town located in northern Tunisia and an outport for Tunis. Situated on a sandbar between Lake Tūnis and the Gulf of Tunis, La Goulette (its Arabic name, Ḥalq al-Wādī, means “river's throat”) is linked to the capital by a canal 7 miles (11 km) long. The main commercial port in Tunisia, it handles a large portion of the country's imports and much of its exports (principally phosphates, iron ore, and fruits and vegetables) and is linked with Europe by ferry service. La Goulette was a popular summer resort in the 19th century, with an area known as “La Petite Sicile” that was home to a sizeable Jewish, Italian, and Maltese community. The town has several large thermal electric power plants. The remains of Hispano-Turkish fortifications lie inland. Pop. (2004 est.) 28,407.