TUNÍSIA by Moudather Abid - Part 1

Welcome

Hear the siren song that calls you to Tunisia. This hospitable land of colors and contrasts, spices and scents invites you to enjoy its natural beauty, ancient cities, lively festivals and warm friendliness of its people. Welcoming visitors to its shores has long been an honored Tunisian tradition and an impressive infrastructure of modern hotels, restaurants, international airports, tourism offices and information centers has been developped to add to our guests comfort and pleasure.
In this land of the familiar and the exotic one can watch the sunrise over the Sahara, enjoy a gourmet meal at a seaside resort and top off the evening with a midnight swim in the pool of a modern comfortble hotel.

Whether you prefer a long walk along miles of sparkling beaches, wind surfing the cool Mediterranean breezes, exploring ancient sites and legendary cities a game of golf or just a long lazy day relaxing on the warm golden sands, Tunisia has it all.

The land

Here in the north Tabarka and mountainous Aïn Drahim offer a stately welcome with oak, pine and cork forests that meet a rocky coast. Visit the south of the oases, Gabes, Tozeur and Nefta where palm groves gentle the proud Sahara.

On your way travel the thousand mile coastline and breathe in the nectar of Cap Bon-Hammamet and Nabeul with their orchards of golden lemons and fragrant orange blossoms. As Tunisia is the heart of the Mediterranean, so the Sahel is the heart of Tunisia, noble Kairouan and light hearted Sousse where ancient olive trees stand in symmetry for mile after mile. Lastly, hear the song of Djerba and like Ulysses, stay.

The seasons:

As with its landscape, Tunisia's climate offers a season for everyone's taste. Sailing, surfing, diving, golfing, exploring the archeological sites, deserts and oasis is a pleasure from October to May when the average temperature ranges from 12-28° C.

Spring, March through May, brings spectacular displays of wild flowers throughout the countryside and Autumn, October to December, offer warm seas and a particularly golden sun. From June through September warm weather is the rule and August brings the peak of the summer heat. This is the season for the joy of refreshing a sun bronzed body in the cool sparkling Mediterranean.

	Sunrise Temp. °F/°C	Afternoon Temp. °F/°C	Precipitation (inches)	Rel. (%) Humidity
JAN	44°/6°	61°/16°	7	66
FEB	46°/8°	63°/17°	7	66
MAR	49°/9°	66°/19°	8	66
APR	53°/11°	70°/21°	6	66
MAY	60°/15°	76°/24°	6	66
JUN	67°/19°	83°/28°	2	66
JUL	71°/21°	88°/31°	1	66
AUG	73°/22°	89°/31°	1	66
SEP	70°/21°	85°/29°	3	66
OCT	63°/17°	78°/25°	6	69
NOV	53°/11°	69°/20°	7	66.5
DEC	46°/8°	63°/17°	6	66.5

The peoples:

The original inhabitants of Tunisia were the Berbers, followed by settlers and tradesmen from throughout the Mediterranean basin. 

Throughout the centuries, Phoenician, Roman, Byzantine and Visigoth settlers, colonizers and traders intermingled with the population. However it was the Arabs who, in the 7th century, exerted the most influence and established themselves permanently. Bedouin tribes from the east arrived in the 11th century and further reinforced the Arabic language and Moslem religion. The Berbers initially resisted assimilation retreated to the mountains, the island of Jerba, or the arid regions of the south behind their earthen fortresses, ksours.Centuries of intermarriage and trade broke down their isolation. 

The Tunisian of today, city dweller, rural farmer, inhabitant of the desert or the mountains is proud of his "Tunisian identity", a composite of various civilizational influences. Aware of their rich historical heritage, Tunisian people show a genuine interest and definite respect for others as evidenced in their moderation, tolerance and hospitality. 

Tunisians are quick to give directions and any form of assistance to the visitor who asks for help.The overwhelming majority speak Arabic and French.With modern education, English is taught today in all schools and is increasingly spoken especially by younger people.Some German and Italian are also spoken.

(to be continued...)