TUNISIA: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

When I was in high school, I was part of the concert band. French horn had been my instrument since middle school, but I also played piano as well. But then I discovered we also had a jazz band. Jazz was cool to me, and I couldn’t get enough. The problem was that the French horn wasn’t a jazz instrument, and they already had enough piano players. So, I listened from the sidelines, taking note of composers, musicians, and songs I liked so that I could immerse myself into this new world of jazz. There were three pieces that stuck out as my “Top 3 songs that never get old”: “Take the A Train” by Duke Ellington, “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck, and of course: “A Night in Tunisia” by Dizzy Gillespie.

The name of the country Tunisia takes its name from its capital city of Tunis. It may be related to the Berber root word for “to lay down” or “encampment” and may also be related to the ancient city of Tynes. Before this area became known as Tunisia, it was known as Ifriqiya, which lent its name to the word Africa, that the whole continent is now known.

Tunisia is located in northern Africa, nestled in between Algeria to the west and Libya to the east. It also has a coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. Directly north of it is the Italian island of Sardinia, and to the northeast is the Italian island of Sicily and the country of Malta. The eastern end of the Atlas Mountains touch Tunisia as does the northern edge of the Sahara Desert. However, much of the country is on fertile land. So, even though it’s not that large of a country, compared to other north African countries, it’s quite diverse in its environment. Tunisia and Algeria have some salt lakes called chotts that run along the northern edge of the Sahara; the largest one is in Tunisia and called Chott el Djerid.

Ancient Berbers were the first ones to live and farm in this area. The Phoenicians then settled here and set up the city of Carthage in the 9th century BC. It would become a major city in the Western Mediterranean. They were engaged in wars with Greek-run Sicily, and then Carthage (under the guidance of Hannibal) attacked Rome in a series of wars called the Punic Wars. There was a lot of prosperity during this time as an exporter of olive oil and cereal grains. During the Middle Ages, the Arabs expanded their territory across northern Africa. It took a while to convert all the people (ya think?), but one of the first Islamic cities was Kairouan, home to one of the oldest mosques in this area, the Mosque of Uqba. By the 1500s, the Ottomans were on the move and the areas around the Mediterranean were in its sights. They took over Tunis, and after they endured fighting with European forces, Tunisia lost a lot of its territory and was in a lot of debt. So, now enters France, who took it under its wing as a protectorate. French people (as well as Italians) started moving into Tunisia. During WWII, Vichy Tunisia was occupied by Nazi Germany briefly and was the site of a series of battles. Tunisia finally declared its independence from France in 1956 and announced itself as a republic a year later. In many ways, Tunisia was one of the more modern countries, yet there were many ways in that it was quite repressive to its citizens. Extremely unhappy with then-President Ben Ali over corruption, mismanagement, human rights issues against political adversaries, lack of free speech, high unemployment, and inflation, Tunisians led a revolt and revolution in 2011. It took awhile for things to settle down, and there was quite a shift in leadership and how things were done after that.

The capital city is the northern port city of Tunis. The ancient city of Carthage is a suburb of Tunis. Originally a Berber settlement, evidence of Tunis as a city dates back to the 4th century BC. The city’s ancient medina is listed as a World Heritage Site. As old as this city is and has preserved many of its oldest landmarks, it’s also quite a modern city. With museums, parks, universities, sports venues, restaurants and nightlife, it’s no wonder why Tunis is often the site for international festivals and conventions.

Tunisia is known for having a diverse economy from agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, petroleum, and some mining. Several years ago, they were ranked the most competitive economy in Africa, and today they have several multinational companies with offices in Tunisia. However, they are mainly an export country, with strong partnerships with the EU. Right now, there’s a lot of growth happening with several big building projects on the horizon.

Nearly 98% of Tunisians are Muslim (mostly Sunni), with the remaining 2% being Christian, Jewish, or some other religion. They’re generally fairly tolerant of people being of other religions, as long as you follow the rules of Ramadan. A few years ago, several men were arrested and handed a month-long jail sentence for eating in public. Sheesh.

Arabic is the official language of Tunisia, but more specifically, Tunisian Arabic (also called Tounsi). And because Tunisia was originally Berber land, there are smaller numbers of people who speak some Berber languages, known collectively as Jebbali or Shelha (not sure why there are two names). Although it’s not an official language, French is often used in education, business, and the media, not to mention that many signs are written in both Arabic and French. Since there has been a small Italian population for a long time, there are also pockets of people who speak Italian.

Tataouine from Star Wars is a real city in Tunisia of the same name.

Tunisia has long been involved in the film industry. When the Lumière brothers first created their famous camera and started filming, Tunis was one of the places he showcased his films and animation. And it wasn’t long before their landscape became the backdrop for other films to create their worlds, like Star Wars (including Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and Episode II: Attack of the Clones), The English Patient, Monty Python’s Life of Brian, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Little Prince, and Where To Invade Next. The place I can’t wait to invade is my kitchen when I make Tunisian food soon.

Up next: art and literature

MOROCCO: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Several years ago, we got a cat. It was the cutest mousetrap I could find. My daughter gave me three name choices she wanted to go with: Marina, Melissa, and Morocco. The first two, while nice names for girls, are not names I would give my cat. So, Morocco it was. Since then, the kids have had this interest with the country of Morocco. For me, I’ve been interested in it since I was a kid, and my best friend at the time told me her grandmother visited Morocco. I asked why, and she showed me some photos, and it was beautiful. And those couple of photos changed my view. 

Morocco, the cat, warming her booty on the vent.

The English name for the country (Morocco) is based off of the Anglicized version of the Spanish name of the country, Marruecos, which is named after the city of Marrakesh. Many languages still refer to this country by their version of the word for Marrakesh, although the Turkish word is based off of the city of Fes. The term Maghreb, which now refers to all of Northern Africa, literally means “the West.” It once referred to just the western-most corner of northern Africa.

Morocco is located in the northwestern corner of Africa, surrounded by Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to the south. The Atlantic Ocean covers its western side. Morocco is also just across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain and Gibraltar (it’s only about 8 miles across between Morocco and Gibraltar). There are a few enclaves that belong to Spain; the major ones are Ceuta and Melilla. Smaller ones include Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera, Peñón de Alhucemas, and the Islas Chafarinas. The island of Perejil near Ceuta is disputed between Morocco and Spain. The nearby city of Tangier is the oldest city in Morocco. The Rif Mountains run along the northern coast while the Atlas Mountains run down its backbone until it comes to the Sahara Desert in the south. Morocco has a diverse climate to match its diverse landscape. Its mountain ranges lead to cooler, drier climates with snowfall and skiing (and the record cold temperatures for Africa at -11ºF). There are also forested areas, coastal plains, Mediterranean climates, and desert, which all contribute to its biodiversity. 

Way a long time ago, Morocco didn’t quite look the way we see it today. It was far less arid for one thing; the Sahara used to be quite smaller. Scientists have made links between some of the original people here with Cro-Magnons and others in Europe; mitochondrial DNA evidence shows similarities between the Berbers and the Saami (of Scandinavia). When the Phoenicians began to explore the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, they began to establish communities everywhere they landed. Around this time, Morocco was part of the Kingdom of Mauretania (not to be confused with Mauritania the country). As the Roman Empire expanded, Morocco was swept up in their territory as well. During the 7^th century, the Islamic Empire made its way across northern Africa, and the Berbers adopted their religion and ways of life. However, they did keep many of their own customary laws as well. From about the 11-15^th centuries, the Berbers went through several dynasty changes, dealing with migration, warring states, and famine. Morocco was actually the first state to recognize the United States’ independence. They even declared protection for American merchant ships from Barbary pirates. France had its eye on Morocco and began to make the moves. However, Spain still wanted to hold onto Ceuta, and France wasn’t trying to hear it; often course, they fought for many years over which areas of Morocco they were going to take. Moroccans fought on the side of the French during WWI and WWII, and alongside the Spanish Nationalist Army during the Spanish Civil War. During the early 1950s, France ousted Sultan Mohammed V and put in the guy no one hardly wanted, Mohammed Ben Aarafa. That set everyone off in violent protests. Mohammed V finally returned, France ended the protectorate, and Spain gave up its territories except for the few enclaves it still has. The Polisario movement began during the early 1970s to encourage the independence of Spanish Sahara. After some political movements, Spain peaced out, and the land became known as Western Sahara. It’s jointly “governed” by Morocco and Mauritania, and Algeria has had its problems with this arrangement, which led to several conflicts and cold shoulders throughout the decades. There have been efforts in recent years to establish its independence, but the Polisario has rejected the proposals. In the past couple of decades, Morocco has had some problems with homegrown terrorists; a handful of Moroccans were responsible for the 2003 Madrid train bombings and a number of other violent acts. 

Although Casablanca is the largest city and namesake of the 1942 movie Casablanca, the capital is actually Rabat. This city is located at the mouth of the Bou Regreg River, along Morocco’s Atlantic coast toward the northern part of the country. Across the river is its partner city Salé. It’s not one of the main ports, but it’s also the center for commerce, government, and has a number of sports venues, theatres, museums, and shopping centers/markets. With its modern architecture and infrastructure, it’s no wonder why this World Heritage Site ranked second on CNN’s “Top Travel Destinations of 2013.” 

Morocco was ranked number one at one time among African countries when it comes to quality of life (now they rank fifth, but that’s still pretty decent). Since they began to privatize certain economic sectors that used to be controlled by the government, they rose to become the 5^th strongest economy by GDP in Africa. Because tourism is such a high economic driver, the services sector makes up the largest portion of jobs. Textiles, telecommunications, and information technology are other fields that strengthen Morocco’s economy. 

Nearly all Moroccans are Muslim (about 99% of the people). Sunnis make up about two-thirds of Muslims, and non-denominational Muslims making up just less than a third. There is a small number of Christians in Morocco, mostly Roman Catholic with some Protestant denominations mixed in. In the larger cities (Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh), small Jewish communities surround some of the few temples in the country. 

Morocco has two official languages: Arabic and Berber. Some 90% communicate in Moroccan Arabic, especially using the dialect known as Darija. The Berber spoken in Morocco has three main dialects: Central Atlas Tamazight, Tarifit, and Tashelhit. Because of Morocco’s past dealings with France, French is still used often as a second language. In fact, it’s still used in the media, many governmental offices, and medium/large businesses will still use French for ease in the international business community. And because of their close ties to Spain throughout its history, Spanish is also spoken, especially in the some of the northern regions and in the south where the Spanish occupied Spanish Sahara. English is the top foreign language studied in school.

There are so many cool things about Morocco, that it would be hard to list them all here. But here are just a few: 1) the first time I heard of the city of Marrakesh was in an episode of the British show Absolutely Fabulous; apparently the city is famous for its markets. 2) The oldest university in the world is often attributed to the city of Fes. 3) Morocco is known for its large production of hashish. The term reefer is named after the Rif Mountains where most of it is grown. 4) To Moroccans, the liver is associated with love, not the heart. 5) Morocco has been used as a haven for artists, writers, musicians, and other foreigners who have been attracted to its Mediterranean climate and beautiful scenery. And I look forward to learning more about what drew them here.

Up next: art and literature

DJIBOUTI: THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE

Ah, Djibouti. It’s long been the “butt” of many jokes for English speakers.  These jokes were usually placed at the  “bottom” of my joke list, though. However, I’m going to put this “behind” me, get it out of my system, and move on; I will do my best to look forward and not to the “rear.” 

Djibouti is one of four countries that make up the Horn of Africa, along with Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The country itself is fairly small, slightly smaller than the US state of Massachusetts.  Djibouti lies on the Gulf of Aden and the southern entrance to the Red Sea. There are eight mountain ranges, the highest being Mousa Ali (which includes a volcano), and the entire country is covered by desert.  The climate is hot in the winter and hotter in the summer. The name “Djibouti” is named after the capital city of the same name. Although linguists aren’t exactly sure, but there is reason to believe Djibouti may be related to the Afar word gabouti, which is a doormat made of palm fibers, or possibly stemmed from “Land of Tehuti,” the Egyptian god of the moon.

Some historians believe Djibouti (and surrounding areas) is the place the ancient Egyptians called Punt (or Puntland), who was a major trading partner with Egypt at that time. (I wonder if people from Punt were called Punters. – Sorry, a little football joke.) This area was mostly inhabited with the Somali and Afar peoples.  The Ifat Sultinate is one of the major ancient kingdoms to reign in this region and of course there were several others afterwards.  In the mid-to-late 1800s, the French came in and set up their French administration in the capital city, later taking over and renaming the country French Somaliland (rather unoriginal, considering there was an Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland as well.) Several decades later in 1967, it was renamed again to French Territory of the Afars and Issas.  (Slightly wordy, it was at least more reflective of the original peoples). The people held a couple of referendums regarding their independence, but finally in 1977, Djibouti became its own country.  Although there was some political conflict that led to fighting starting in the early part of the 1990s, it had generally been resolved in the 2000s in an agreement of power.  Djibouti does hold the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa, which is a key base in the assistance in the global watch on terrorism.    

The capital city of Djibouti City has about 600,000 people – roughly the size of Portland, Oregon.  This seaport is known for its sand beaches, which are major tourist spots.  The city is also known its many markets, many of which are open-air markets selling everything from fabrics, woven goods, and jewelry to fresh meats and vegetables and grains. Much of the culture and architecture is a mix of Somali, Arab, and French styles and traditions.  Soccer is pretty popular, and they have a stadium that holds many international sporting events. Djibouti City is also a financial hub for many up-and-coming businesses in all fields.

By far, Djibouti’s largest trade partners are neighboring Ethiopia and Somalia. Djibouti also refines about four million tons of salt from the Lake Assal region annually – which also happens to be the lowest point in the entire continent of Africa.  With the help of Chinese investment, they are looking to expand the salt industry.  They do have problems with high unemployment; some estimates put it around 50%.  Because of persistent problems with drought causing an unfavorable environment for growing, most of their food is imported from other countries.  This also causes the country to have a lot of long-term debt they have to deal with.

While Arabic and French are official languages, most people also speak Somali or Afar as a first language.  Different dialects of Arabic are also found spoken in Djibouti, mostly in immigrant populations, as well as other minority languages.

The vast majority of Djiboutians practice Islam – about 94% of the population. In fact, the Constitution of Djibouti specifically lists Islam as the state religion, with Sunni Muslims making up the largest group and non-denominational Muslims being the second.  The remaining 6% of the population are Christian – there is a small Catholic population overseen by the Diocese of Djibouti.

 I read that one of the common “pastimes” in Djibouti is qat chewing.  Qat (also spelled khat) is a medicinal plant, when chewed gives narcotic effects.  In fact, it’s banned in a lot of European countries (weirdly enough, not the UK).  It’s also banned in the US, but from what I could gather, it will be seized but not for the reasons you might think: it’s not seized as an illegal substance, but because “it’s labeling fails to bear adequate directions for use” according to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Sounds weird… So, while I may not be getting so local as to chew some qat, but I am looking forward to eating some Djiboutian food and learning more about a country that up until now has long just been relegated to geographical jokes.

 Up next: holidays and celebrations