Cap Bon

Governorate: Nabeul

Population: 450,000

Situation and characteristics

The Cap Bon peninsula, 70km/44mi long and up to 40km/25mi wide, occupies the extreme northeastern tip of Tunisia, extending into the Mediterranean like a finger and separating the Gulf of Tunis to the north from the Gulf of Hammamet to the south. The cliffs at the end of the peninsula fall steeply down to the Sicilian Channel, which at this point is only 140km/87mi wide. With its variety of scenery, this "garden of Tunisia", as it is called, is one of the most attractive areas in the country.

Events There is a full program of events throughout the year on the Cap Bon peninsula. Among the most important are the following: March/April: Orange Festival at Menzel Bou Zelfa; April/May: Spring Festival in Nabeul; June: Sparrow-Hawk Festival at El Haouaria; May/June: Matanza (tunny-killing) at Sidi Daoud (only with special permission); June: Musical and Folk Festival in Nabeul; July: Agricultural Show at Menzel Temime; July/August: International Cultural Festival in Hammamet; August: Amateur Film Festival at Kelibia (alternate years); August: Drama Festival at Korba (alternate years); September; Festival at Grombalia and Bou Arkoub. Numerous events in Nabeul and Hammamet during the main holiday season.

Topography

Geologically the Cap Bon peninsula is an outlier of the Atlas Mountains which traverse the whole of the Maghreb. The Dorsale, the southern border of the range, extends northeastward to the base of the peninsula but is separated from it by a depression. The backbone of the peninsula is Djebel Sidi Abd er Rahmane, a ridge of hills rising to a height of up to 600m/2,000ft and ending in Djebel Sidi Abiod (393m/1,289ft), which falls steeply down to the Mediterranean.

Between the two ranges of hills is the Grombalia plain, which towards the end of the last ice age was covered by the waters of the Gulf of Tunis, then extending considerably farther south than it does today. Thereafter the plain was formed by geologically recent upthrusts and by the deposit of silt. Cap Bon is now one of the most intensively cultivated agricultural regions in Tunisia, thanks to its fertile alluvial soil and to the relatively high rainfall which, particularly in the northwest of the peninsula, promotes a luxuriant growth of Mediterranean vegetation.

The landscape as well as the structure of the peninsula is determined by geology. In the Grombalia plain to the southwest vegetable-growing and vines predominate; the northwest and north coasts are cliff-fringed, with many small rocky coves and inlets; the interior of the peninsula is a region of cornfields and pastureland; the east coast has endless beaches of white sand; and in the southeastern coastal strip vegetable-growing again predominates. Apart from Hammamet/Nabeul, the country's second largest tourist center, there are no major hotel complexes along the coasts of the peninsula.

History

The history of the peninsula has been influenced since ancient times by its nearness to Sicily (only 140km/90mi away) and thus to Europe. Even the name of the peninsula - which originally applied only to the rocky cape at its northern tip - comes from Italian.

As early as the seventh century B.C. the Carthaginians had recognized the agricultural possibilities of the peninsula. They grew mainly corn and olives, together with figs and pomegranates. The Romans continued this agricultural tradition, but in course of time gave preference to the growing of olives, then a more profitable crop.

Extensive raiding by the Beni Hilal nomads almost completely destroyed the agriculture of the peninsula in the 11th century. It revived only 600 years later, when Muslim refugees from Andalusia settled here, bringing with them more advanced agricultural techniques and new crops. Thanks to elaborate water supply systems (wells worked by animal power, norias), the introduction of the Spanish plough and the cultivation of a greater variety of crops, agriculture prospered as never before. Soon the peninsula was producing all the various Mediterranean species of fruit and vegetables, as well as tobacco, maize, pepper and tomatoes, and had again become the garden of Tunisia. Agriculture continued to flourish under the French protectorate, but it was now mainly settlers from Italy who grew vines, citrus fruits and vegetables in the peninsula. The most favored region was the Grombalia plain.

Well over 80% of the population still depend on agriculture for their subsistence. The peninsula now has 45% of Tunisia's total vine-growing area and produces 70% of the country's output of citrus fruits.

The supply of water for this intensive cultivation is now a major problem. The large-scale withdrawal of water by deep wells has led to a disturbing fall in the water table, and it has become necessary to bring in water by pipeline from the hills of northern Tunisia.Access

Cap Bon is reached on GP 1 from Tunis (Tunis-Soliman, 38km/24mi) or from Sousse (Sousse-Hammamet, 120km/75mi). The stretch of motorway between Tunis and Hammamet is at present being extended.