La Goulette (; ), also known by the endonym Halq al-Wadi (, , ), is a municipality and the port of Tunis, Tunisia.
La Goulette is located at around 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 locatedand not from the ship type schooner, called , , or in French, Turkish, Spanish and Italian, respectively.
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 communityamong 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 CensusHomesFamiliesMalesFemalesTotal1793012658228892282245711
See also European enclaves in North Africa before 1830 Tunisian navy (1705-1881) Luis Fajardo, attacked this place in 1609 Tunisian Italians
References
External links 1996 film inspired by pre-1967 religious diversity in area