Tunisia
Olive Trees
55 million olive trees occupy much of the land between Tunis in northeast
Tunisia and Matmata in the centre east so if you're travelling from
the beach resorts of the Mediterranean such as Hammamet to the arid
sights of the south you can expect to stare at this view, interspersed
with the odd field of wheat, barley or maize, for around six hours
each way, with El Jem
or Kairouan the only
sight of interest on the way!
Tour guides thus have a tough time entertaining their clients so endless
trivia is expounded. For example, olive oil is Tunisia's main agricultural
export, with most of it going to France. Tourism is the country's
second biggest earner after farming.
And what's the difference between green and black olives? No, same
tree, it's just that black olives are left on the tree for a while
longer. i.e. they are more mature.
Tunisia Guide | Map | Africa Map | Pictures
