La Goulette

La Goulette
حلق الوادي
Municipality
Panorama of La Goulette
Panorama of La Goulette
La Goulette is located in Tunisia
La Goulette
La Goulette
Location in Tunisia
Coordinates: 36°49′5″N 10°18′18″E / 36.81806°N 10.30500°E / 36.81806; 10.30500
Country Tunisia
GovernorateTunis Governorate
Delegation(s)La Goulette
Government
 • MayorAmel Limam (Tahya Tounes)
Population
 (2014)
 • Total
45,711
Time zoneUTC1 (CET)

La Goulette (French: [la ɡulɛt]; Italian: La Goletta), also known by the endonym Halq al-Wadi (Arabic: حلق الوادي, romanized: Ḥalq al-Wādī, Tunisian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈħalq əlˈwɛːd], lit. 'the River's Throat'), is a municipality and the port of Tunis, Tunisia.

La Goulette is located at around 36°49′5″N 10°18′18″E / 36.81806°N 10.30500°E / 36.81806; 10.30500 on a sandbar between Lake Tūnis and the Gulf of Tunis. The port, located 12km east of Tunis, is the point of convergence of Tunisia's major road and rail networks. La Goulette is linked to Tunis by the TGM railway and to Europe by a ferry service.

Origin of the name

The name derives from the "gullet" or "river's throat", a channel where the city is located – and not from the ship type schooner, called goulette, gulet, goleta or goletta in French, Turkish, Spanish and Italian, respectively.[citation needed]

Transit activities

In addition to its transit and cruise activities, the port of La Goulette also receives ships carrying cargoes such as cars, and bulk cereals. It handles a large portion of the country's imports and much of its exports (principally phosphates, iron ore, and fruits and vegetables).

However, the development plan of the port provides for its specialization as a port exclusively reserved for passenger and tourist traffic.

History

The Fort de la Goulette, a kasbah fortress, was built in 1535 by Charles I of Spain, but was captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1574. The remains of Hispano-Turkish fortifications lie inland.

The port was a popular destination for summer holidays in the 19th century. La Goulette's Sicilian town quarter became commonly known as la Petite Sicile ("Little "Sicily"). It once housed a prominent Italian community – among others the actress Claudia Cardinale. It was also home to sizeable Jewish and Maltese communities. In 1868, the Treaty of La Goulette was signed here.

Population

2014 Census
Homes Families Males Females Total
17930 12658 22889 22822 45711

See also

References

  1. ↑ Linea, Corsica. "CORSICA linea". www.corsicalinea.com (in French). Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "La Goulette | Tunisia". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  3. ↑ "Goulette – Office de la Marine Marchande et des Ports". Retrieved 2021-07-06.
  4. ↑ "التعداد العام للسكان والسكنى 2014" (PDF). ins.tn (in Arabic). Retrieved 2025-05-22.