Geography
Tunisia Quiz
Star Wars filming locations, ancient Carthage, and the Arab Spring's birthplace.
Star Wars filming locations, ancient Carthage, and the Arab Spring's birthplace.
Tunisia ignited the Arab Spring in December 2010 when street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest police harassment, sparking a wave of protests that toppled President Ben Ali and inspired revolutions across the Arab world. Yet Tunisia stands apart as the only country from those uprisings to achieve a lasting democratic transition — earning it the nickname "the Arab Spring's only success story." This small but historically mighty nation also gave the world the filming locations for Star Wars, the ruins of ancient Carthage, and the world's finest Roman mosaics.
From Cap Angela — the northernmost point of Africa — to the Saharan sands that doubled as Tatooine, this quiz covers Tunisia's geography, the legend of Queen Dido and Carthage, Hannibal's crossing of the Alps, the Arab Spring, Tunisian cuisine, UNESCO heritage sites, and Star Wars filming trivia you'll want to show off.
George Lucas filmed large portions of the original Star Wars (1977) and later prequel films in southern Tunisia. The planet Tatooine was named after the town of Tataouine. Key locations include the troglodyte (underground) homes of Matmata, which served as Luke Skywalker's home, and the ksour (fortified granaries) such as Ksar Ouled Soltane and Ksar Hadada. The Mos Espa set, built near Tozeur, is gradually being buried by advancing sand dunes.
The Arab Spring was a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that swept across the Arab world beginning in late 2010. It was sparked in Tunisia when Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old street vendor, set himself on fire on December 17, 2010 after police confiscated his cart and humiliated him. His act of protest sparked massive demonstrations that forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011 — becoming the first Arab leader toppled by popular protest. The revolution spread to Egypt, Libya, Syria, and beyond.
Carthage was founded around 814 BC by Phoenician settlers from Tyre (modern Lebanon), according to legend by Queen Dido. It grew into one of the most powerful cities in the ancient Mediterranean. After three devastating Punic Wars with Rome, Carthage was utterly destroyed by Roman forces in 146 BC. Roman general Scipio Aemilianus ordered the city razed, its population enslaved, and — according to legend — salt plowed into the earth. Rome later rebuilt a new city on the same site, and the ruins outside modern Tunis are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last updated: March 2026