Facts about Tunis
Tunis is located in north-eastern Tunisia, on a large Mediterranean gulf, (the Gulf of Tunis), behind the Lake of Tunis, and the port of La Goulette (Halq al Wadi).
The Arab League, which represents 22 Arab nations, transferred its headquarters to Tunis in 1979 in response to Egypt's peace with Israel, but it has been headquartered back in Egypt since 1990.
Mulai Hassan fled to the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor King of Spain, who had suffered at the hands of the corsairs operating out of Djerba, Tunis and Algiers.
Independence from France was achieved on March 20, 1956, as a constitutional monarchy with the Bey of Tunis, Muhammad VIII al-Amin Bey, taking the title of King of Tunisia.
Informal estimates place the population of greater Tunis at nearly four million.
Tunis has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot summers and mild winters, when there is the most rainfall.
The Palestine Liberation Organization also had its headquarters in Tunis, from the 1970s to 2003.
The Tunis-Carthage International Airport is located northeast of the city.
Tunisia is dominated by a single political party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally Party.
Muslim invaders destroyed Carthage a second time in 698 C.E., and Tunis became the capital city of the Arab Aghlabid dynasty (800–909).
In 1539, Tunis passed into the hands of the Ottoman Turks, but it was retaken by the Spaniards in 1573, who held it until 1574 when the Ottomans retook the city.
Ninety eight percent of Tunisia's population were Arab, one percent were European, while Jewish and others totaled one percent.
Tunis (Arabic: ????, T?nis) is the capital and largest city of the Tunisian Republic.
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural (olives and cereals), mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors.
Tunis is the site of the University of Tunis, founded in 1960, as well as Tunisia Private University.
Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region.
During World War II the Axis forces of Germany, Italy, and Japan held Tunis from November 1942 to May 1943, their last base in Africa.
Tunis was captured by the King of Spain, then the English, and it was invaded by France.
Tunis is the capital of the Tunis Governorate, which is one of Tunisia's 24 governorates, each of which are divided into 262 districts (mutamadiyat), and further subdivided into delegations.
The A1 motorway connects Tunis with Sfax to the south, the A3 connects Oued Zarga and Bйja to the west, while the A4 is the link with Bizerte.
In 146 B.C.E., the Romans destroyed Tunis (along with Carthage) during the Third Punic War between Carthage and Rome.
According to statistics released in December 2008, Tunisia hosted, during the first 11 months of 2008, around 6.6 million tourists, an increase of 3.7 percent on the previous year.
Inhabitants of Tunis face health risks posed by ineffective toxic and hazardous waste disposal, water pollution from raw sewage, and limited natural fresh water resources.
Tunis was used by Nazi Germany as a supply depot during World War II, and since gaining independence in 1945, it was the center for the Arab League and the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
During this time, Tunis was one of the richest and grandest cities in the Islamic world, with a population of about 100,000.
Tunisia is a republic in which the president, who is chief of state, is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and has no term limits.
The French occupied Tunis from 1881 to 1956, having established a protectorate system of administration that recognized the nominal authority of local government.
Carthage, Le Bardo, La Goulette, La Marsa, and Medina are among the 22 delegations of Tunis.