Tunisia
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The Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), or Tunisia, is a Muslim Arab country situated on the North African Mediterranean coast. It is the easternmost and smallest of the three nations along the Atlas mountain range, bordering one of the others, Algeria to the west, as well as Libya to the south and east. Forty per cent of the country is comprised by the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile land and easily accessible coasts. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the founding of the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, it became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. It is thought that the name Tunis originated from Berber, meaning either a geographical promontory, or, 'to spend the night.'
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| National motto: n/a | |||||
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| Official language | Arabic | ||||
| Capital | Tunis | ||||
| President | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali | ||||
| Prime Minister | Mohamed Ghannouchi | ||||
| Area - Total | Ranked 89th 163,610 km² | ||||
| Population - Total (2003) | Ranked 81st 9,924,742 | ||||
| Currency | Tunisian Dinar | ||||
| Time zone - in summer | CET (UTC+1) CEST (UTC+2) | ||||
| Independence - Granted | (from France) March 20 1956 | ||||
| National anthem | Himat Al Hima, Ala Khallidi | ||||
| Internet TLD | .tn | ||||
| Calling Code | 216 | ||||
| Contents |
History
Main article: History of Tunisia
At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th Century B.C. In the 6th Century B.C., Carthage rose to power, but it was conquered by Rome (2nd Century B.C.), and the region became one of the granaries of Rome. It was held by the Vandals (5th cent. A.D.) and Byzantines (6th Century). In the 7th Century it was conquered by Arab Muslims, who founded Al Qayrawan. Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions. The reigns of the Aghlabids (9th Century) and of the Zirids (from 972), Berber followers of the Fatimids, were especially prosperous. When the Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050), the latter sent in the Banu Hilal to ravage Tunisia. The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th Century. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs of Morocco. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230–1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered for Islam by the Ottoman Empire. Under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957. In the late 16th Century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States). It was made a French protectorate on May 12, 1881. Tunisia became independent in 1956, and has had two presidents since.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Tunisia
Tunisia is a republic with a strong presidential system dominated by a single political party.
President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been in office since 1987 when he deposed Habib Bourguiba, who had been President since Tunisia's independence from France in 1956. The ruling party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), was the sole legal party for 25 years--when it was known as the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD) - and still dominates political life .
The President is elected to 5-year terms - with virtually no opposition - and appoints a Prime Minister and cabinet, who play a strong role in the execution of policy. Regional governors and local administrators also are appointed by the central government; largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected.
There is a unicameral legislative body, the Chamber of Deputies, which has 182 seats, 20% of which are reserved for the opposition. It plays a growing role as an arena for debate on national policy but never originates legislation and virtually always passes bills presented by the executive with only minor changes.
The judiciary is nominally independent but responds to executive direction especially in political cases. The military is professional and does not play a role in politics. There are currently six legal opposition parties.
Tunisia is going for its Municipal Elections in May 2005.
See also:
Governorates
Main article: Governorates of Tunisia
Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates.
Geography
Tunisia_sm03.png
Main article: Geography of Tunisia
Tunisia is in north Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert and between Algeria and Libya. Much of the land is semi-arid and desert. There are mountains in the north. The climate is temperate in the north, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The desert is in the south.
See also:
Economy
Main article: Economy of Tunisia
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.0% in the 1990s, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union (EU) entered into force on March 1 1998, the first such accord between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future. In 2008, Tunisia will be a completely associated member of the E.U. (comparable to the status of Norway or Iceland).
Culture of Tunisia
Main article: Culture of Tunisia
See also:
Miscellaneous Topics
External links
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Government
- Tunisia Government (http://www.ministeres.tn/) official site (French)
- Tunisia Chamber of Deputies (http://www.chambre-dep.tn/) official site (Arabic)
News
- AllAfrica.com - Tunisia (http://allafrica.com/tunisia/) news headline links
- Tunisia Media Online (http://www.tunisiaonline.com/news/) government-sourced
- The North Africa Journal (http://www.north-africa.com/one.htm) business news
Overviews
- BBC News Country Profile - Tunisia (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791969.stm)
- CIA World Factbook - Tunisia (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ts.html)
Directories
- LookSmart - Tunisia (http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317916/us559898/us559899/us10065673/us559961/) directory category
- Open Directory Project - Tunisia (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Tunisia/) directory category
- University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Tunisia (http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Tunisia.html) directory category
- Yahoo! - Tunisia (http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Tunisia/) directory category
Tourism
Other
- TunisiaOnline (http://www.tunisiaonline.com)
- Pictures and photos of Tunisia, including a traveller's travelogue (http://tunisia.ianandwendy.com/)
| Arab League | 
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| Algeria | Bahrain | Comoros | Djibouti | Egypt | Iraq | Jordan | Kuwait | Lebanon | Libya | Mauritania | Morocco | Oman | State of Palestine | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Somalia | Sudan | Syria | Tunisia | United Arab Emirates | Yemen |
| Countries in Africa | ||
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Algeria | Angola | Benin | Botswana | Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Central African Republic | Chad | Comoros | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Republic of the Congo | Côte d'Ivoire | Djibouti | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | Gabon | The Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Kenya | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mali | Mauritania | Mauritius | Morocco | Mozambique | Namibia | Niger | Nigeria | Rwanda | São Tomé and Príncipe | Senegal | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Somalia | Somaliland | South Africa | Sudan | Swaziland | Tanzania | Togo | Tunisia | Uganda | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Western Sahara | ||
| Dependencies: Canary Islands | Ceuta and Melilla | Madeira Islands | Mayotte | Réunion | Saint Helena and dependencies | ||
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