Final Essay

At the northern-most part of Africa lies the country of Tunisia. Tunisia’s CultureGram (2014) describes the country has having 63,000 square miles and having hundreds of miles of beaches along the Mediterranean Sea. This country has a variety of landscapes. The Atlas Mountains separate the south of the country that contains dry salt lakes and the border of the Sahara Desert from fertile land of the north of the country. Because of Tunisia’s location, it has a mild climate. The temperature is around 52°F in the winter (December to February) and 80°F in the summer (June to August) (“Tunisia,” 2014). Since Tunisia is in Africa, their population commonly wears traditional African clothing. Many older women wear a safsari when in public to protect

The family is close-knit and support throughout the family are important to Tunisians. Typically, the men are the bread-winners, while the women stay home and raise the children. Tunisia is a more progressive Muslim country about women’s rights and there is a change in the roles of the women. About one-fourth of the women work outside the home for cheap labor. This may cause stress on the family if both parents work and they have young children that need to be taken care of during the day. Many children go to school starting at first grade and will need someone to look over them until at time (“Tunisia,”

The national dish of Tunisia is couscous, which is usually topped with vegetables and meat (“Tunisia,” 2014). Olives, dates, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and olive oil are common agriculture products in this country and they are incorporated into dishes. In addition, Tunisians also eat fish, lamb, and chicken. Alinouri and Khansanamy (2015) report that Muslims (and Tunisians) believe that prevention of diseases is a main principle of life and that the stomach is the house of all diseases. This urges Tunisians to eat healthy and pray before meals to avoid illness (Alinouri & Khansanamy, 2015). Since the women are responsible for the household, it is customary that the women do the shopping for the food. Shopping for food can be done at grocery stores and local food markets (“Tunisia,” 2014). Tunisians do not eat alone, so it is common to have the whole family eat their meals together (“Tunisia”, 2014). Urban residents use individual plates and utensils to eat. In rural areas, families sit on the floor and use a round table, called a mida, which is close to the floor to eat on. They tend to eat with their hands of use bread to scoop up their food. They also use a common plate in comparison to urban residents. It is customary to offer guests second or third helpings over you and your family. It is also seen polite to accept the extra helpings (“Tunisia,”