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Tunisian Republic
الجمهورية التونسية
al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisiyya
[République Tunisienne] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup (help)
Motto: حرية، نظام، عدالة (Hurriya, Nidham, 'Adala)
"Liberty, Order, Justice"[1]
Anthem: Humat Al Hima
Location of Tunisia
Capital
and largest city
Tunis
Official languagesArabic[2]
Second languageFrench
Demonym(s)Tunisian
GovernmentRepublic[2]
• President
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Mohamed Ghannouchi
Independence
• from France
March 20, 1956
Area
• Total
163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi) (92nd)
• Water (%)
5.0
Population
• July 1, 2009 estimate
10,432,500[3] (79th)
• 2004 census
9,910,872[3]
• Density
63/km2 (163.2/sq mi) (133rd (2005))
GDP (PPP)2009 estimate
• Total
$86.086 billion[4]
• Per capita
$8,254[4]
GDP (nominal)2009 estimate
• Total
$40.168 billion[4]
• Per capita
$3,851[4]
Gini (2000)39.8
medium inequality
HDI (2010)Increase 0.683[5]
Error: Invalid HDI value (81st)
CurrencyTunisian dinar (TND)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+1 (not observed)
Drives onRight
Calling code216
ISO 3166 codeTN
Internet TLD.tn Template:Rtl-lang[6]

Tunisia (pronounced English pronunciation: /tuːˈniːʒə/ too-NEE-zhə, English pronunciation: /tjuːˈnɪziə/ tew-NIZ-iə; Template:Lang-ar Tūnis), officially the Tunisian Republic (Template:Rtl-lang al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisiyya), is the northernmost country in Africa. It is an Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 km², with an estimated population of just over 10.3 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east.

Tunisia is the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and 1,300 km of coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Africa Province which was known as the "bread basket" of the Roman Empire. Later, Tunisia was occupied by Vandals during the 5th century AD, Byzantines in the 6th century, and Arabs in the 8th century. Under the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia was known as "Regency of Tunis". It passed under French protectorate in 1881. After obtaining independence in 1956, the country took the official name of the "Kingdom of Tunisia" at the end of the reign of Lamine Bey and the Husainid Dynasty. With the proclamation of the Tunisian republic on July 25, 1957, the nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba became its first president and led the modernization of the country.

Today Tunisia is an export-oriented country, in the process of liberalizing and privatizing its economy. The country operates as a republic under the leadership of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who has governed since 1987. Although he has been criticized for limiting freedom of the press, the Tunisian economy has flourished since he came to power averaging 5% GDP growth since the early 1990s.[7]

Tunisia has close relations with both the European Union— with whom it has an association agreement— and the Arab world. Tunisia is also a member of the Arab League and the African Union. Tunisia has built favourable relations with the European Union, and with France in particular, through economic cooperation, industry modernization, and privatisation programs. The government's moderate and even-handed approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict has also made it an important intermediary in Middle Eastern diplomacy.[8][9]

Etymology

The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis; a city and capital of modern-day Tunisia. The present form of the name, with its Latinate suffix -ia, evolved from French Tunisie.[10] This name was introduced by French geographers and historians as part of their efforts to give names to their new occupied territories and protectorates. The French derivative Tunisie was adopted in some European languages with slight modifications, introducing a distinctive name to designate the country. Other languages remained untouched, such as the Spanish Túnez. In this case, the same name is used for both country and city as in Arabic: تونس and only by context can one tell the difference.[10]

The name Tunis can be attributed to different origins. It can be associated with the Phoenician goddess Tanith (aka Tunit), ancient city of Tynes or to the Berber root ens which means "to lie down".

Further information: [[:Etymology of Tunis]]

History

Main article: History of Tunisia

Antiquity

At the beginning of known recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th century BC. The city of Carthage was founded in the 9th century BC by settlers from Tyre, now in modern day Lebanon. Legend says that Dido founded the city in 814 BC, as retold in by the Greek writer Timaeus of Tauromenium. The settlers of Carthage brought their culture and religion from the Phoenicians and other Canaanites.

File:HannibalTheCarthaginian.png
Hannibal

After a series of wars with Greek city-states of Sicily in the 5th century BC, Carthage rose to power and eventually became the dominant civilization in the Western Mediterranean. The people of Carthage worshipped a pantheon of Middle Eastern gods including Baal and Tanit. Tanit's symbol, a simple female figure with extended arms and long dress, is a popular icon found in ancient sites. The founders of Carthage also established a Tophet which was altered in Roman times.

The history of human culture in Tunisia goes back thousands of years. Early farming methods reached the Nile Valley from the Fertile Crescents region in about 5000 BC. From there, farming spread to the Maghreb by about 4000 BC. The humid coastal plains of central Tunisia were home to the early agricultural communities populated by the ancestors of the Berber tribes.

The Roman Period

Though the Romans referred to the new empire growing in the city of Carthage as Punic or Phoenician, the empire built around Carthage was an independent political entity from the other Phoenician settlements in the Western Mediterranean.

A Carthaginian invasion of Italy led by Hannibal during the Second Punic War, one of a series of wars with Rome, nearly crippled the rise of the Roman Empire. Carthage was eventually conquered by Rome in the 2nd century BC, a turning point which led to ancient Mediterranean civilization having been influenced mainly by European instead of African cultures.

After the Roman conquest, the region became one of the granaries of Rome and was Latinized and Christianized. The Romans controlled nearly all of modern Tunisia, unlike other modern African countries, of which Rome only held the northern coast. It was conquered by the Vandals in the 5th century AD and reconquered by the commander Belisarius in the 6th century during the rule of Byzantine emperor Justinian.

The Islamic Period

The Great Mosque of Al-Zaytuna
Minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, also known as the Mosque of Uqba. Founded in 670, it is the oldest mosque in Tunisia as well as the oldest in the Muslim West, city of Kairouan.

Around the end of the 7th century and the beginning of 8th century the region was conquered by Arab Muslims, who founded the city of Kairouan, which became the first city of Islam in North Africa; in this period was erected (in 670) the Great Mosque of Kairouan, considered the oldest and most prestigious sanctuary in the western Islamic world[11] as well as a great masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture.[12] Tunisia flourished under Arab rule. Extensive irrigation installations were constructed to supply towns with water and promote agriculture (especially olive production).[13][14] This prosperity permitted luxurious court life and was marked by the construction of new Palace cities such as al-Abassiya (809) and Raqadda (877).[13]

Successive Muslim dynasties ruled Tunisia (Ifriqiya at the time) with occasional instabilities caused mainly by Berber rebellions;[citation needed] of these reigns we can cite the Aghlabids (800-900) and Fatimids (909-972). After conquering Cairo, Fatimids abandoned North Africa to the local Zirids (Tunisia and parts of Eastern Algeria, 972-1148) and Hammadid (Central and eastern Algeria, 1015–1152).[15] North Africa was submerged by their quarrels; political instability was connected to the decline of Tunisian trade and agriculture.[13][16][17] In addition, the invasion of Tunisia by Banu Hilal, a warlike Arab Bedouin tribe encouraged by the Fatimids of Egypt to seize North Africa, sent the region's urban and economic life into further decline.[15] The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun wrote that the lands ravaged by Banu Hilal invaders had become completely arid desert.[16][18]

The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th century, and the following Arab reconquest made the last Christians in Tunisia disappear. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230–1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the late 16th century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States).

The Ottoman Rule

In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered 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. The Maghreb suffered from the deadly combination of plague and famine.[19] The great epidemics ravaged Tunisia in 1784–1785, 1796–1797 and 1818–1820.[20]

The French era

In 1869, Tunisia declared itself bankrupt and an international financial commission took control over the economy. In 1881, using the pretext of a Tunisian incursion into Algeria, the French invaded with an army of about 36,000 and forced the Bey to agree to the terms of the 1881 Treaty of Bardo (Al Qasr as Sa'id). With this treaty, Tunisia was officially made a French protectorate, over the objections of Italy. Under French colonization, European settlements in the country were actively encouraged; the number of French colonists grew from 34,000 in 1906 to 144,000 in 1945. In 1910 there were 105,000 Italians in Tunisia.[21]

World War II

Main article: Tunisia Campaign

In 1942–1943, Tunisia was the scene of the third major operations by the Allied Forces (the British Empire and the United States) against the Axis Powers (Italy and Germany) during World War II. The main body of the British army, advancing from their victory in the Battle of el-Alamein under the command of British Field Marshal Montgomery, pushed into Tunisia from the south. The US and other allies, following their invasions of Algeria and Morocco in Operation Torch, invaded from the west.

German and Italian POWs, following the fall of Tunis, 12 May 1943. Over 230,000 German and Italian troops were taken as prisoners of war.

Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, commander of the Axis forces in North Africa, had hoped to inflict a similar defeat on the Allies in Tunisia as German forces did in the Battle of France in 1940. Before the battle for el-Alamein, the Allied forces had been forced to retreat toward Egypt. As such, the battle for Tunisia was a major test for the Allies. They concluded that in order to defeat Axis Powers they would have to coordinate their actions and quickly recover from the inevitable setbacks the German-Italian forces would inflict.

On February 19, 1943, Field Marshall Erwin Rommel launched an attack on the American forces in the Kasserine Pass region of Western Tunisia, hoping to inflict the kind of demoralizing and alliance-shattering defeat the Germans had dealt to Poland, Britain and France. The initial results were a disaster for the United States; the area around the Kasserine Pass is the site of many US war graves from that time.

However, the American forces were ultimately able to reverse their retreat. With a critical strategy in tank warfare, and having determined that encirclement was feasible, the British, Australian and New Zealand forces broke through the Mareth line on March 20, 1943. The Allies subsequently linked up on April 8. and on May 2, the German-Italian Army in Tunisia surrendered. Thus, the United States, United Kingdom, Australian, Free French, and Polish (as well as other forces) were able to win a major battle as an Allied army.

The battle, though overshadowed by Stalingrad, represented a major Allied victory of World War II largely because it forged the Alliance which would one day liberate Western Europe.

Present-day politics

Main article: Politics of Tunisia
In this 2008 The Economist Democracy Index map for 2008, countries with DI below 3 are shown in black.
In this 2008 Freedom of Press Index, countries shown in red have the least press freedom.

Government

Tunisia is a constitutional republic, with a president serving as chief of state, prime minister as head of government, a bicameral legislature and a court system influenced by French civil law. While Tunisia is formally a multi-party system, the secular Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) led by President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali has enjoyed overwhelming support in national elections since Tunisia won independence from the French colonial empire in 1956.

President Ben Ali, previously Bourguiba's minister and a military figure, has been in office since 1987, the year he acceded to the executive office of Habib Bourguiba after a team of medical experts judged Bourguiba unfit to exercise the functions of the office in accordance with Article 57 of the Tunisian constitution.[22] The anniversary of Ben Ali’s succession, November 7, is celebrated as a national holiday. Ben Ali has been re-elected with enormous majorities every election, the last time being October 25, 2009.[23]

Tunisia has a republican presidential system characterized by a bicameral parliamentary system, including the Chamber of Deputies, which has 214 seats, 25% of which are reserved for 'opposition parties,' and the Chamber of Advisors (112 members) which is composed of representatives of political parties, professional organisations patronised by the president, and by personalities appointed by the president of the Republic. The Prime Minister and cabinet, appointed by the president, play a strong role[24] in the execution of policy and approval of legislation. Regional governors and local administrators are also appointed by the central government. Largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected. The President’s Constitutional Democratic Rally, or RCD in an abbreviation of the French, has consistently won large majorities in local and parliamentary elections. It is composed of more than 2 million members and more than 6000 representations throughout the country and largely overlaps with all important state institutions. Although the party was renamed (in Bourguiba’s days it used to be known as the Socialist Destourian Party), its policies are still considered to be largely secular but not socialist or liberal. Rare for the Arab world, women hold more than 20% of seats in both chambers of parliament.[25] Moreover, Tunisia is the only country in the Arab world where polygamy is forbidden by law. This is part of a provision in the country’s Code of Personal Status which was introduced by the former president Bourguiba in 1956.) There are currently eight other small political parties in Tunisia, six of whom are represented in the parliament.

The Tunisian legal system is based on the French civil code and on Islamic law; the judiciary is appointed by the Ministry of Justice. The Code of Personal Status remains one of the most progressive civil codes in the Middle East and the Muslim world.[26] Enacted less than five months after Tunisia gained its independence, the code was meant to end gender inequality and update family law, to enable greater social and economic progress and make Tunisia a fully modern society. Among other reforms, the code outlawed the practices of polygamy and repudiation, or a husband's right to unilaterally divorce his wife.[27]

Foreign policy

The current government's success in fighting international Islamic terrorism, along with its amicable foreign policy, has moderated Western criticism of what some have characterized as Tunisia's slow pace in improving democratic practices.[28][29]


Human Rights

Independent human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Protection International, have criticized Tunisia's human rights record.[30][31][32][33] In the Economist's 2008 Democracy Index Tunisia is classified as an authoritarian regime ranking 141 out of 167 countries studied. In 2008, in terms of freedom of the press, Tunisia was ranked 143 out of 173.[34][35]

Though the government received criticism in 2008 for its handling of social unrest in the town of Gafsa, it has been broadly praised for its efforts to respond constructively to the events. Trade unionists initially arrested for protesting working conditions were released on the order of President Ben Ali and officially pardoned in October 2009[36] in a move that was welcomed by Amnesty International.[37]

All government and many private enterprise buildings carry oversized portraits of President Ben Ali. Here: the Office of Merchant Navy and Ports.

Freedom of the press is officially guaranteed and condoned in Tunisia. However, Tunisia does practice some Internet censorship, including the blocking of certain websites, such as YouTube. Reporters Without Borders includes Tunisia in the country list of “Enemies of the Internet"[38]. In January 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton mentioned Tunisia and China as two countries to watch for Internet censorship, with notable cases of activists being targeted including Zouhair Yahyaoui.[39] However, Tunisia has recently shown interest in improving its information policy, hosting the second half of the United Nations-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society in 2005[40], which endorsed the freedom of the internet as a platform for political participation and human rights protection. Furthermore, Tunisians have grown online, as witnessed by the more than 1.1 million regular internet users and hundreds of internet cafes, known as 'publinet'.

Several private radio stations have been established, including Mosaique FM, Shems FM [41] and private television stations such as Hannibal TV and Nessma TV[42].

2009 National elections

Main article: Tunisian general election, 2009

The Tunisian national elections of 2009, overseen by the Interior Ministry and held on October 25, 2009, elected candidates for president and legislative offices. Participation was 89% of resident citizens and 90% of citizens living abroad. In the presidential vote, Ben Ali soundly defeated his challengers, Mohamed Bouchiha (PUP), Ahmed Inoubli (UDU) and Ahmed Ibrahim (Ettajdid Movement) for a fifth term in office. Although the presidential challengers acknowledged they were unlikely to win, the president's 89% of the vote was lower than in previous elections[43]. In the parliamentary elections, the RCD received 84% of the vote for 161 constituency seats. The MDS won 16 seats under the proportional representation system, followed by the PUP with 12 seats. 59 women were elected to legislative seats.[44]

The election was criticized by opposition parties and some international observers for limitations placed on non-incumbents. In one instance, the Ettajdid party's weekly publication, Ettarik al-Jadid, was seized by authorities for violating campaign communications laws.[45] Meanwhile, a delegation from the African Union Commission praised the election for taking place with "calm and serenity".[46] Prior to the 2009 election, Tunisia amended its constitution to allow more candidates to run for president, allowing the top official from each political party to compete for the presidency regardless of whether they held seats in parliament[47].

Candidate Percentage of votes (%)
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (RCD) 89.62%
Mohamed Bouchiha (PPU) 5.01%
Ahmed Linoubli (UDU) 3.80%
Ahmed Ibrahim (ME) 1.57%

Economy

Main article: Economy of Tunisia
Central Bank of Tunisia

Tunisia has a diverse economy, ranging from agriculture, mining, manufacturing, petroleum products and tourism. In 2008 it had a GDP of $41 billion (official exchange rates), or $82 billion (purchasing power parity).[48] It also has one of Africa and the Middle East's highest per-capita GDPs (PPP).[49] The agricultural sector stands for 11.6% of the GDP, industry 25.7%, and services 62.8%. The industrial sector is mainly made up of clothing and footwear manufacturing, production of car parts, and electric machinery. Although Tunisia managed an average 5% growth over the last decade it continues to suffer from a high unemployment especially among youth.

GDP growth rate (%)

Tunisia was ranked the most competitive economy in Africa and the 40th in the world by the World Economic Forum.[50] Tunisia has managed to attract many international companies such as Airbus[51] and Hewlett-Packard.[52]

The European Union remains Tunisia's first trading partner, currently accounting for 72.5% of Tunisian imports and 75% of Tunisian exports. Tunisia is a one of the European Union’s most established trading partners in the Mediterranean region and ranks as the EU’s 30th largest trading partner. Tunisia was the first Mediterranean country to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union, in July 1995, although even before the date of entry into force, Tunisia started dismantling tariffs on bilateral EU trade. Tunisia finalised the tariffs dismantling for industrial products in 2008 and therefore was the 1st Mediterranean country to enter in a free trade area with EU.[53]

Tunisia also attracted large Persian Gulf investments (especially from United Arab Emirates) the largest include:

  • Mediterranean gate: a US$ 25 billion project to build a new city in the south of Tunis.[54]
  • Tunis Sport City: an entire sports city currently being constructed in Tunis, Tunisia. The city that will consist of apartment buildings as well as several sports facilities will be built by the Bukhatir Group at a cost of $5 Billion.[55]
  • Tunis Financial harbour: will deliver North Africa’s first offshore financial centre at Tunis Bay in a project with an end development value of US$ 3 billion.[56]
  • Tunis Telecom City: A US$ 3 billion project to create an IT hub in Tunis.[57]

Oil and gas extraction

Oil production of Tunisia is about 97,600 barrels per day (15,520 m3/d). The main field is El bourma.[58]

Energy

Sources of electricity production[59]

The majority of the electricity used in Tunisia is produced locally, by state-owned company STEG (Société Tunisienne de l´Electricité et du Gaz). In 2008 a total of 13 747 GHW was produced in the country.[60]

Oil and gas

Oil production began in 1966 in Tunisia. Currently there are 12 oil fields.[61] Below is a list of the oil fields:

Oil field Oil field
7 November oil field El Menzah field
Ashtart field Belli field
Bouri field Cercina field
El Biban field El Borma field
Ezzaouia field Miskar field
Sidi El Kilani field Tazarka field

Nuclear energy

Tunisia is on the path of installing two nuclear powerplants within a 10 year period. Each one of these is projected at producing 900-1000 MW. In its effort to obtain nuclear energy, France is set to become an important partner. Tunisia and France have inked agreements, where France will deliver training and know-how amongst others.[62][63]

Desertec project

The Desertec project is a large-scale energy project aimed at installing solarpower panels in, and a grid connecting North Africa and Europe. Tunisia will be a part of this project, but exactly how it may benefit from it remains to be seen.

Transportation

The new Radés-La Goulette bridge in Tunis.
Main article: Transport in Tunisia
Further information: Rail transport in Tunisia
  • The country maintains 19 232 km of roads,[64] with the A1 Tunis-Sfax, P1 Tunis-Libya and P7 Tunis-Algeria being the major highways.
  • There are 30 airports in Tunisia, with Tunis Carthage International Airport and Monastir International Airport being the most important ones. A New airport, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali International Airport, was completed at the end of October 2009 and was due to open December 2009. However, it appears that flights are unlikely to start before the Easter season of 2010. The airport is located North of Sousse at Enfidha and is likely to serve the resorts of Hamammet and Port El Kantoui, together with inland cities such as Kairouan. There are four airlines headquartered in Tunisia: Tunisair, Karthago Airlines, Nouvelair and Sevenair.
  • The railway network is operated by SNCFT and amounts to 2135 km in total.[64] The Tunis area is served by a tram network, named Metro Leger.


Governorates and cities

Governorates

Governorates of Tunisia
Main articles: Governorates of Tunisia and Delegations of Tunisia

Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates, they are:

  1. Ariana
  2. Béja
  3. Ben Arous
  4. Bizerte
  5. Gabès
  6. Gafsa
  7. Jendouba
  8. Kairouan
  9. Kasserine
  10. Kebili
  11. Kef
  12. Mahdia
  1. Manouba
  2. Medenine
  3. Monastir
  4. Nabeul
  5. Sfax
  6. Sidi Bou Zid
  7. Siliana
  8. Sousse
  9. Tataouine
  10. Tozeur
  11. Tunis
  12. Zaghouan

The governorates are divided into 264 "delegations" or "districts" (mutamadiyat), and further subdivided into municipalities (shaykhats)[65] and sectors (imadats).[66]

Major cities

See also: List of cities in Tunisia
Nr. City Population Governatorate
1
 Tunis
983,861 [67]
 Tunis
2
 Sfax
855,256 [68]
 Sfax
3
 Kairouan
546,209 [69]
 Kairouan
4
 Sousse
544,413 [70]
 Sousse
5
 Ettadhamen [71]
422,246 [72]
 Ariana
6
 Gabès
342,630
Gabès
7
 Bizerte
114,371
 Bizerte
8
 Aryanah [71]
97,687
 Ariana
9
 Gafsa
84,676
 Gafsa
10
 El Mourouj [71]
81,986
 Ben Arous

Military

Main article: Military of Tunisia

The Tunisian armed forces are divided into three branches:

Tunisia's military spending is 1.6% of GDP (2006). The army is responsible for national defence and also internal security.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Tunisia
Topographic map of Tunisia.
Tunis bay
Ressas mount from Tunis Lake

Tunisia is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Valley. It is bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the south-east. An abrupt southern turn of its shoreline gives Tunisia two faces on the Mediterranean.

Despite its relatively small size, Tunisia has great geographical and climatic diversity. The Dorsal, an extension of the Atlas Mountains, traverses Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, although in the northwestern corner of Tunisia, the land reaches elevations of 1,050 meters.

The Sahil is a plain along Tunisia's eastern Mediterranean coast famous because of its olive monoculture. Inland from the Sahil, between the Dorsal and a range of hills south of Gafsa, are the Steppes. Much of the southern region is semi-arid and desert.

Tunisia has a coastline 1,148 kilometres in length. In maritime terms, the country claims a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles (44.4 km; 27.6 mi), and a territorial sea of 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi).

Tunisia's climate is temperate in the north, with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers.[73] The south of the country is desert. The terrain in the north is mountainous, which, moving south, gives way to a hot, dry central plain. The south is semiarid, and merges into the Sahara. A series of salt lakes, known as chotts or shatts, lie in an east-west line at the northern edge of the Sahara, extending from the Gulf of Gabes into Algeria. The lowest point is Shatt al Gharsah, at -17 m, and the highest is Jebel ech Chambi, at 1544 metres.

The region of Tunisia has some deserts, including part of the Sahara Desert in the south. In the north and mid the land is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. Tunisia does not get so cold in the winter that it snows, but the temperature still can get below 0 °C (32 °F). In the summer it can get up to 32 °C (89.6 °F). Most of Tunisia has four seasons.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Tunisia

The majority (98%)[74] of modern Tunisians are considered as Arab and Arabized Berbers,[75] and are speakers of Tunisian Arabic. However, there is also a small (1% at most)[76] population of Berbers located in the Jabal Dahar mountains in the South East and on the island of Jerba, though many more have Berber ancestry. The Berbers primarily speak Berber languages, often called Shelha.

The small European population (1%) consists mostly of French and Italians. There is also long established Jewish community in the country, the history of the Jews in Tunisia going back some 2,000 years. In 1948 the Jewish population was an estimated 105,000, but by 2003 only about 1,500 remained.[77]

The first people known to history in what is now Tunisia were the Berbers. Numerous civilizations and peoples have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia, with influences of population via conquest from Phoenicians/Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Ottoman Turks, and French. There was a continuing inflow of nomadic Arab tribes from Arabia.

Additionally, after the Reconquista and expulsion of non-Christians and Moriscos from Spain, many Spanish Moors and Jews also arrived. As many as eighty thousand Moriscos settled in Tunisia in the early 17th century.[78] In addition, from the late 19th century to after World War II, Tunisia was home to large populations of French and Italians (255,000 Europeans in 1956),[79] although nearly all of them, along with the Jewish population, left after Tunisia became independent.

Religion

View of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, due to its history and spiritual prestige, it is the most important mosque in Tunisia situated in the city of Kairouan.
Main article: Religion in Tunisia
Main article: Islam in Tunisia

The constitution declares Islam as the official state religion and requires the President to be Muslim. Tunisia also enjoys a significant degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected in its constitution, which guarantees the freedom to practice one's religion.[80]

The country has a secular culture that encourages acceptance of other religions; religious freedom is widely practiced. With regards to the freedom of Muslims, the Tunisian government has restricted the wearing of Islamic headscarves (hijab) in government offices and it discourages women from wearing them on public streets and public gatherings. The government believes the hijab is a "garment of foreign origin having a partisan connotation". There were reports that the Tunisian police harassed men with "Islamic" appearance (such as those with beards), detained them, and sometimes compelled men to shave their beards off.[81] In 2006, the Tunisian president declared that he would "fight" the hijab, which he refers to as "ethnic clothing".[82]

Individual Tunisians are tolerant of religious freedom and generally do not inquire about a person's personal beliefs.[80]

Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul

The majority of Tunisia's population (98%) are Muslims, while 1% follow Christianity and the rest (1%) adhere to Judaism or other religions.[83]

Tunisia has a sizable Christian community of around 25,000 adherents, mainly Catholics (20,000) and to a lesser degree Protestants. Judaism is the country's third largest religion with 1,500 members. One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital. The remainder lives on the island of Djerba, with 39 synagogues, and where the Jewish community dates back 2,500 years.[80]

Djerba, an island in the Gulf of Gabès, is home to El Ghriba synagogue, which is one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Many Jews consider it a pilgrimage site, with celebrations taking place there once every year. In fact, Tunisia along with Morocco has been said to be the Arab countries most accepting of their Jewish populations.[84]

Language

File:Tunisian Arabic advert.JPG
Advert primarily in Tunisian Arabic

Modern Standard Arabic is the official language, but Tunisian Arabic is the local vernacular and is considered Tunisia's native language. As is the case in the rest of the Arab League, a local variety of Arabic is used by the public. Tunisian Arabic is closely related to the Maltese language.[85] There is also a small minority of speakers of Shelha, a Berber language.[86]

Due to the former French occupation, French also plays a major role in the country, despite having no official status. It is widely used in education (e.g., as the language of instruction in the sciences in secondary school), the press, and in business. Most Tunisians are able to speak it. Due to Tunisia's proximity to Italy and the large number of Italian Tunisians, Italian is well understood and spoken by the Tunisian population.[87]

Education

Main article: Education in Tunisia
Sadiki College in Tunis

Education is given a high priority and accounts for 6% of GNP. A basic education for children between the ages of 6 and 16 has been compulsory since 1991. Tunisia ranked 17th in the category of "quality of the [higher] educational system" and 21st in the category of "quality of primary education" in The Global Competitiveness Report 2008-9, released by The World Economic Forum.[88]

While children generally acquire Tunisian Arabic at home, when they enter school at age 6, they are taught to read and write in Standard Arabic. From the age of 8, they are taught French while English is introduced at the age of 12.

Colleges and universities in Tunisia include:

  • Ecole Polytechnique de Tunisie
  • International University of Tunis
  • Université Libre de Tunis
  • Université de l'Aviation et Technologie de Tunisie
  • Institut National d'Agronomie de Tunis
  • Université des Sciences de Tunis

Culture

Main article: Culture of Tunisia
The National Opéra, in downtown Tunis.

The culture of Tunisia is mixed due to their long established history of conquerors such as Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, Spaniards, and the French who all left their mark on the country.

Sports

File:Logo federation tunisienne de football.svg
National team logo.
7 November Radès Stadium

The most popular sport in Tunisia is football. The national football team, also known as "The Eagles of Carthage," won the 2004 African Cup for Nations (CAN) which was held in Tunisia. They also represented Africa in the 2005 FIFA Cup of Confederations which was held in Germany, but they could not go beyond the first round. The Eagles of Carthage have participated in four World Cup Championships. The team's record in the World Cup is shown below:

Year in World Cup Result
1978 1st Round
1998 1st Round
2002 1st Round
2006 1st Round

The premier football league is the "Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1". The main clubs are Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Club Africain, Sfaxian Sportive Club and Étoile Sportive du Sahel. The latter team participated in the 2008 World Cup for Clubs and reached the semi-final match, in which it was eliminated by Boca Juniors from Argentina.

Wissem Hmam

The Tunisia national handball team has participated in several handball world championships. In 2005 Tunisia came 4th. The national league consists of about 12 teams, with ES. Sahel and Esperance S.Tunis dominating. The most famous Tunisian handball player is Wissem Hmam. In the 2005 handball championship in Tunis, Wisam Hmam was ranked as the top scorer of the tournament. The Tunisian national handball team won the African Cup 8 times, being the team dominating this competition. The Tunisians won the 2010 African Cup in Egypt by defeating the host country.

Oussama Mellouli, gold medalist at the Beijing Summer Olympics

In the 2008 Olympics, Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won a gold medal in 1500 freestyle.

Festivals

  • Matmata Festival - Matmata (March)
  • Festival Oriljazz (April)
  • Festival "Tozeur, the Oriental, the African" (April)
  • International spring festival - Sbeitla (April)
  • Arab poetry festival - Tozeur - (April)
  • Carthage Jazz festival - Gammarth (April)
  • Tozeur’s International Oasis Festival - Tozeur (December)
  • Techno House festival - Gammarth (December)
  • Dar Sebastian celebrates opera festival - lyrical festival -(December)
  • Caravana Latina” Festival - Tozeur (December)
  • Traditional Saharan festival - Douz (December)

Affiliations

Tunisia is a member of the following organizations:

Organization Dates
United Nations since 12 November 1956
Arab League since 1958
Organization of the Islamic Conference since 1969
World Trade Organization since 29 March 1995
Mediterranean Dialogue group since February 1995

See also

Main article: Outline of Tunisia

References

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  2. ^ a b "Tunisia Constitution". 1957-07-25. Retrieved 2009-12-23. {{cite journal}}: |contribution= ignored (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link) Translation by the University of Bern: Tunisia is a free State, independent and sovereign; its religion is the Islam, its language is Arabic and its form is the Republic.
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