Today, I will tell you something about the culture in Tunisia, I will starte with a couple of facts and statistics ...
- Capital: Tunis
- Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
- Population: 9,974,722 (July 2004 est.)
- Ethnic Make-up: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
- Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
- Government: republic
Tunisia is located in north-central
Africa, between Algeria and Libya. The country has an area of 63,200 square
miles (164,000 square kilometers). It is situated next to the Mediterranean
coast and therefore, it is very open to Mediterranean influences. Tunisians are
a maritime people and have important contacts with other Mediterranean
countries over the sea. The coast is very important for the inhabitants of
Tunisia because all the essential things are concentrated on the coast. (The main
cities and contemporary development, including tourism).
Another very important part of the nature, are mountains, they play a role in Tunisia as determiners of climatic variation. Why are they so important? Well, a group of mountains separates the grain-producing areas of northern Tunisia from the high, dry plateau to the south. The highest point is Mount Ash-Sha'nabi, near Al-Qasrayn, at 5,050 feet (1,544 meters).
The Medjerda, is the longest river in
the country, it flows through Tunisia to the sea. Many drainage systems end in
saline lakes.
The people who live in Tunisia, speak
Arabic. The spoken language differs from the written language because there are
a couple of regional dialects. The main second language is French. On school
they have to learn as well Arabic and French. Only in a few elite schools they
also have to learn English.
The
flag has a red star and crescent, symbolizing Islam, in a white circle in a red
field. It derives from the Ottoman flag, reflecting Ottoman suzerainty over
Tunisia from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.
To end my blog, I will give you a couple of
rituals from Tunisia that you definitely have to know
- When you meet someone, you can only greet a person of the same sex with a handshake. A handshake between a men and a woman is only possible if the woman spread her hand first. Otherwise, a man should simply bow his head.
- Greet and say good-bye to each person individually.
Dining Etiquette and table manners
- When you are invited for diner by Tunisians, they will ask you to remove your shoes.
- Make sure you are dressed well, it shows respect to your hosts.
- The food will be served at knee height on a round table.
- At the begging and at the end of the meal, they will bring you a washing basin to wash your hands.
- Males and females may eat separately: men first and then women.
- Before starting to eat, the host will bless the food.
- Food is served in a communal bowl. You have to eat from the side of the bowl that is in front of you.
- You have to eat the food with your hands. It’s only allowed to use your right hand.
The Tunisian culture was so amazingly different but so great. There were magnificent landscapes. For me it is a country where there is still respect between families. The food was delicious.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenWhich was a little bit weird,was removing our shoes when we wanted to eat. Personally, I think it's more polite to keep your shoes on while eating. But each country has its own traditions. I found the food was delicious.
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