Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. In late October 2011, elections for a Constituent Assembly were held. The Constituent Assembly is charged with appointing a new interim government, drafting a new constitution, and preparing for legislative and presidential elections.

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Africa

slightly larger than Georgia

1,148 km

temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

4,450 sq km (2008)

4.6 cu km (2003)

NA

toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

10,629,186 (July 2011 est.)

0.978% (2011 est.)

17.4 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)

5.83 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)

-1.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

TUNIS (capital) 759,000 (2009)

60 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)

2.03 children born/woman (2011 est.)

6.2% of GDP (2009)

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2009)

urban: 99% of population

rural: 84% of population

total: 94% of population

urban: 1% of population

rural: 16% of population

total: 6% of population (2008)

urban: 96% of population

rural: 64% of population

total: 85% of population

urban: 4% of population

rural: 36% of population

total: 15% of population (2008)

less than 0.1% (2009 est.)

2,400 (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

3.3% (2006)

7.1% of GDP (2007)

republic

24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

20 March 1956 (from France)

Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002; note - the newly formed Constituent Assembly is charged with writing a new constitution

mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code, and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Afek Tounes [Emna MINF]; al-Nahda (The Renaissance) [Rachid GHANNOUCHI]; Congress Party for the Republic or CPR [Moncef MARZOUKI]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL (Ettakatol) [Mustapha Ben JAAFAR]; Democratic Modernist Pole or PDM (a coalition); Democratic Socialist Movement or MDS; Et-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Petition (Aridha Chaabia) [Hachemi HAMDI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party or PDP [Maya JERIBI]; The Initiative [Kamel MORJANE] (formerly the Constitutional Democratic Rally or RCD); Tunisian Workers' Communist Party or PCOT [Hamma HAMMAMI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]

ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

encircled red star and crescent

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, 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. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth, which averaged almost 5% over the past decade, declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 3-4% in 2009-10 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market. However, development of non-textile manufacturing, a recovery in agricultural production, and strong growth in the services sector somewhat mitigated the economic effect of slowing exports. Tunisia will need to reach even higher growth levels to create sufficient employment opportunities for an already large number of unemployed as well as the growing population of university graduates. The challenges ahead include: privatizing industry, liberalizing the investment code to increase foreign investment, improving government efficiency, reducing the trade deficit, and reducing socioeconomic disparities in the impoverished south and west.

$100 billion (2010 est.)

$96.43 billion (2009 est.)

$93.54 billion (2008 est.)

$44.29 billion (2010 est.)

3.7% (2010 est.)

3.1% (2009 est.)

4.5% (2008 est.)

$9,400 (2010 est.)

$9,200 (2009 est.)

$9,000 (2008 est.)

3.769 million (2010 est.)

13% (2010 est.)

13.3% (2009 est.)

3.8% (2005 est.)

40 (2005 est.)

41.7 (1995 est.)

26.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

23.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

-4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)

48% of GDP (2010 est.)

46.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

4.4% (2010 est.)

3.5% (2009 est.)

5.75% (31 December 2010 est.)

NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

NA% (31 December 2010 est.)

7.305% (31 December 2009 est.)

$11.44 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$11.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$28.11 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$27.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$31.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$29.16 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$10.68 billion (31 December 2010)

$9.12 billion (31 December 2009)

$6.374 billion (31 December 2008)

olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

7.7% (2010 est.)

14.4 billion kWh (2008 est.)

12.49 billion kWh (2008 est.)

129 million kWh (2008 est.)

7 million kWh (2008 est.)

83,720 bbl/day (2010 est.)

84,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)

91,200 bbl/day (2009 est.)

78,460 bbl/day (2009 est.)

425 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.)

3.6 billion cu m (2009 est.)

4.85 billion cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (2009 est.)

1.25 billion cu m (2009 est.)

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.)

-$973.4 million (2010 est.)

-$1.234 billion (2009 est.)

$16.43 billion (2010 est.)

$14.42 billion (2009 est.)

clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment

France 26.5%, Italy 17.4%, Germany 9.6%, Libya 6.2%, UK 5.6%, Spain 4.2% (2010)

$21.01 billion (2010 est.)

$18.12 billion (2009 est.)

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

France 20.4%, Italy 20.2%, Germany 9.1%, Spain 5.2%, China 4.5% (2010)

$9.462 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$11.06 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$23.09 billion (30 June 2011 est.)

$21.47 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$31.41 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$31.86 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$285 million (31 December 2010 est.)

$233 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -

1.4367 (2010)

1.3503 (2009)

1.211 (2008)

1.2776 (2007)

1.331 (2006)

1.29 million (2010)

11.114 million (2010)

broadcast media is mainly government-controlled; the state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates 2 national television networks, several national radio networks, and a number of regional radio stations; 1 TV and 3 radio stations are privately-owned and report domestic news stories directly from the official Tunisian news agency; the state retains control of broadcast facilities and transmitters through L'Office National de la Telediffusion; Tunisians also have access to Egyptian, pan-Arab, and European satellite TV channels (2007)

.tn

490 (2010)

3.5 million (2009)

32 (2010)

gas 2,386 km; oil 1,323 km; refined products 453 km (2010)

Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiens, FAT): Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'Tunisia) (2011)

20 years of age for compulsory military service, 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service obligation (2007)

1.4% of GDP (2006)

none