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Tunisia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Countries;
Countries

      'الجمهورية التونسية'
   Al-Jumhūriyyah at-Tūnisiyyah
   République Tunisienne
   Tunisian Republic

   Flag of Tunisia Coat of Arms of Tunisia
   Flag            Coat of Arms
   Motto: "Order, Liberty, Justice"
   Anthem: Humaat Al Hima
   Location of Tunisia
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Tunis
                         36°50′N 10°9′E
    Official languages   Arabic
   Government            Republic
    - President          Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
    - Prime Minister     Mohamed Ghannouchi
       Independence
    - from France        March 20, 1956
                       Area
    - Total              163,610 km² ( 92nd)
                         63,170 sq mi
    - Water (%)          5.0
                    Population
    - July 2005 estimate 10,102,000 ( 78th)
    - 1994 census        8,785,711
    - Density            62/km² ( 133rd^*)
                         161/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $ 86.67 billion ( 63rd)
    - Per capita         $8,255 ( 71st)
        HDI  (2003)      0.753 (medium) ( 89th)
         Currency        Tunisian Dinar ( TND)
         Time zone       CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)      CEST ( UTC+2)
       Internet TLD      .tn
       Calling code      +216
   * Rank in 2005

   Tunisia (Arabic: تونس, Berber: Image:Tunisia_tifinagh.JPG ), officially
   the Tunisian Republic (الجمهورية التونسية), is a country situated on
   the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is the northernmost African
   country and the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas
   mountain range, bordering Algeria to the west and Libya to the south
   east. Around forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara
   desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile
   soil, and a 1300-km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient
   times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as
   the Africa Province, which became known as the bread basket of the
   Roman Empire.

   It is thought that the name Tunis (Arabic for both the nation and
   capital city) originated from Berber, meaning either a geographical
   promontory, or, "to spend the night."

History

   Tunisian flag under the Hafsids c.1375
   Enlarge
   Tunisian flag under the Hafsids c.1375
   Flag of French Protectorate of Tunisia
   Enlarge
   Flag of French Protectorate of Tunisia
   Medina tower in Sousse
   Enlarge
   Medina tower in Sousse
   Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul, Tunis
   Enlarge
   Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul, Tunis

   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 BC. In the 6th century BC, Carthage rose to power and
   eventually became the dominant power in the Mediterranean after a
   series of wars with Greece.

   Carthage was founded in the 8th Century B.C. by settlers from Tyre, now
   in modern day Lebanon, and the settlers of Carthage brought their
   culture and religion from the Phoenician and Canaanite legacy. Legend
   says that Queen Dido founded the city, as retold in the Roman Epic
   Aeneid.

   The people of Carthage worshiped 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.

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

   During a series of wars with Rome, a Carthaginian invasion of Italy led
   by Hannibal during the Second Punic War 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. 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.

   In the 7th century the region was conquered by Arab Muslims, who
   founded the city of Kairouan. 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 tribe 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. 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). 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.

French Imperialism

   In the mid-1800's, Tunisia's government under the rule of the Bey
   severely compromised its legitimacy by making several controversial
   financial decisions that led to its downfall. France had been planning
   to take control of Tunisia when the Bey first borrowed large sums of
   money in an attempt to Westernise. This failing state facilitated the
   Algerian raids that occurred thereafter. The weakened Bey was powerless
   against these raids and unable to resist European colonization.

   In 1878, a secret deal was made between the United Kingdom and France
   that decided the fate of the African country. Provided that the French
   accepted British control of Cyprus, recently given to the United
   Kingdom, the British would in turn accept French control of Tunisia.
   This satisfied the French and led to their assumption of control in
   1880. Tunisia was formally made a French protectorate on May 12, 1881.

   Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956. The Bey reclaimed
   power, but was soon deposed by French-educated Habib Bourguiba in 1957.
   He was quickly selected to be the Republic's first president and served
   through 1987.

World War II

   Tunisia was the scene of the first major joint operations between the
   United States and British allies in World War II during 1942– 1943. The
   main body of the British army, advancing from their victory in Battle
   of el-Alamein under the command of British Field Marshal Montgomery,
   pushed in to Tunisia from the south whereas the US and other allies,
   following their invasions of Algeria and Morocco in Operation Torch,
   came from the west. With Germany engaged in the battle of Stalingrad,
   it is easy to dismiss the battle for Tunisia as a minor event, but in
   fact it had significance for the rest of the war.

   General Erwin Rommel, commander of Axis forces in North Africa, had
   hoped to inflict a similar defeat on the allies in Tunisia as the
   German forces had in the Battle of France in 1940. Until the battle for
   Tunisia, the inexperienced allied forces had generally been unable to
   withstand quick German blitzkriegs or properly coordinate their
   operations, therefore the battle for Tunisia was a major test of the
   allies. If they were going to defeat Germany they were going to have to
   fight together, and stand up to the inevitable setbacks that the
   excellent German forces would inflict.

   On February 19, 1943, General Rommel launched an attack on the American
   forces in the Kasserine Pass region of Western Tunisia, hoping to
   inflict the kind of alliance and morale shattering defeat the Germans
   had won in Poland and France. The initial results were a disaster for
   the United States; to this day 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 stop their
   retreat, having learned a critical lesson in tank warfare. On March 20,
   1943, the Allies broke through the German Mareth line and subsequently
   linked up on April 8, 1943. Thus, the alliance of the United States,
   the United Kingdom, the Free French, and Polish as well as other forces
   were able to win a major battle as an allied army.

   The battle, though often 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.

Politics

   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
   constitution has been changed twice to allow him to remain in power:
   initially from two to three terms, and then from three to five. 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 parties. 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 one minor change. 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 having their
   own Journals.

   Tunisia is noteworthy for its lack of public political discourse.
   Tunisia's precise political situation is hard to determine due to an
   effective level of silence maintained by the government and a lack of
   transparency. There is strong evidence that dissidents are routinely
   arrested, for crimes as minor as looking at banned web sites. The
   growth of the internet has been a major issue for Tunisia, with
   European tourists and ISPs so close by. Tunisia allows only censored
   internet access. This censorship bars all materials deemed
   pornographic, and any chat group references critical of the government.
   It seems unlikely that the oppression brought to bear is restricted
   only to the internet. Tunisians feels very insecure when talking about
   politics and this could be explained by the fact that the Tunisian
   authority imposes big restrictions, despite official speeches, on the
   freedom of speech and on human rights. The control of the internet is
   the most immediately apparent sign of the pervasive structure of state
   control which has managed to shroud itself with a Western-friendly
   face. For instance, the website of [www.alrabiya.net] channel is
   officially censored and inaccessible to all Tunisians from any computer
   in Tunisia. Both the European Union and the United states of America,
   and despite there economic weight to impose the respect of human rights
   in Tunisia, turns the blind eye to all human rights abuses in Tunisia.
   Many Tunisian citizens believe that there is a kind of conspiracy
   between their government and these superpowers in this matter, and they
   even explain it by the fact that the Tunisian government has held power
   not because of the support of its citizens but because it safeguards
   the economic interests of many Western corporation located in Tunisia.

   Tunisia is also one of the few Muslim countries (like Azerbaijan and
   Turkey), where hijabs are prohibited in government buildings. The
   government in power forces women wearing Hijab either to quit their
   jobs or to drop out of school if they insist on wearing it. They force
   women with veils to sign a document in which they admit to having
   committed a crime punishable by law and, in case of recidivism, put
   them in jail. The Tunisian authorities foist propaganda on all state
   and private media against women who insist on keeping their veils
   despite all threats.

   Underground opposition from Islamic Fundamentalists have an obvious but
   shadowy existence in the nation. Under former Habib Bourguiba, Islamic
   Fundamentalists were allowed to serve as a counter to more left wing
   movements. In 1987, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali took power in a bloodless
   coup. Ben Ali has followed an aggressive policy regarding the
   Fundamentalists, but the extent of any government success is difficult
   to judge in a nation where so much is secret. While Tunisia has a
   repressive political system, standards of living are among the best in
   the developing world. Tunisia remains an autocratic regime, but one
   free of many of the problems of starvation, homelessness, and disease
   seen in much of Africa and Asia.

   See Also:
     * Foreign relations of Tunisia

Administrative Divisions

   Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates.

Geography

   Map of Tunisia
   Enlarge
   Map of Tunisia

   Tunisia is in northern Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the
   Sahara Desert and bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the
   south-east. 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 Sahara desert is in the
   south.

   See also:
     * List of cities in Tunisia

Economy

   Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
   energy, tourism, petroleum, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental
   control of economic affairs, whilst 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. Increased trade and
   tourism have been key elements in this steady economic 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.

Demographics

   Traditional Tunisian bread being made
   Enlarge
   Traditional Tunisian bread being made

   While the vast majority of modern Tunisians identify themselves as
   Arabs, they are mainly the descendants of indigenous Berbers: less than
   20% of their genetic material comes from the Middle East . Numerous
   civilizations have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the
   population over the millennia. Significant influxes of population have
   come through conquest by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Vandals
   coming from Germany, the Arabs, the Ottomans, and the French. Many
   Spanish Moors and Jews also arrived at the end of the 15th century.

   Nearly all Tunisians (99% of the population) are Muslim. There has been
   a Jewish population on the southern island of Djerba for 2500 years,
   and though considerably diminished, there remains a small Jewish
   population in Tunis which is descended from those who fled Spain in the
   late 15th century. There is a small indigenous Christian population.
   Small nomadic indigenous minorities have been mostly assimilated into
   the larger population.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
