Tunisia: general information, weather, seasons, time

General information about Tunisia

Tunisia (Tunisia) is a country in North Africa, located on the Mediterranean coast. The official name of Tunisia is the Republic of Tunisia. It belongs to the Maghreb countries, which also includes Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria and Libya.

Tunisia is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east, Algeria to the west, and Libya to the southeast. Among the states of North Africa, this is the smallest state in terms of area, 163,610 square kilometers, which is about three and a half times the size of the Moscow region. The length of the country from north to south is 800 km, while its average width is only 150 km. The length of the sea coast is 1300 km.

The territory of Tunisia is represented by the Atlas Mountains in the northwest, plains near the coast and high ground in the south, the rest of the territory is covered with savannas and is mostly deserted. In the very south lies the Sahara, occupying about 40% of the territory of Tunisia. But the remaining 60% of the territory is not all covered with greenery.

Tourism in Tunisia has been actively developing relatively recently, since 1987, after many years of political "disagreements". With the stabilization of the political situation, foreign investments began to flow into the country, and Tunisia began to attract Europeans. At the beginning of 2011, tourism in Tunisia was seriously shaken due to the "jasmine revolution" that took place there, but now the situation has stabilized and tourists have gradually begun to return to the country. Of course, it would be wrong to say that tourism in Tunisia competes in quality with Egypt and Turkey, but many tourists are happy to visit it. At the same time, most tourists in Tunisia are from European countries. Many of them come here for the weekend, some even in their cars (by ferry). There are not so many Russians among holidaymakers.

Tunisia offers its guests the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea and a rich history. Despite the fact that the dominant religion in the country is Islam, the country is considered a secular state, almost European. Alcohol can be found on sale in tourist areas, and in hotels there are no problems with this at all. Most hotels have their own territory, within which there is a beach, swimming pools, restaurants and bars, all kinds of entertainment. Outside of hotels and tourist areas, entertainment is difficult to find. Perhaps, apart from sightseeing and Shopping at local bazaars, there will simply be nothing to do there. However, hotels and resort areas offer guests everything they want, and even night entertainment.

Vacationers are presented with such entertainment as water skiing, catamarans, windsurfing, snorkeling; excursions; there are golf courses. Thalassotherapy procedures are very popular and available, which help not only rejuvenate the body, reduce weight, but also relieve nervous tension, improve the metabolic processes of the body. The locals are very friendly to tourists. At the entrance to the store, shop, hotel and other buildings, it is customary to say hello here. Since the country is Muslim, it is recommended to study its main national characteristics.

You can find tours to Tunisia online on the "search for tours to Tunisia" page. As for independent travel in Tunisia, it's not all simple. Unfortunately, the cost of regular flights to Tunisia is comparable, if not higher, with the cost of package tours, which include flights and hotel accommodation. Transport links in Tunisia are not very developed, and in most cases an economical tourist will have to travel by taxi. The population in non-tourist areas is not used to seeing tourists, which is why in such places everyone's attention will be riveted to you. And it's not easy to find a budget hotel like "spend the night and go on" here. But, if you still plan to visit Tunisia on your own, on the pages of our website you will find the necessary information for this.

Cities of Tunisia

The capital is Tunis.

Major cities are Tunis, Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, Ariana.

The main resorts are Hammamet, Sousse, Monastir, Mahdia, Tabarka, Djerba Island.

The lowest point of Tunisia is Shott el Garza (17 m below sea level), and the highest is the city of Jebel Shambi (1544 m).

Tunisia also owns the islands of Djerba and Karkana in the Gulf of Gabes.

State structure

Tunisia is a presidential republic with a unicameral parliament. The head of state is the President, who is elected by universal suffrage of citizens for 5 years. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of the army and appoints the composition of the Government and the Prime Minister.

Legislative power is exercised by the Chamber of Deputies – an elected body elected for 5 years. Executive power is exercised by the President with the help of the Government headed by the Prime Minister. The judiciary is independent and represents a single system of the national secular court.

Tunisian economy

Tunisia's economic performance has been growing steadily over the past few years. There has been an increase in industry: clothing, textile, metallurgical. Since recently, there has been an active development of oil fields. Tunisia is a major producer and exporter of phosphorites, dates and olive oil in the world.

The basis of the economy is agriculture (cultivation of grain crops, vegetable growing, fruit growing of tropical crops, cattle breeding) and tourism.

Among the countries of the African continent, Tunisia stands out for a fairly high standard of living, about 60% of the population is "middle class".

The population of Tunisia

More than 10.5 million people live in the country. The population of Tunisia comes from an ancient North African tribe of Berbers and professes Sunni Islam. Islam is the State religion of Tunisia.

The overwhelming majority of the population (97%) are Arabs, 1% are Berbers, 1.5% are Circassians, there is a small part of Jews, Christians, Catholics. In Tunisia and Bizerte have Orthodox churches, there is even a Jewish community.

The language of Tunisia

The official language of the Republic of Tunisia is Arabic, along with French. English and German are also sometimes used in the tourism business. But to meet a local resident who is able to understand at least something in English is a great success.

Tunisian weather, tourist seasons

The climate of Tunisia is greatly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert located nearby, so in the north and along the coast it is subtropical Mediterranean, and in the south and in the interior it is tropical desert.

The weather in the country is relatively comfortable throughout the year. Average summer temperatures range from 25C to 32C, and average winter temperatures range from 8C to 12C. On the coast, the summer heat is more easily tolerated due to the sea breeze. The bathing season lasts from May to September.

Precipitation falls mainly in the winter months, especially a large number of them - in mountainous areas, in the desert they may not be for several years in a row.

A good time to visit Tunisia for a beach holiday – from the end of April to June and from September to October. At this time, the average air temperature is 25C, and the water temperature is 22C. In the period from July to August it is very hot, because of the wind blowing from the Sahara, bringing heat, the air warms up to 40C and above.

Any time of the year is suitable for sightseeing holidays in Tunisia. But it should be borne in mind that in January-February the water and air temperature averages 10C, rains; in March-April the air warms up to 20C; in May-June and September-October – up to 28C; in November-December it cools down to 15C, heavy rains are possible. There may be frosts in the desert at night. Therefore, when going to Tunisia for a sightseeing holiday, do not forget to bring warm clothes with you.

Time in Tunisia

The time in Tunisia is 2 hours behind Moscow time in summer and winter. The transition to summer and winter time in Tunisia is not carried out.

Useful information about Tunisia

Museum opening hours. Tunisian museums are open on all days except Monday, from 9.00 to 16.30.

Store opening hours. Tunisian shops are open on weekdays in winter - from 09.00 to 12.00 and from 15.00 to 19.00, in summer - from 08.00 to 12.00 and from 16.00 to 20.00. During the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, a special mode of operation is usually established: from 09.00 to 13.00 and from 19.00 to 21.00.

Electricity in Tunisia. The mains voltage is 220V, the current frequency is 50 Hz. Standard European sockets.

Communication in Tunisia. In Tunisia, there are a sufficient number of payphones with the inscription "Taxiphones" and "Taxiphon internationale" meeting points that have access to an international line. Negotiation points are open from 08.00 to 22.00. Payment for international negotiations is made in coins of 1 dinar, domestic - in 1/2 dinar and 100 millim. Money can be exchanged with an employee of the negotiation point. A call from a public payphone is much cheaper than from a hotel phone, about three times.

To make a call to Russia, you need to dial (00), Russia code (7), city code and subscriber number. To make calls to Tunisia, you need to dial (8) (10), Tunis code (216), area code and subscriber number.

As for the Internet, it is everywhere, but, as a rule, it is paid.

Useful phone numbers:

• Russian Embassy in Tunisia — (71) 88-24-58
• Embassy of Tunisia in Moscow — (495) 691-28-58
• Police — 197
• Fire service — 198
• Ambulance — 190 or around the clock 846, 767

Tips in Tunisia. Tips, as a rule, amount to 10% of the cost of an order at a restaurant, if they are not automatically included in the bill. If you wish to thank for the service rendered, they amount to: from 0.5 to 1 dinars – to a porter, a maid, from 3 to 5 dinars – to bus drivers, guides. For an even bill, you can round up the amount of payment in a taxi in a big way.

Visiting mosques. Tunisia is a Muslim state, and therefore, when visiting mosques, it is worthwhile to clarify at the entrance about the possibility of entering representatives of another religion. In most cases, non-believers are not allowed to enter the main premises of mosques, however, when entering the territory you may not be notified of this in a timely manner, and you will pay for a walk around the mosque.