LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Tunisia: Mediterranean Sea
built 628 days ago
![[whereIsTunisia graphic]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/t/u/n/tunisia/i/025.gif)
From one to three hours flying time of various European gateways, Tunisia is visited by nearly four million tourists annually. While the majority of these tourists are Europeans seeking sun, sea and sand, Tunisia offers the sophisticated traveler many more enticing attractions.
Source:
Today, Tunisia is a popular tourist destination, noted for its sunny weather, splendid beaches, varied scenery, Saharan oases, and well-preserved ancient Roman sites. Tunis, a seaport on the eastern coast, is the capital and largest city.
Source:
![[Country Map]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/t/u/n/tunisia/i/026.jpg)
Tunisia has a relatively well-developed infrastructure that includes six commercial seaports and six international airports. The prequalification phase for a seventh airport near the coast at Enfidha was announced in April 2004. The project, a Build-to-Own 40-year concession eventually able to handle 30 million passengers per year, was awarded in May 2007 to a Turkish group and construction is expected to begin in July 2007. A tender for a deep water port in the same region is expected ....
Source:
[A] very large, central chunk of Tunisia is visually dull. Travelling the classic six/seven hours [one way] from Tunis down to Matmata/Sahara the view is flat and featureless, offering little more than 55 million olive trees and a few shabby, half-built towns, though seaside towns like Sousse and Mahdia have impressive forts, mosques and city walls and El Jem Colosseum is, well, a gem.
Source:
Financial assistance to Tunisia has been channelled through the EU's Mediterranean programme MEDA. Tunisia is one of the main recipients of MEDA: since 1995 it gets 15.2% of the MEDA budget, while having 5% of the population in the region. Under MEDA II (2000-2006), funds allocated to it account for € 544 million. The trade objectives financed through MEDA II include the following strategic priorities:
Source:
Tunisia is governed under the constitution of 1959 as amended. The president, who is the head of state, is popularly elected for a five-year term, with no term limits. The bicameral legislature consists of the 189-seat Chamber of Deputies, whose members are popularly elected every five years, and the 126-seat Chamber of Advisers, whose members are either appointed by the president (41) or elected by indirect vote (85) and serve six-year terms. The prime minister, who is the head of government, and cabinet are appointed by the president. Administratively, the country is divided into 24 governates.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Mediterranean Sea