars trilogy's Tatooine sequences, making Tunisia one of cinema's most persistently filmed landscapes.