The Berbers were the original inhabitants of Tunisia, but waves of immigration over the centuries have brought Phoenicians, Jews, Romans, Vandals and Arabs. There was a major influx of Spanish Muslims in the 17th century, and the Ottoman Turks have also added their bit to the great ethnic mix.

Islam is the state religion. Although while there has been a definite resurgence of religious adherence, particularly among the young and unemployed, the country remains fairly liberal. A small Jewish community practices in Tunis and on the island of Jerba, and there are also about 20,000 Roman Catholics.

Thanks largely to the efforts of the secular, socialist former president, Habib Bourguiba, conditions for women in Tunisia are better than just about anywhere in the Islamic world - to western eyes, at least. Bourguiba outlawed polygamy and divorce by renunciation, and also placed limits on the tradition of arranging marriages, setting a minimum marriage age of 17 for girls and giving them the right to refuse a proposed marriage. His calling the veil 'an odious rag' led to its present state of scarcity.

Still, ancient traditions die hard, and women travellers are well advised to keep their upper arms and shoulders covered and to opt for long skirts or trousers. Men wearing shorts are considered to be in their underwear and can sometimes incite indignation as well. Public displays of affection are frowned upon in most parts of the country.

Today, the country is virtually bilingual: Arabic is the language of government, but almost everyone speaks some French. French was the language of education in the early Bourguiba years and is still taught in schools from the age of six. English and German are also taught in schools, but it's rare to encounter either language outside the main tourist areas. The Berber language Chelha is heard only in isolated villages.

Hammams (public bathhouses) are one of life's focal points in Tunisia, as they are all across North Africa and the Middle East, and are seen as a place not just to clean up, but to unwind and socialise. Every town has at least one hammam, with separate areas for men and women - sometimes in separate buildings altogether. Men needn't bring anything with them - a fouta (cotton towel) is provided to wear around the hammam - though women are expected to bring their own towel (and to wear underpants while washing, so bring a dry pair to change into afterwards). The standard fee includes access to the bath and steam room and a kassa, a brisk rubdown with a coarse mitten.

The arts in Tunisia have been greatly influenced by the country's mix of cultures. Architectural styles, for instance, range from Punic and Roman ruins to the red-tiled 'Alpine' houses of 'Ain Draham, the Islamic architecture of the Arab medinas and the troglodytic Berber structures of the south.

Malouf, which means 'normal,' is the name given to a form of traditional Arab-style music that's become a sort of national institution in Tunisia. Among the principal styles of classical Tunisian music are nouba (the oldest, of Andalusian origin), chghoul and bachraf (of Turkish origin). The country's best known musicians, singers and composers include the El-Azifet ensemble (a rarity in this part of the world, it's an all-female group), Khemais Tarnane, Raoul Journou, Saliha, Saleh Mehdi, Ali Riahi, Hedi Jouini and Fethia Khairi, though you probably won't have much luck finding them outside of the country.

An astonishing number of floor mosaics have been discovered in Tunisia, where the country's warm, dry climate left many of them very well preserved. The mosaics date mainly from the 2nd to 6th centuries AD and come mostly from private houses and public baths. The Bardo Museum in Tunis has an impressive collection, as does the El-Jem Museum.

Introduced by the French, painting is a well-establish contemporary art medium in Tunis, with styles ranging from the geometric forms of Hédi Turki to the intricate, free-flowing Arabic calligraphy of Nja Mahdaoui. Under the French, many Europeans came to Tunisia to paint under the North African sun; perhaps the most famous was Paul Klee, who first visited in 1914. Modern galleries are mainly confined to the Tunis area, especially the artists' haven of Sidi Bou Saïd.

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