Tunis. Tunis is the capital and largest city of Tunisia.
The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as Grand Tunis, has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. As of 2020, it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region and the eleventh-largest in the Arab world.
Situated on a large Mediterranean Sea gulf, behind the Lake of Tunis and the port of La Goulette, the city extends along the coastal plain and the hills that surround it. At its core lies Ancient Medina, a World Heritage Site. East of the Medina, through the Sea Gate, begins the modern city Ville Nouvelle, traversed by the grand Avenue Habib Bourguiba, where the colonial-era buildings provide a clear contrast to smaller, older structures.
Further east by the sea lie the suburbs of Carthage, La Marsa, and Sidi Bou Said. As the capital of the country, Tunis is the focus of Tunisian political and administrative life and also the center of the country's commercial and cultural activities.
Tunis is the transcription of the Arabic name which can be pronounced as Tunus, Tunas, or Tunis. All three variations were mentioned by the Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi in his Mu'jam al-Buldan. Different explanations exist for the origin of the name Tunis. Some scholars relate it to the Phoenician goddess Tanith, as many ancient cities were named after patron deities. Some scholars claim that it originated from Tynes, which was mention