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Tunisian Republic
الجمهورية التونسية
Al-Ǧamhūriyyat at-Tūnisiyyah
Motto: Order, Freedom,and Justice
Anthem: Himat Al Hima
Location of Tunisia
Capital
and largest city
Tunis
Official languagesArabic, French
GovernmentRepublic
Independence
• Water (%)
5.0
Population
• July 2006 estimate
10,175,014 (79th)
GDP (PPP)2005 estimate
• Total
$ 76.91 billion (63rd)
• Per capita
$7,400 (105th)
HDI (2003)0.753
high (89th)
CurrencyTunisian Dinar (TND)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code216
ISO 3166 codeTN
Internet TLD.tn
* Rank in 2005

Tunisia (Arabic: تونس), officially the Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is the easternmost and smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range, bordering Algeria, to the west, and Libya to the south east. Forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil, with easily accessible coasts. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with 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."

History

Main article: History of Tunisia
ruins of the Antonine Baths, Roman Carthage
Tunisian flag under the Hafsids c.1375
File:Tunisiaprotflag.gif
Flag of French Protectorate of Tunisia
File:Medina tower in Sousse, Tunisia.jpg
Medina tower in Sousse
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 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 tells that the Queen Dido founded the city, and this is retold in the Roman Epic Aeneid.

The people of Carthage worshiped a pantheon of Middle Eastern Gods including Baal and Tanit. Tanit symbol of a simple female figure in long dress and extended arms is a popular icon on ancient sites.

The founders of Carthage also established a Tophat which had been altered under roman times but was an above ground complex.

Though the Roman's 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 led by Hannibal during the First Punic War nearly prevented the rise of the Roman Empire. Carthage was eventually conquered by Rome (2nd century BC), a turning point which meant that the civilization of the ancient Mediterranean would pass to the modern world via Europe instead of Africa. After Roman conquest, the region became one of the granaries of Rome. It was held by the Vandals (5th century AD) and was retaken byByzantines (6th century) during the rule of Justinian by his the commander Belisarius.

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. 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).

French Imperialism

In the mid-1800's, Tunisia began to weaken as the Bey at that time did a few very irresponsible things that led to catastrophe. France was already planning to invade Tunisia when the Bey first borrowed large sums of money in an attempt to Westernize. This weakened state facilitated the Algerian raids that occurred thereafter. The Bey was powerless against these raids.

In 1878, a secret deal was made between Great Britain and France that decided the fate of the African country. As long as the French accepted British control of Cyprus, a small island recently given to Great Britain, they would be "allowed" to invade Tunisia. This was good enough for the French who invaded in 1880. Tunisia was made a French protectorate on May 12, 1881.

Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956. The Bey took power, but was deposed by Habib Bourguiba in 1957.

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 of Tunisia as a minor event, but in fact it had significance for the rest of the war.

General 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 Battle of France in 1940. Until Tunisia the green allied forces had generally been unable to stand up to quick German blitzkrieg 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. And they would have to be able to support each other to bring the massive might of the United States and British Empire on the often fanatical German military.

In February 19 Rommel launched an attack on the American forces in the Kasserine Pass, hoping to inflict the kind of alliance and morale shattering defeat they had won in Poland and France. The initial results were a disaster for the United States; to this day the area around Kasserine is the site of many US war graves from that time.

However, the American forces were able to stop the retreat and learn a critical lesson in tank warfare. On March 20, The Allies broke the Mareth line and linked on April 8, 1943. Thus the alliance of the United States, the United Kingdom, the Free French, and Polish and other forces were able to win a major battle as an allied army.

In Tunisia for the first time the American, British, Free French and other forces had been able to accomplish this and the battle, though often overshadowed by Stalingrad, is a major victory in the World War II if only because it forged the Alliance which would one day liberate Western Europe.

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 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. 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 of no significance.

Tunisia is noteworthy for its lack of public political discourse. Tunisia precise political situations is hard to determine due to the effective level of silence the government has placed and the entire lack of all 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 ISP so close by. Tunisia allows only censored Internet access in its own country. This censorship bars all materials deemed pornographic, political opposition including many French online papers, and any chat group references critical of the government.

It seems unlikely that the oppression brought to bear is restricted only to the Internet. Tunisia has no free press and Tunisian are almost never willing to speak about politics. Most likely the Internet has only made public the pervasive structure of state control which has managed to shroud itself in a western friendly face, welcoming masses of tourists who can even enjoy topless beaches.

Tunisia is also noteworthy for the extensive male prostitution trade which focuses on the beaches westerns go for vacation. The government seems to treat male sex workers as non-criminals.

As for the underground opposition from Islamic Fundamentalists, these groups have an obvious but not clear existence in the nation. Under former Habib Bourguiba Islamic Fundamentalists were allowed to serve as a counter to more left wing movements. In 1987 the threat from Movement of the Islamic Tendency is to have given the pretext for the current dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to take power in a bloodless coup. Ben Ali has followed an aggressive policy regarding the Fundamentalists but the extent of any government success if difficult to judge in a nation where so much is secret.

Because of a widespread program of interrogation and suppression the Islamic Fundamentalist movements have gone underground, but not vanished. The Ghriba synagogue bombing by what many believe to be al-Qaeda April 11 2002 killing 21 people shows that radical groups in the country can still conduct suicide attacks. The synagogue in question was well behind the main road, situated behind concrete blocks and guarded. The attack demonstrated a great deal of determination.

The Tunisian government continues to insist that the attack was the work of Nizar Nawar and his uncle. Western governments have traced it to a larger operation in Spain and Saudi Arabia.

As with almost all Islamic nations the US invasion of Iraq has greatly increased the prestige and public support for these groups, though the extent of these feelings are impossible to determine accurately. While the threat of Islamic Terror exists in Tunisia, and as long as President Ben Ali uses any means to fight it, there is little chance that pressure for genuine democracy and reform will come from the west.

However standards of living are some of the best in the third world. Tunisia remains a repressive regime, but one free of many of the evils of starvation, homelessness, and disease seen in much of Africa.

See also:

Administrative Divisions

Main article: Governorates of Tunisia

Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates.

Geography

Map of Tunisia
Tunisian coins
Main article: Geography of Tunisia

Tunisia is in northern Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert and bordered by Algeria on the west and Libya on the 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 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 EU (comparable to the status of Norway or Iceland without all of the freedoms of the European Economic Area).

Culture

Main article: Culture of Tunisia

See also:

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Tunisia
Traditional Tunisian bread being made

Modern Tunisians are mainly the descendants of indigenous Berbers: less than 20% of the genetic material comes the Middle East [1]. Numerous civilizations have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia. Significant influxes of population have during conquest by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Vandals, the Arabs, the Ottomans, and the French. Many Spanish Moors and Jews also arrived at the end of the 15th century.

Nearly all Tunisians (98% of the population) are Muslim. There has been a Jewish population on the southern island of Djerba for 2000 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[2]. Small nomadic indigenous minorities have been mostly assimilated into the larger population.

Education

Main article: List of universities in Tunisia Colleges and universities in Tunisia include:

Miscellaneous Topics

References

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