What is life like in Tunisia ?

Location and history:

Tunisia is a relatively small country located in north Africa. With over 3000 years of history, the country have seen many civilizations rise and fall. A long list of empires and events that goes from Cartage to the Ottomans to the French colonization near the end of the 19th century. Today, and ever since the revolution in 2011, Tunisia has been a democracy with approximately 99% of its population having Islam as a religion. 

How do people live in Tunisia?

Well, this is quite an imprecise question, because, like every country in the world, the lifestyle differs between the people in the city and mainly the capital and those in the countryside. And no, people here don't live in the Sahara and don't ride camels, those are mainly for tourism. In Tunisia, coastal cities specifically tend to have better infrastructures and offer a better quality of life for its residents. Living in the country may be considered cheap on an international level but the prices don't really match the medium income of the people especially in bigger cities like the capital Tunis. As a result, taking multiple jobs, corruption, tax evasions and many other ways of making more money are quite frequent.

How does the upper class live in Tunisia?

The upper class mainly live in the capital or other coastal cities and have a more western lifestyle, a lifestyle that resembles, in a way, the French one. Partying, traveling, going to college in the country or abroad, is very frequent for the upper class, frequent and normal for both men and women. And no, women are not oppressed by the law in Tunisia, the country is a leader for women's rights in the Arab world. 

How does the rest of the Tunisian people live?

With Islam being the state's official religion, Tunisians value it and follows its teachings to a certain degree. Many do pray many do not but the majority is conservative and consists of true believers. There is no denial that the Tunisian society is dysfunctional and oppressed, not by the law, but by itself. On the one hand, Tunisian men enjoy spending hours and hours in cafés daily chatting with friends or just simply wasting time while ignoring their responsibilities toward their families and jobs, jobs that they won't probably do and still get paid. On the other hand women must take care of the family home and the children while working in the same time and earning a living.  And while education is mandatory until the age of 16 and free, many children leave school early to find a job.

What do people eat in Tunisia? 

Well, people here eat a variety of food in a typical eating pattern of 3 meals a day. While 50 years ago, Tunisian used to eat traditional meals, they have today embraced more western eating habits. Fast-food, Italian and Turkish cuisine are quite popular in the country. Nonetheless, traditional cuisine still holds an important place in the everyday life of the Tunisian people. From "brik" to " ftayer " to infamous "couscous", they enjoy having a variety of exquisite meals and snacks.

Means of transport in Tunisia , how to get around?

Tunisia has numerous means of transport. The easiest and most reliable one being: having your own car. That way, you can go where ever you want when ever you want to. The second most reliable one is taking a taxi. It's relatively cheap and it can take you everywhere in the city. The problem is: it's getting more and more difficult to find one these days. One can also take public transport, in Tunis, the capital, for example there is a tramway  and many buses . They are very cheap but they lack punctuality and are often overcrowded. Moreover, to travel from a city to another, you can take either the bus or the train if you don't have a car.