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Tunisia

February 10, 2023

Tunisia,[a] officially the Republic of Tunisia,[b][17] (Tunisian: Tounes, Touns [ˈtun(ɪ̈)s]) is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a part of the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. It features the archaeological sites of Carthage dating back to the 9th century BC, as well as the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Known for its ancient architecture, souks and blue coasts, it covers 163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi), and has a population of 12.1 million. It contains the eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert; much of its remaining territory is arable land. Its 1,300 km (810 mi) of coastline include the African conjunction of the western and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Basin. Tunisia is home to Africa's northernmost point, Cape Angela; and its capital and largest city is Tunis, which is located on its northeastern coast, and lends the country its name.

Republic of Tunisia
  • الجمهورية التونسية (Arabic)
    al-Jumhūrīyah at-Tūnisīyah
  • République tunisienne (French)
Motto: حرية، نظام، عدالة
"Ḥurrīyah, Niẓām, 'Adālah"
"Freedom, Order, Justice"[1]
Anthem: حماة الحمى
"Humat al-Hima"
(English: "Defenders of the Homeland")
Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
Capital
and largest city
Tunis
36°49′N 10°11′E / 36.817°N 10.183°E / 36.817; 10.183
Official languagesArabic[2]
Local vernacularTunisian Arabic[3]
Foreign languages
Ethnic groups
(2021)[5]
Religion
Demonym(s)Tunisian
GovernmentUnitary presidential republic
• President
Kais Saied
Najla Bouden
LegislatureAssembly of the Representatives of the People (dissolved)
Establishment
814 BC
146 BC
435
591
• Aghlabids
800
• Fatimids
909
• Zirids
972
• Hafsids
1207
• Husainids
15 July 1705
• Kingdom
20 March 1956
• Republic
25 July 1957
28 August 2022
Area
• Total
163,610 km2 (63,170 sq mi) (91st)
• Water (%)
5.04
Population
• 2020 estimate
11,708,370[11] (81st)
• Density
71.65/km2 (185.6/sq mi) (144th)
GDP (PPP)2022 estimate
• Total
 $149.184 billion [12] (82nd)
• Per capita
 $12,300[12] (113th)
GDP (nominal)2022 estimate
• Total
 $45.642 billion[12] (94th)
• Per capita
 $3,763[12] (129th)
Gini (2017)35.8[13]
medium
HDI (2021) 0.740[14]
high · 97th
CurrencyTunisian dinar (TND)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
Driving sideright
Calling code+216
ISO 3166 codeTN
Internet TLD

Beginning in early antiquity, Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers. Phoenicians began to arrive in the 12th century BC, establishing several settlements, of which Carthage emerged as the most powerful by the 7th century BC. Carthage was a major mercantile empire and a military rival to the Roman Republic until 146 BC, when it was defeated by the Romans who occupied Tunisia for most of the next 800 years. The Romans introduced Christianity and left architectural legacies like the Amphitheatre of El Jem. In the 7th century AD, Arab Muslims conquered all of Tunisia (finally succeeding in 697 after several attempts starting in 647) and settled with their tribes and families, brought Islam and Arab culture to the local inhabitants, and since then Arabs became the majority of the population. Then, in 1546, the Ottoman Empire established control there, holding sway for over 300 years, until 1881, when the French conquered Tunisia. In 1956, Tunisia gained independence as the Tunisian Republic under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba with the help of activists such as Chedly Kallala, Farhat Hached and Salah Ben Youssef. Today, Tunisia's culture and identity are rooted in this centuries-long intersection of different cultures and ethnicities.

In 2011, the Tunisian Revolution, which was triggered by dissatisfaction with the lack of freedom and democracy under the 24-year rule of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, overthrew his regime and catalyzed the broader Arab Spring movement across the region. Free multiparty parliamentary elections were held shortly thereafter; the country again voted for parliament on 26 October 2014,[18] and for president on 23 November 2014.[19] After the 2022 constitutional referendum, Tunisia became a unitary presidential representative democratic republic. From 2014 to 2020, it was considered the only democratic state in the Arab World, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index,[20][c] and was rated a hybrid regime in the 2021 Index.[21] It is one of the few countries in Africa ranking high in the Human Development Index, with one of the highest per capita incomes on the continent, ranking 129th in GDP per capita income.

The official language of Tunisia is Modern Standard Arabic. The vast majority of Tunisia's population is Arab and Muslim. Vernacular Tunisian Arabic is the most spoken, and French also serves as an administrative and educational language in some contexts, but it has no official status.

Tunisia is well integrated into the international community. It is a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie, the Arab League, the OIC, the African Union, the COMESA, the Non-Aligned Movement, the International Criminal Court, and the Group of 77, among others. It maintains close economic and political relations with some European countries, particularly with France,[22] and Italy,[23][24] due to their geographical proximity. Tunisia also has an association agreement with the European Union and has attained the status of a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

Etymology

See also: Tunis § Etymology

The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis; a central urban hub and the capital of modern-day Tunisia. The present form of the name, with its Latinate suffix -ia, evolved from French Tunisie,[25] in turn generally associated with the Berber root ⵜⵏⵙ, transcribed tns, which means "to lay down" or "encampment".[26] It is sometimes also associated with the Carthage goddess Tanith (or Tunit),[25][27] and the ancient city of Tynes.[28][29]

The French derivative Tunisie was adopted in some European languages with slight modifications, introducing a distinctive name to designate the country. Other languages have left the name untouched, such as the Russian Туни́с (Tunís) and Spanish Túnez. In this case, the same name is used for both country and city, as with the Arabic تونس, and only by context can one tell the difference.[25]

History

Main article: History of Tunisia

Antiquity

Main articles: Capsian culture and Ancient Carthage

Farming methods reached the Nile Valley from the Fertile Crescent region about 5000 BC, and spread to the Maghreb by about 4000 BC. Agricultural communities in the humid coastal plains of central Tunisia then were ancestors of today's Berber tribes.

 
Carthaginian dependencies and protectorates through the Punic Wars .

It was believed in ancient times that Africa was originally populated by Gaetulians and Libyans, both nomadic peoples. According to the Roman historian Sallust, the demigod Hercules died in Spain and his polyglot eastern army was left to settle the land, with some migrating to Africa. Persians went to the West and intermarried with the Gaetulians and became the Numidians. The Medes settled and were known as Mauri, later Moors.[30]

The Numidians and Moors belonged to the race from which the Berbers are descended. The translated meaning of Numidian is Nomad and indeed the people were semi-nomadic until the reign of Masinissa of the Massyli tribe.[31][32][33]

At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 12th century BC (Bizerte, Utica). The city of Carthage was founded in the 9th century BC by Phoenicians. Legend says that Dido from Tyre, now in modern-day Lebanon, founded the city in 814 BC, as retold by the Greek writer Timaeus of Tauromenium. The settlers of Carthage brought their culture and religion from Phoenicia, now present-day Lebanon and adjacent areas.[34]

After the 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.

 
Statue of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca

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 Roman power. From the conclusion of the Second Punic War in 202 BC, Carthage functioned as a client state of the Roman Republic for another 50 years.[35]

Following the Battle of Carthage which began in 149 BC during the Third Punic War, Carthage was conquered by Rome in 146 BC.[36] Following its conquest, the Romans renamed Carthage to Africa, incorporating it as a province.

During the Roman period, the area of what is now Tunisia enjoyed a huge development. The economy, mainly during the Empire, boomed: the prosperity of the area depended on agriculture. Called the Granary of the Empire, the area of actual Tunisia and coastal Tripolitania, according to one estimate, produced one million tons of cereals each year, one quarter of which was exported to the Empire. Additional crops included beans, figs, grapes, and other fruits.

By the 2nd century, olive oil rivaled cereals as an export item. In addition to the cultivations and the capture and transporting of exotic wild animals from the western mountains, the principal production and exports included the textiles, marble, wine, timber, livestock, pottery such as African Red Slip, and wool.

There was even a huge production of mosaics and ceramics, exported mainly to Italy, in the central area of El Djem (where there was the second biggest amphitheater in the Roman Empire).

Berber bishop Donatus Magnus was the founder of a Christian group known as the Donatists.[37] During the 5th and 6th centuries (from 430 to 533 AD), the Germanic Vandals invaded and ruled over a kingdom in Northwest Africa that included present-day Tripoli. The region was easily reconquered in 533–534 AD, during the rule of Emperor Justinian I, by the Eastern Romans led by General Belisarius.[38]

Middle Ages

Main article: History of medieval Tunisia
 
Uqba ibn Nafi led the Umayyad conquest of Tunisia in the late 7th century

Sometime between the second half of the 7th century and the early part of the 8th century, Arab Muslim conquest occurred in the region. They founded the first Islamic city in Northwest Africa, Kairouan. It was there in 670 AD that the Mosque of Uqba, or the Great Mosque of Kairouan, was constructed.[39] This mosque is the oldest and most prestigious sanctuary in the Muslim West with the oldest standing minaret in the world;[40] it is also considered a masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture.[41]

Tunis was taken in 695, re-taken by the Byzantine Eastern Romans in 697, but lost permanently in 698. The transition from a Latin-speaking Christian Berber society to a Muslim and mostly Arabic-speaking society took over 400 years (the equivalent process in Egypt and the Fertile Crescent took 600 years) and resulted in the final disappearance of Christianity and Latin in the 12th or 13th century. The majority of the population were not Muslim until quite late in the 9th century; a vast majority were during the 10th. Also, some Tunisian Christians emigrated; some richer members of society did so after the conquest in 698 and others were welcomed by Norman rulers to Sicily or Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries – the logical destination because of the 1200 year close connection between the two regions.[42]

The Arab governors of Tunis founded the Aghlabid dynasty, which ruled Tunisia, Tripolitania and eastern Algeria from 800 to 909.[43] Tunisia flourished under Arab rule when extensive systems were constructed to supply towns with water for household use and irrigation that promoted agriculture (especially olive production).[43][44] This prosperity permitted luxurious court life and was marked by the construction of new palace cities such as al-Abbasiya (809) and Raq Adda (877).[43]

After conquering Cairo, the Fatimids abandoned Tunisia and parts of Eastern Algeria to the local Zirids (972–1148).[45] Zirid Tunisia flourished in many areas: agriculture, industry, trade, and religious and secular learning.[46] Management by the later Zirid emirs was neglectful though, and political instability was connected to the decline of Tunisian trade and agriculture.[43][47][48]

 
Domes of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Founded in 670, it dates in its present form largely from the Aghlabid period (9th century). It is the oldest mosque in the Maghreb.

The depredation of the Tunisian campaigns by the Banu Hilal, a warlike Arab Bedouin tribe encouraged by the Fatimids of Egypt to seize Northwest Africa, sent the region's rural and urban economic life into further decline.[45] Consequently, the region underwent rapid urbanisation as famines depopulated the countryside and industry shifted from agriculture to manufactures.[49] The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun wrote that the lands ravaged by Banu Hilal invaders had become completely arid desert.[47][50]

The main Tunisian cities were conquered by the Normans of Sicily under the Kingdom of Africa in the 12th century, but following the conquest of Tunisia in 1159–1160 by the Almohads the Normans were evacuated to Sicily. Communities of Tunisian Christians would still exist in Nefzaoua up to the 14th century.[51] The Almohads initially ruled over Tunisia through a governor, usually a near relative of the Caliph. Despite the prestige of the new masters, the country was still unruly, with continuous rioting and fighting between the townsfolk and wandering Arabs and Turks, the latter being subjects of the Muslim Armenian adventurer Karakush. Also, Tunisia was occupied by Ayyubids between 1182 and 1183 and again between 1184 and 1187.[52]

The greatest threat to Almohad rule in Tunisia was the Banu Ghaniya, relatives of the Almoravids, who from their base in Mallorca tried to restore Almoravid rule over the Maghreb. Around 1200 they succeeded in extending their rule over the whole of Tunisia until they were crushed by Almohad troops in 1207. After this success, the Almohads installed Walid Abu Hafs as the governor of Tunisia. Tunisia remained part of the Almohad state, until 1230 when the son of Abu Hafs declared himself independent. During the reign of the Hafsid dynasty, fruitful commercial relationships were established with several Christian Mediterranean states.[53] In the late 16th century the coast became a pirate stronghold.

Ottoman Tunisia

Main article: Ottoman Tunisia

In the last years of the Hafsid dynasty, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered by the Ottoman Empire.

 
Conquest of Tunis by Charles V and liberation of Christian galley slaves in 1535

The first Ottoman conquest of Tunis took place in 1534 under the command of Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha, the younger brother of Oruç Reis, who was the Kapudan Pasha of the Ottoman Fleet during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. However, it was not until the final Ottoman reconquest of Tunis from Spain in 1574 under Kapudan Pasha Uluç Ali Reis that the Ottomans permanently acquired the former Hafsid Tunisia, retaining it until the French conquest of Tunisia in 1881.

Initially under Turkish rule from Algiers, soon the Ottoman Porte appointed directly for Tunis a governor called the Pasha supported by janissary forces. Before long, however, Tunisia became in effect an autonomous province, under the local bey. Under its Turkish governors, the beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957.[54] This evolution of status was from time to time challenged without success by Algiers. During this era the governing councils controlling Tunisia remained largely composed of a foreign elite who continued to conduct state business in the Turkish language.

Attacks on European shipping were made by corsairs, primarily from Algiers, but also from Tunis and Tripoli, yet after a long period of declining raids the growing power of the European states finally forced its termination. Under the Ottoman Empire, the boundaries of Tunisia contracted; it lost territory to the west (Constantine) and to the east (Tripoli).

 
St Louis Cathedral - Carthage - Tunisia - 1899

The plague epidemics ravaged Tunisia in 1784–1785, 1796–1797 and 1818–1820.[55]

In the 19th century, the rulers of Tunisia became aware of the ongoing efforts at political and social reform in the Ottoman capital. The Bey of Tunis then, by his own lights but informed by the Turkish example, attempted to effect a modernizing reform of institutions and the economy.[56] Tunisian international debt grew unmanageable. This was the reason or pretext for French forces to establish a protectorate in 1881.

French Tunisia (1881–1956)

Main article: French protectorate of Tunisia
 
British tank moves through Tunis after the city was taken from Axis troops, 8 May 1943

In 1869, Tunisia declared itself bankrupt and an international financial commission took control over its 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).[57] 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.[58]

During World War II, French Tunisia was ruled by the collaborationist Vichy government located in Metropolitan France. The antisemitic Statute on Jews enacted by the Vichy government was also implemented in Vichy-controlled Northwest Africa and other overseas French territories. Thus, the persecution, and murder of the Jews from 1940 to 1943 was part of the Holocaust in France.

From November 1942 until May 1943, Vichy-controlled Tunisia was occupied by Germany. SS Commander Walter Rauff continued to implement the "Final Solution" there. From 1942 to 1943, Tunisia was the scene of the Tunisia Campaign, a series of battles between the Axis and Allied forces. The battle opened with initial success by the German and Italian forces, but the massive supply and numerical superiority of the Allies led to the Axis surrender on 13 May 1943.[59][60] The six-month campaign of Tunisia's liberation from Axis occupation signalled the end of World War II in Africa.

Struggle for independence (1943-1956)

Post-independence (1956–2011)

Main article: History of modern Tunisia
 
Habib Bourguiba was the first president of Tunisia, from 1957 to 1987

Tunisia achieved independence from France on 20 March 1956 with Habib Bourguiba as Prime Minister.[61] 20 March is celebrated annually as Tunisian Independence Day.[62] A year later, Tunisia was declared a republic, with Bourguiba as the first President.[63] From independence in 1956 until the 2011 revolution, the government and the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), formerly Neo Destour and the Socialist Destourian Party, were effectively one. Following a report by Amnesty International, The Guardian called Tunisia "one of the most modern but repressive countries in the Arab world".[64]

In November 1987, doctors declared Bourguiba unfit to rule[65] and, in a bloodless coup d'état, Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali assumed the presidency[63] in accordance with Article 57 of the Tunisian constitution.[66] The anniversary of Ben Ali's succession, 7 November, was celebrated as a national holiday. He was consistently re-elected with enormous majorities every five years (well over 80 percent of the vote), the last being 25 October 2009,[67] until he fled the country amid popular unrest in January 2011.

Ben Ali and his family were accused of corruption[68] and plundering the country's money. Economic liberalisation provided further opportunities for financial mismanagement,[69] while corrupt members of the Trabelsi family, most notably in the cases of Imed Trabelsi and Belhassen Trabelsi, controlled much of the business sector in the country.[70] The First Lady Leila Ben Ali was described as an "unabashed shopaholic" who used the state airplane to make frequent unofficial trips to Europe's fashion capitals.[71] Tunisia refused a French request for the extradition of two of the President's nephews, from Leila's side, who were accused by the French State prosecutor of having stolen two mega-yachts from a French marina.[72] According to Le Monde, Ben Ali's son-in-law was being primed to eventually take over the country.[73]

Independent human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Protection International, documented that basic human and political rights were not respected.[74][75] The regime obstructed in any way possible the work of local human rights organizations.[76] In 2008, in terms of press freedom, Tunisia was ranked 143rd out of 173.[77]

Post-revolution (since 2011)

See also: Tunisian Revolution
 
Tunis on 14 January 2011 during the Tunisian Revolution

The Tunisian Revolution[78][79] was an intensive campaign of civil resistance that was precipitated by high unemployment, food inflation, corruption,[80] a lack of freedom of speech and other political freedoms[81] and poor living conditions. Labour unions were said to be an integral part of the protests.[82] The protests inspired the Arab Spring, a wave of similar actions throughout the Arab world.

The catalyst for mass demonstrations was the death of Mohamed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old Tunisian street vendor, who set himself afire on 17 December 2010 in protest at the confiscation of his wares and the humiliation inflicted on him by a municipal official named Faida Hamdy. Anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi's death on 4 January 2011, ultimately leading longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to resign and flee the country on 14 January 2011, after 23 years in power.[83]

Protests continued for banning of the ruling party and the eviction of all its members from the transitional government formed by Mohammed Ghannouchi. Eventually the new government gave in to the demands. A Tunis court banned the ex-ruling party RCD and confiscated all its resources. A decree by the minister of the interior banned the "political police", special forces which were used to intimidate and persecute political activists.[84]

On 3 March 2011, the interim president announced that elections to a Constituent Assembly would be held on 24 July 2011.[85] On 9 June 2011, the prime minister announced the election would be postponed until 23 October 2011.[86] International and internal observers declared the vote free and fair. The Ennahda Movement, formerly banned under the Ben Ali regime, came out of the election as the largest party, with 89 seats out of a total of 217.[87] On 12 December 2011, former dissident and veteran human rights activist Moncef Marzouki was elected president.[88]

In March 2012, Ennahda declared it will not support making sharia the main source of legislation in the new constitution, maintaining the secular nature of the state. Ennahda's stance on the issue was criticized by hardline Islamists, who wanted strict sharia, but was welcomed by secular parties.[89] On 6 February 2013, Chokri Belaid, the leader of the leftist opposition and prominent critic of Ennahda, was assassinated.[90]

In 2014, President Moncef Marzouki established Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission, as a key part of creating a national reconciliation.[91]

Tunisia was hit by two terror attacks on foreign tourists in 2015, first killing 22 people at the Bardo National Museum, and later killing 38 people at the Sousse beachfront. Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi renewed the state of emergency in October for three more months.[92]

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in building a peaceful, pluralistic political order in Tunisia.[93]

Presidency of Kais Saied (2019-present)

Tunisia's first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi died in July 2019.[94] Following him, Kais Saied became Tunisia's president after a landslide victory in the 2019 Tunisian presidential elections in October.[95] On 23 October 2019, Kais Saied was sworn in as Tunisia's new President.[96]

On 25 July 2021, amid ongoing demonstrations concerning government dysfunction and corruption and rises in COVID-19 cases, Kais Saied suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister and withdrew immunity of parliament members.[97][98] In September 2021, Saied said he would appoint a committee to help draft new constitutional amendments.[99] On 29 September, he named Najla Bouden as the new prime minister and tasked her with forming a cabinet, which was sworn in on 11 October.[100][101]

On 3 February 2022, Tunisia was voted to the African Union's (AU) Peace and Security Council for the term 2022–2024, according to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry. The poll took place on the fringes of the AU Executive Council's 40th ordinary session, which was held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, according to the ministry.[102]

In February 2022, Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund are still holding preliminary negotiations in the hopes of securing a multibillion-dollar bailout for an economy beset by recession, public debt, inflation, and unemployment.[103]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Tunisia
 
Köppen climate classification in Tunisia. The climate is Mediterranean towards the coast in the north, while most of the country is desert.

Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coast of Northwest Africa, midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Delta. It is bordered by Algeria on the west (965 km) and southwest and Libya on the south east (459 km).[104] It lies between latitudes 30° and 38°N, and longitudes 7° and 12°E. An abrupt southward turn of the Mediterranean coast in northern Tunisia gives the country two distinctive Mediterranean coasts, west–east in the north, and north–south in the east.

Though it is relatively small in size, Tunisia has great environmental diversity due to its north–south extent. Its east–west extent is limited. Differences in Tunisia, like the rest of the Maghreb, are largely north–south environmental differences defined by sharply decreasing rainfall southward from any point. The Dorsal, the eastern extension of the Atlas Mountains, runs across Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula in the east. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, again an extension of mountains to the west in Algeria. In the Khroumerie, the northwestern corner of the Tunisian Tell, elevations reach 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) and snow occurs in winter.

The Sahel, a broadening coastal plain along Tunisia's eastern Mediterranean coast, is among the world's premier areas of olive cultivation. Inland from the Sahel, 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 (713 mi) long. In maritime terms, the country claims a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles (44 kilometres), and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres).[105] The city of Tunis is built on a hill slope down to the lake of Tunis. These hills contain places such as Notre-Dame de Tunis, Ras Tabia, La Rabta, La Kasbah, Montfleury and La Manoubia with altitudes just above 50 metres (160 feet). The city is located at the crossroads of a narrow strip of land between Lake Tunis and Séjoumi.[106]

Climate

Tunisia's climate is Mediterranean in the north, with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers.[107] 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 Chott el Djerid at 17 metres (56 ft) below sea level and the highest is Jebel ech Chambi at 1,544 metres (5,066 ft).[108]

Biodiversity

Tunisia is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests, Saharan halophytics, Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe, Mediterranean woodlands and forests, and North Saharan steppe and woodlands.[109]

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Tunisia
 
Kais Saied
President since 2019
 
Najla Bouden
Prime Minister since 2021

Tunisia is a representative democracy and a republic with a president serving as head of state, a prime minister as head of government, a unicameral parliament, and a civil law court system. The Constitution of Tunisia, adopted 26 January 2014, guarantees rights for women and states that the President's religion "shall be Islam". In October 2014 Tunisia held its first elections under the new constitution following the Arab Spring.[110] Tunisia was the only democracy in North Africa until 2021. The country now classifies as "hybrid regime" in the Democracy Index.[111]

The number of legalized political parties in Tunisia has grown considerably since the revolution. There are now over 100 legal parties, including several that existed under the former regime. During the rule of Ben Ali, only three functioned as independent opposition parties: the PDP, FDTL, and Tajdid. While some older parties are well-established and can draw on previous party structures, many of the 100-plus parties extant as of February 2012 are small.[112]

Rare for the Arab world, women held more than 20% of seats in the country's pre-revolution bicameral parliament.[113] In the 2011 constituent assembly, women held between 24% and 31% of all seats.[114][115]

Tunisia is included in the European Union's European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer. On 23 November 2014 Tunisia held its first presidential election following the Arab Spring in 2011.[116]

The Tunisian legal system is heavily influenced by French civil law, while the law of personal status is based on Islamic law.[117] Sharia courts were abolished in 1956.[117]

A Code of Personal Status was adopted shortly after independence in 1956, which, among other things, gave women full legal status (allowing them to run and own businesses, have bank accounts, and seek passports under their own authority). The code outlawed the practices of polygamy and repudiation and a husband's right to unilaterally divorce his wife.[118] Further reforms in 1993 included a provision to allow Tunisian women to transmit citizenship even if they are married to a foreigner and living abroad.[119] The Law of Personal Status is applied to all Tunisians regardless of their religion.[117] The Code of Personal Status remains one of the most progressive civil codes in North Africa and the Muslim world.[120]

On 25 May 2022, President Kais Saied issued a decree for change of constitution by 25 July.[121] The referendum was held that day to a low turnout of 30% of voters, the overwhelming majority of whom accepted the new constitution, strengthening significantly the presidential power.[122]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Tunisia
 
Nations with which Tunisia has diplomatic relations.

Tunisia maintains diplomatic relations with over 160+ countries. Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has maintained its long-time policy of seeking good relations with the West, while playing an active role in Arab and African regional bodies. President Habib Bourguiba took a nonaligned stance but emphasized close relations with Europe, Pakistan, and the United States.

Military

Main article: Tunisian Armed Forces
 
Tunisian military force.

As of 2008, Tunisia had an army of 27,000 personnel equipped with 84 main battle tanks and 48 light tanks. The navy had 4,800 personnel operating 25 patrol boats and 6 other craft. The Tunisian Air Force has 154 aircraft and 4 UAVs. Paramilitary forces consisted of a 12,000-member national guard.[123] Tunisia's military spending was 1.6% of GDP as of 2006. The army is responsible for national defence and also internal security. Tunisia has participated in peacekeeping efforts in the DROC and Ethiopia/Eritrea.[124] United Nations peacekeeping deployments for the Tunisian armed forces have been in Cambodia (UNTAC), Namibia (UNTAG), Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the 1960s mission in the Congo, ONUC.

The military has historically played a professional, apolitical role in defending the country from external threats. Since January 2011 and at the direction of the executive branch, the military has taken on increasing responsibility for domestic security and humanitarian crisis response.[112]

Administrative divisions

Main articles: Governorates of Tunisia and Delegations of Tunisia

Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates (Wilaya), which are further divided into 264 "delegations" or "districts" (mutamadiyat), and further subdivided into municipalities (baladiyats)[125] and sectors (imadats).[126]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Tunisia
 
GDP per capita development of Tunisia

Ranked the most competitive economy in Africa by the World Economic Forum in 2009;[127] Tunisia is an export-oriented country in the process of liberalizing and privatizing an economy that, while averaging 5% GDP growth since the early 1990s, has suffered from corruption benefiting politically connected elites.[128] Tunisia's Penal Code criminalises several forms of corruption, including active and passive bribery, abuse of office, extortion and conflicts of interest, but the anti-corruption framework is not effectively enforced.[129] However, according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published annually by Transparency International, Tunisia was ranked the least corrupt North African country in 2016, with a score of 41. Tunisia has a diverse economy, ranging from agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and petroleum products, to tourism, which accounted for 7% of the total GDP and 370,000 jobs in 2009.[130] In 2008 it had an economy of US$41 billion in nominal terms, and $82 billion in PPP.[131]

The agricultural sector accounts 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 rate, especially among youth.[citation needed]

The European Union remains Tunisia's first trading partner, currently accounting for 72.5% of Tunisian imports and 75% of Tunisian exports. Tunisia is 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 came into force, Tunisia started dismantling tariffs on bilateral EU trade. Tunisia finalised the tariffs dismantling for industrial products in 2008 and therefore was the first non-EU Mediterranean country to enter in a free trade area with EU.[132]

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Tunisia
 
Sidi Bou Said

Among Tunisia's tourist attractions are its cosmopolitan capital city of Tunis, the ancient ruins of Carthage, the Muslim and Jewish quarters of Djerba, coastal resorts outside of Monastir, and the night life-driven city of Hammamet.[133] According to The New York Times, Tunisia is "known for its golden beaches, sunny weather and affordable luxuries".[134]

Energy

Main article: Energy in Tunisia

Sources of electricity production in Tunisia[135]

  Thermal steam (44%)
  Combined cycle (43%)
  Gas turbine (11%)
  Wind, hydroelectric, solar (2%)

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 GWh was produced in the country.[136]

Oil production of Tunisia is about 97,600 barrels per day (15,520 m3/d). The main field is El Bourma.[137]

Oil production began in 1966 in Tunisia. Currently there are 12 oil fields.[138]

Tunisia had plans for two nuclear power stations, to be operational by 2020. Both facilities are projected to produce 900–1000 MW. France is set to become an important partner in Tunisia's nuclear power plans, having signed an agreement, along with other partners, to deliver training and technology.[139][140] As of 2015, Tunisia has abandoned these plans. Instead, Tunisia is considering other options to diversify its energy mix, such as renewable energies, coal, shale gas, liquified natural gas and constructing a submarine power interconnection with Italy.[141]

According to the Tunisian Solar Plan (which is Tunisia's Renewable Energy Strategy not limited to solar, contrary to what its title may suggest, proposed by the National Agency for Energy Conservation ( 21 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine), Tunisia's objective is to reach a share of 30% of renewable energies in the electricity mix by 2030, most of which should be accounted for by wind power and photovoltaics.[142] As of 2015, Tunisia had a total renewable capacity of 312 MW (245 MW wind, 62 MW hydropower, 15 MW photovoltaics.)[143][144]

Transport

Main article: Transport in Tunisia

The country maintains 19,232 kilometres (11,950 mi) of roads,[131] with three highways: the A1 from Tunis to Sfax (works ongoing for Sfax-Libya), A3 Tunis-Beja (works ongoing Beja – Boussalem, studies ongoing Boussalem – Algeria) and A4 Tunis – Bizerte. There are 29 airports in Tunisia, with Tunis Carthage International Airport and Djerba–Zarzis International Airport being the most important ones. A new airport, Enfidha – Hammamet International Airport opened in 2011. The airport is located north of Sousse at Enfidha and is to mainly serve the resorts of Hamammet and Port El Kantaoui, together with inland cities such as Kairouan. Five airlines are headquartered in Tunisia: Tunisair, Syphax Airlines, Karthago Airlines, Nouvelair, and Tunisair Express. The railway network is operated by SNCFT and amounts to 2,135 kilometres (1,327 mi) in total.[131] The Tunis area is served by a Light rail network named Metro Leger which is managed by Transtu.

Water supply and sanitation

Main article: Water supply and sanitation in Tunisia

Tunisia has achieved the highest access rates to water supply and sanitation services in the Middle East and North Africa. As of 2011, access to safe drinking water became close to universal approaching 100% in urban areas and 90% in rural areas.[145] Tunisia provides good quality drinking water throughout the year.[146]

Responsibility for the water supply systems in urban areas and large rural centres is assigned to the Sociéte Nationale d'Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE), a national water supply authority that is an autonomous public entity under the Ministry of Agriculture. Planning, design and supervision of small and medium water supplies in the remaining rural areas are the responsibility of the Direction Générale du Génie Rurale (DGGR).

In 1974, ONAS was established to manage the sanitation sector. Since 1993, ONAS has had the status of a main operator for protection of water environment and combating pollution.

The rate of non-revenue water is the lowest in the region at 21% in 2012.[147]

Demographics

Main articles: Tunisians and Demographics of Tunisia
 
Largest cities or towns in Tunisia
According to the 2014 Census[148]
Rank Name Governorate Pop.
 
Tunis
 
Sfax 		1 Tunis Tunis 1,066,961  
Sousse
2 Sfax Sfax 330,440
3 Sousse Sousse 271.428
4 Ettadhamen-Mnihla Ariana 196,298
5 Kairouan Kairouan 186,653
6 Gabès Gabès 152,921
7 Bizerte Bizerte 142,966
8 La Soukra Ariana 129,693
9 Aryanah Aryanah 114,486
10 Sakiet Eddaïer Sfax 113,776
 
Population pyramid
 
Arabs leaving mosque in Tunis c. 1899
 
Tunisian students

According to the CIA, as of 2021, Tunisia has a population of 11,811,335 inhabitants.[131] The government has supported a successful family planning program that has reduced the population growth rate to just over 1% per annum, contributing to Tunisia's economic and social stability.[112]

Ethnic groups

According to the CIA World Factbook, ethnic groups in Tunisia are: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%.[131]

According to the 1956 Tunisian census, Tunisia had a population at the time of 3,783,000 residents, 95% consisting of Berbers and Arabs, 256,000 Europeans and 105,000 Jews. Speakers of Berber dialects were 2% of the population.[149] According to another source, the population of Arabs is estimated to be <40%[150] to 98%,[131][151][152] and that of Berbers at 1%[153] to over 60%.[150][clarification needed]

Black Tunisians make up 10–15% of the population[154][155] and are mostly descended from sub-Saharan Africans brought to Tunisia as part of the slave trade.[156]

Amazighs are generally concentrated in the Dahar mountains and on the island of Djerba in the southeast, and in the Khroumire mountainous region in the north-west. An important number of genetic and other historical studies point to the predominance of the Amazighs in Tunisia.[157]

An Ottoman influence has been particularly significant in forming the Turco-Tunisian community. Other peoples have also migrated to Tunisia during different time periods, including West Africans, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Phoenicians (Punics), Jews, and French and Italian settlers.[158] By 1870, the distinction between the Arabic-speaking population and the Turkish elite had blurred.[159]

From the late 19th century to the period after World War II, Tunisia was home to large populations of French and Italians (255,000 Europeans in 1956),[160] although nearly all of them, along with the Jewish population, left after Tunisia became independent. The history of the Jews in Tunisia goes back some 2,000 years. In 1948, the Jewish population was estimated at 105,000, but by 2013 only about 1000 remained.[161]

The first people known to history in what is now Tunisia were the Berbers. Numerous civilizations and peoples have invaded, migrated to, or have been assimilated into the population over the millennia, with influences of population from Phoenicians/Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Spaniards, Ottoman Turks and Janissaries, and French. There was a continuing inflow of nomadic Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula.[45]

After the Reconquista and expulsion of non-Christians and Moriscos from Spain, many Spanish Muslims and Jews arrived in Tunisia. According to Matthew Carr, "As many as eighty thousand Moriscos settled in Tunisia, most of them in and around the capital, Tunis, which still contains a quarter known as Zuqaq al-Andalus, or Andalusia Alley."[162]

Languages

Main article: Languages of Tunisia

Arabic is the official language of Tunisia. Tunisian Arabic, known as Tounsi,[163] is the national, vernacular variety of Arabic used by the public.[164] There is also a small minority of speakers of Berber languages known collectively as Jebbali or Shelha in the country.[165][166]

French also plays a major role in Tunisian society, 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 business. In 2010, there were 6,639,000 French-speakers in Tunisia, or about 64% of the population.[167] Italian is understood and spoken by a small part of the Tunisian population.[168] Shop signs, menus and road signs in Tunisia are generally written in both Arabic and French.[169]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Tunisia
 
Al-Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis

Tunisia's constitution declares Islam as the official state religion—and the absolute majority of its population, or around 98%, report to be Muslims, while some 2% follow predominantly Christianity or Judaism.[131] According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Arab Barometer, the vast majority of Tunisians (99.4%) continue to identify as Muslim.[170] The survey also found that more than one third of Tunisians identify as non-religious. The percentage of Tunisians identifying themselves as non-religious has recently increased from around 12% in 2013 to around 33% in 2018, making Tunisia the least religious country in the Arab world.[171] Nearly half of young Tunisians described themselves as non-religious, according to that same survey.[172] The most recent 2021 Arab Barometer survey reported that 44% of Tunisians consider themselves religious, 37% somewhat religious, and 19% non-religious.[170]

Tunisians enjoy a significant degree of religious freedom, a right enshrined and protected in its constitution, which guarantees the freedom of thoughts, beliefs and to practice one's religion.[173] The country has a secular culture where religion is separated from not only political, but also public life. Individual Tunisians are tolerant of religious freedom and generally do not inquire about a person's personal beliefs.[173]

The bulk of Tunisians belong to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam, and their mosques are easily recognizable by square minarets. However, the Turks brought with them the teaching of the Hanafi school during Ottoman rule, which still survives among families of Turkish descent today; their mosques traditionally have octagonal minarets.[174] Sunnis form the majority, with non-denominational Muslims being the second largest group of Muslims,[175][full citation needed] followed by Ibadite Amazighs.[176][177]

Prior to independence, Tunisia was home to more than 250,000 Christians (mostly of Italian and Maltese ancestry). Many Christian Italian settlers left to Italy or France after independence from France.[178] Today, Tunisia's sizable Christian community of around >35,000 adherents[179][180] is composed mainly of Catholics (22,000), and to a lesser degree Protestants. Berber Christians continued to live in some Nefzaoua villages up until the early 15th century,[181] and the community of Tunisian Christians existed in the town of Tozeur up to the 18th century.[51] The International Religious Freedom Report for 2007 estimates that thousands of Tunisian Muslims have converted to Christianity.[182][183]

Judaism is the third largest religion, with between 1,000 and 1,400 members.[184][185] One third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital. The remainder lives on the island of Djerba with 39 synagogues where the Jewish community dates back 2,600 years,[186] in Sfax, and in Hammam-Lif.[173] Djerba, an island in the Gulf of Gabès, is home to El Ghriba synagogue, which is one of the oldest synagogues in the world and the oldest continuously used. Many Jews consider it a pilgrimage site, with celebrations taking place there once a year due to its age and the legend that the synagogue was built using stones from Solomon's temple.[187] Although anti-Semitic violence has been reported,[188] Tunisia and Morocco are said to be the Arab countries most accepting of their Jewish populations.[189]

Education

Main article: Education in Tunisia
 
Literacy rate of Tunisia population, 15 years and older, 1985–2015. UNESCO Institute of Statistics

The total adult literacy rate in 2008 was 78%[190] and this rate goes up to 97.3% when considering only people from 15 to 24 years old.[191][full citation needed] 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 2008–09, released by the World Economic Forum.[192]

While children generally acquire Tunisian Arabic at home, when they enter school at age six, 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.[193]

The four years of secondary education are open to all holders of Diplôme de Fin d'Études de l'Enseignement de Base where the students focus on entering university level or join the workforce after completion. The Enseignement secondaire is divided into two stages: general academic and specialized. The higher education system in Tunisia has experienced a rapid expansion and the number of students has more than tripled over the past 10 years from approximately 102,000 in 1995 to 365,000 in 2005. The gross enrollment rate at the tertiary level in 2007 was 31 percent, with gender parity index of GER of 1.5.[192]

Health

Main article: Health in Tunisia

In 2010, spending on healthcare accounted for 3.37% of the country's GDP. In 2009, there were 12.02 physicians and 33.12 nurses per 10,000 inhabitants.[194] The life expectancy at birth was 75.73 years in 2016, or 73.72 years for males and 77.78 years for females.[195] Infant mortality in 2016 was 11.7 per 1,000.[196]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Tunisia
 
Municipal Theatre

The culture of Tunisia is mixed due to its long established history of outside influence from people – such as Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Siculo-Normans, Turks, Italians, Maltese and the French – who all left their mark on the country.

Painting

The birth of Tunisian contemporary painting is strongly linked to the School of Tunis, established by a group of artists from Tunisia united by the desire to incorporate native themes and rejecting the influence of Orientalist colonial painting. It was founded in 1949 and brings together French and Tunisian Muslims, Christians and Jews. Pierre Boucherle was its main instigator, along with Yahia Turki, Abdelaziz Gorgi, Moses Levy, Ammar Farhat, and Jules Lellouche. Given its doctrine, some members have therefore turned to the sources of aesthetic Arab-Muslim art: such as miniature Islamic architecture, etc. Expressionist paintings by Amara Debbache, Jellal Ben Abdallah, and Ali Ben Salem are recognized while abstract art captures the imagination of painters like Edgar Naccache, Nello Levy, and Hedi Turki.[197]

After independence in 1956, the art movement in Tunisia was propelled by the dynamics of nation building and by artists serving the state. A Ministry of Culture was established, under the leadership of ministers such as Habib Boularès who oversaw art and education and power.[197] Artists gained international recognition such as Hatem El Mekki or Zoubeir Turki and influenced a generation of new young painters. Sadok Gmech draws his inspiration from national wealth while Moncef Ben Amor turns to fantasy. In another development, Youssef Rekik reused the technique of painting on glass and founded Nja Mahdaoui calligraphy with its mystical dimension.[197]

There are currently fifty art galleries housing exhibitions of Tunisian and international artists.[198] These galleries include Gallery Yahia in Tunis and Carthage Essaadi gallery.[198]

A new exposition opened in an old monarchal palace in Bardo dubbed the "awakening of a nation". The exposition boasts documents and artifacts from the Tunisian reformist monarchial rule in mid-19th century.[199]

Literature

Main article: Tunisian literature
 
Abdelwahab Meddeb, a Tunisian French-language poet and novelist.

Tunisian literature exists in two forms: Arabic and French. Arabic literature dates back to the 7th century with the arrival of Arab civilization in the region. It is more important in both volume and value than French literature, which was introduced during the French protectorate from 1881.[200]

Among the literary figures include Ali Douagi, who has produced more than 150 radio stories, over 500 poems and folk songs and nearly 15 plays,[201] Khraief Bashir, an Arabic novelist who published many notable books in the 1930s and which caused a scandal because the dialogues were written in Tunisian dialect,[201] and others such as Moncef Ghachem, Mohamed Salah Ben Mrad, or Mahmoud Messadi.

As for poetry, Tunisian poetry typically opts for nonconformity and innovation with poets such as Aboul-Qacem Echebbi.

As for literature in French, it is characterized by its critical approach. Contrary to the pessimism of Albert Memmi, who predicted that Tunisian literature was sentenced to die young,[202] a high number of Tunisian writers are abroad including Abdelwahab Meddeb, Bakri Tahar, Mustapha Tlili, Hele Beji, or Mellah Fawzi. The themes of wandering, exile and heartbreak are the focus of their creative writing.[citation needed]

The national bibliography lists 1249 non-school books published in 2002 in Tunisia, with 885 titles in Arabic.[203] In 2006 this figure had increased to 1,500 and 1,700 in 2007.[204] Nearly a third of the books are published for children.[205]

In 2014 Tunisian American creative nonfiction scribe and translator Med-Ali Mekki who wrote many books, not for publication but just for his own private reading translated the new Constitution of the Tunisian Republic from Arabic to English for the first time in Tunisian bibliographical history, the book was published worldwide the following year and it was the Internet's most viewed and downloaded Tunisian book.

Music

Main article: Music of Tunisia
 
Rachidia orchestra playing traditional music in Tunis Theater

At the beginning of the 20th century, musical activity was dominated by the liturgical repertoire associated with different religious brotherhoods and secular repertoire which consisted of instrumental pieces and songs in different Andalusian forms and styles of origins, essentially borrowing characteristics of musical language. In 1930 The Rachidia was founded, well known thanks to artists from the Jewish community. The founding in 1934 of a musical school helped revive Arab Andalusian music largely to a social and cultural revival led by the elite of the time who became aware of the risks of loss of the musical heritage and which they believed threatened the foundations of Tunisian national identity. The institution did not take long to assemble a group of musicians, poets, scholars. The creation of Radio Tunis in 1938 allowed musicians a greater opportunity to disseminate their works.[citation needed]

Notable Tunisian musicians include Saber Rebaï, Dhafer Youssef, Belgacem Bouguenna, Sonia M'barek, Latifa, Salah El Mahdi, Anouar Brahem, Emel Mathlouthi and Lotfi Bouchnak.

Festivals

Main article: List of festivals in Tunisia

Hundreds of international festivals, national, regional or local punctuate the calendar year. Music and theatrical festivals dominate the national cultural scene.

Several festivals take place annually in summer: the Carthage International Festival in July, the International Festival of Arts of Mahr from late July to early August, and the International Festival of Hammamet in July and August.

The Carthage Film Festival is held in October and November of every other year, alternating with the Carthage Theatre Festival. It was created in 1966[206] by the Tunisian Minister of Culture to showcase films from the Maghreb, Africa and the Middle East. In order to be eligible for the competition, a film must have a director of African or Middle Eastern nationality, and have been produced at least two years before entry. The grand prize is the Tanit d'or, or "Golden Tanit," named for the lunar goddess of ancient Carthage; the award is in the shape of her symbol, a trapezium surmounted by a horizontal line and a circle.

The International Festival of the Sahara, celebrated annually at the end of December, honors the cultural traditions associated with the Tunisian desert. This attracts many tourists and musicians from all around the world, as well as horsemen who flaunt their saddles and local fabrics and skills.

There are also a number of musical festivals; some honor traditional Tunisian music, while others, including the Tabarka Jazz Festival, focus on other genres.

In the city of Sousse, the Carnival of Awussu is an annual festive and cultural event that unfolds each 24th of July. It's a parade of symbolic chariots, fanfares and folk groups from Tunisia and elsewhere which takes place near the beach of Boujaafar, at the eve of the beginning of 'Awussu (The word designating the heat wave of the month of August according to the Berber calendar). Originally it was a Pagan feast (Neptunalia) celabrating the god of the seas, Neptune in the Roman province of Africa, and might even go back to Phoenician times : the appellation Awussu is a possible deformation of Oceanus.[207]

Omek Tannou is an ancient Tunisian rainmaking festival which was inherited from Punic and Berber traditions involving invocations of the goddess Tanit. It features the ritual use of the sculpted head of a woman (somewhat resembling the head of a girl's doll), which is carried in procession between the houses of a village during periods of drought by children singing the refrain أمك طانقو يا نساء طلبت ربي عالشتاء (transliteration: amk ṭangu ya nsaʾ tlbt rbi ʿalshta'a, "Amek tango, o women, ask God to rain". This song varies according to the region because the term shta designates rain only in certain urban areas. Each housewife then pours a little water on the statuette, invoking rain.

Media

Main article: Media of Tunisia
 
Headquarters of Télévision Tunisienne since March 2010

The TV media has long remained under the domination of the Establishment of the Broadcasting Authority Tunisia (ERTT) and its predecessor, the Tunisian Radio and Television, founded in 1957. On 7 November 2006, President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali announced the demerger of the business into two separate companies, which became effective on 31 August 2007. Until then, ERTT managed all public television stations (Télévision Tunisienne 1 as well as Télévision Tunisienne 2 which had replaced the defunct RTT 2) and four national radio stations (Radio Tunis, Tunisia Radio Culture, Youth and RTCI) and five regional stations in Sfax, Monastir, Gafsa, Le Kef and Tataouine. Most programs are in Arabic, but some are in French. Growth in private sector radio and television broadcasting has seen the creation of numerous operations including Radio Mosaique FM, Jawhara FM, Zaytuna FM, Hannibal TV, Ettounsiya TV, and Nessma TV.[208][209]

In 2007, some 245 newspapers and magazines (compared to only 91 in 1987) are 90% owned by private groups and independents.[210] The Tunisian political parties have the right to publish their own newspapers, but those of the opposition parties have very limited editions (like Al Mawkif or Mouwatinoun). Before the recent democratic transition, although freedom of the press was formally guaranteed by the constitution, almost all newspapers have in practice followed the government line report. Critical approach to the activities of the president, government and the Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (then in power) were suppressed. In essence, the media was dominated by state authorities through the Agence Tunis Afrique Presse. This has changed since, as the media censorship by the authorities have been largely abolished, and self-censorship has significantly decreased.[211] Nonetheless, the current regulatory framework and social and political culture mean that the future of press and media freedom is still unclear.[211]

Sports

Main article: Sport in Tunisia

Football is the most popular sport in Tunisia. The Tunisia national football team, also known as "The Eagles of Carthage", won the 2004 African Cup of Nations (ACN), which was held in Tunisia.[212][213] 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.

Their premier football league is the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1. The main clubs are Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Étoile Sportive du Sahel, Club Africain, Club Sportif Sfaxien, Union Sportive Monastirienne, Stade Tunisien, and CA Bizertin.

The Tunisia men's national handball team has participated in several handball world championships. In 2005, Tunisia came fourth. 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, Wissem Hmam was ranked as the top scorer of the tournament. The Tunisian national handball team won the African Cup ten times, being the team dominating this competition. The Tunisians won the 2018 African Cup in Gabon by defeating Egypt.[214]

Tunisia's national basketball team has emerged as a top side in Africa. The team won the 2011 Afrobasket and hosted Africa's top basketball event in 1965, 1987 and 2015. Tunisia was one of the continent's pioneers in basketball as it established one of Africa's first competitive leagues.[215]

In boxing, Victor Perez ("Young") was world champion in the flyweight weight class in 1931 and 1932.[216]

In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won a gold medal in 1500 meter freestyle.[217] In the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the 1500 meter freestyle and a gold medal in the men's marathon swim at a distance of 10 kilometers.

In 2012, Tunisia participated for the seventh time in its history in the Summer Paralympic Games. Their national team finished the competition with 19 medals; 9 golds, 5 silvers and 5 bronzes. Tunisia was classified 14th on the Paralympics medal table and 5th in Athletics.

Tunisia was suspended from Davis Cup play for the year 2014, because the Tunisian Tennis Federation was found to have ordered Malek Jaziri not to compete against an Israeli tennis player, Amir Weintraub.[218] ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said: "There is no room for prejudice of any kind in sport or in society. The ITF Board decided to send a strong message to the Tunisian Tennis Federation that this kind of action will not be tolerated."[218]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Pronunciation: UK: /tjuːˈnɪziə, -ˈnɪs-/, US: /-ˈniːʒə, -ˈniːʃə, -ˈnɪʒə, -ˈnɪʃə/;[16] Arabic: تونس  Tūnis, pronounced [tuː.nɪs]; Berber: Tunest, ; French: Tunisie.
  2. ^ Arabic: الجمهورية التونسية  al-Jumhūrīya at-Tūnisīya; French: République tunisienne. The native Arabic official name translates more closely to "Tunisian Republic", as does the commonly used French translation, but the less-exact English translation "Republic of Tunisia" is used in English even by the Tunisian government for official purposes (e.g., the designation used by the Tunisian embassy in Washington, D.C.)
  3. ^ Lebanon and Iraq are confessional democracies.

References

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  2. ^ (PDF). 26 January 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014. 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."
  3. ^ Arabic, Tunisian Spoken. Ethnologue (19 February 1999). Retrieved on 5 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Tunisia, Languages". 22 May 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Tunisia - the World Factbook". 22 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Tunisia Demographics".
  7. ^ "Berbers Populations Distribution". 12 March 2004.
  8. ^ "Q&A: The Berbers". 12 March 2004.
  9. ^ "The Jews of Tunisia". www.pjvoice.com.
  10. ^ "Tunisia, Religions". 22 May 2022.
  11. ^ . National Institute of Statistics-Tunisia. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2022". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  13. ^ "GINI index". World Bank. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  14. ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  15. ^ . Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. 2010. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  16. ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 9781405881180
  17. ^ "Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia". Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  18. ^ "Tunisie : les législatives fixées au 26 octobre et la présidentielle au 23 novembre" [Tunisia: legislative elections fixed for 26 October and presidential elections for 23 November]. Jeune Afrique (in French). 25 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Tunisia holds first post-revolution presidential poll". BBC News. 23 November 2014.
  20. ^ "Democracy Index 2021". The Economist. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Democracy Index 2021: The China challenge". Economist Intelligence Unit. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Tunisie – France-Diplomatie – Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international". Diplomatie.gouv.fr. Retrieved on 5 September 2015.
  23. ^ (in French) "Pourquoi l'Italie de Matteo Renzi se tourne vers la Tunisie avant l'Europe". JOL Journalism Online Press (28 February 2014). 10 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 5 September 2015.
  24. ^ Ghanmi, Monia (12 September 2014). [Tunisia strengthens relations with Italy]. Magharebia (in French). Archived from the original on 14 September 2014.
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Sources

External links

  • Official Tunisia Government website
  • Official website of the Ministry of Tourism
  • Official Tourism Portal
  • Official website of the National Institute of Meteorology
  • Official website of the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior
  • Official website of The Ministry of Transport
  • Tunisia Profile from UNESCO
  • Tunisia. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
  • The Emergence and activity of Tunisia's most fearful terrorist group, 137–150.
  • Tunisia web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
  • Tunisia at Curlie
  • Tunisia profile from BBC News.
  • Tunisia profile and timeline from the Conservative Middle East Council
  •   Wikimedia Atlas of Tunisia
  •   Geographic data related to Tunisia at OpenStreetMap

Coordinates: 34°N 9°E / 34°N 9°E / 34; 9

February 10, 2023
tunisia, officially, republic, tounes, touns, ˈtun, northernmost, country, africa, part, maghreb, region, north, africa, bordered, algeria, west, southwest, libya, southeast, mediterranean, north, east, features, archaeological, sites, carthage, dating, back, . Tunisia a officially the Republic of Tunisia b 17 Tunisian Tounes Touns ˈtun ɪ s is the northernmost country in Africa It is a part of the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest Libya to the southeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east It features the archaeological sites of Carthage dating back to the 9th century BC as well as the Great Mosque of Kairouan Known for its ancient architecture souks and blue coasts it covers 163 610 km2 63 170 sq mi and has a population of 12 1 million It contains the eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert much of its remaining territory is arable land Its 1 300 km 810 mi of coastline include the African conjunction of the western and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Basin Tunisia is home to Africa s northernmost point Cape Angela and its capital and largest city is Tunis which is located on its northeastern coast and lends the country its name Republic of Tunisiaالجمهورية التونسية Arabic al Jumhuriyah at TunisiyahRepublique tunisienne French Flag Coat of armsMotto حرية نظام عدالة Ḥurriyah Niẓam Adalah Freedom Order Justice 1 Anthem حماة الحمى Humat al Hima English Defenders of the Homeland source source track track track Location of Tunisia in northern AfricaCapitaland largest cityTunis36 49 N 10 11 E 36 817 N 10 183 E 36 817 10 183Official languagesArabic 2 Local vernacularTunisian Arabic 3 Foreign languagesFrench 4 EnglishItalianEthnic groups 2021 5 98 Arabs 5 6 1 Berbers 7 8 1 Jews and others 9 Religion99 Islam official 1 Others inc Christians Jews Shia Islam and Bahaʼis 10 Demonym s TunisianGovernmentUnitary presidential republic PresidentKais Saied Prime MinisterNajla BoudenLegislatureAssembly of the Representatives of the People dissolved Establishment Ancient Carthage814 BC Africa Proconsularis146 BC Vandal Kingdom435 Exarchate of Africa591 Aghlabids800 Fatimids909 Zirids972 Hafsids1207 Husainids15 July 1705 Kingdom20 March 1956 Republic25 July 1957 Current Constitution28 August 2022Area Total163 610 km2 63 170 sq mi 91st Water 5 04Population 2020 estimate11 708 370 11 81st Density71 65 km2 185 6 sq mi 144th GDP PPP 2022 estimate Total 149 184 billion 12 82nd Per capita 12 300 12 113th GDP nominal 2022 estimate Total 45 642 billion 12 94th Per capita 3 763 12 129th Gini 2017 35 8 13 mediumHDI 2021 0 740 14 high 97thCurrencyTunisian dinar TND Time zoneUTC 1 CET Driving siderightCalling code 216ISO 3166 codeTNInternet TLD tn تونس 15 Beginning in early antiquity Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers Phoenicians began to arrive in the 12th century BC establishing several settlements of which Carthage emerged as the most powerful by the 7th century BC Carthage was a major mercantile empire and a military rival to the Roman Republic until 146 BC when it was defeated by the Romans who occupied Tunisia for most of the next 800 years The Romans introduced Christianity and left architectural legacies like the Amphitheatre of El Jem In the 7th century AD Arab Muslims conquered all of Tunisia finally succeeding in 697 after several attempts starting in 647 and settled with their tribes and families brought Islam and Arab culture to the local inhabitants and since then Arabs became the majority of the population Then in 1546 the Ottoman Empire established control there holding sway for over 300 years until 1881 when the French conquered Tunisia In 1956 Tunisia gained independence as the Tunisian Republic under the leadership of Habib Bourguiba with the help of activists such as Chedly Kallala Farhat Hached and Salah Ben Youssef Today Tunisia s culture and identity are rooted in this centuries long intersection of different cultures and ethnicities In 2011 the Tunisian Revolution which was triggered by dissatisfaction with the lack of freedom and democracy under the 24 year rule of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali overthrew his regime and catalyzed the broader Arab Spring movement across the region Free multiparty parliamentary elections were held shortly thereafter the country again voted for parliament on 26 October 2014 18 and for president on 23 November 2014 19 After the 2022 constitutional referendum Tunisia became a unitary presidential representative democratic republic From 2014 to 2020 it was considered the only democratic state in the Arab World according to the Economist Intelligence Unit s Democracy Index 20 c and was rated a hybrid regime in the 2021 Index 21 It is one of the few countries in Africa ranking high in the Human Development Index with one of the highest per capita incomes on the continent ranking 129th in GDP per capita income The official language of Tunisia is Modern Standard Arabic The vast majority of Tunisia s population is Arab and Muslim Vernacular Tunisian Arabic is the most spoken and French also serves as an administrative and educational language in some contexts but it has no official status Tunisia is well integrated into the international community It is a member of the United Nations La Francophonie the Arab League the OIC the African Union the COMESA the Non Aligned Movement the International Criminal Court and the Group of 77 among others It maintains close economic and political relations with some European countries particularly with France 22 and Italy 23 24 due to their geographical proximity Tunisia also has an association agreement with the European Union and has attained the status of a major non NATO ally of the United States Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Antiquity 2 2 Middle Ages 2 3 Ottoman Tunisia 2 4 French Tunisia 1881 1956 2 5 Struggle for independence 1943 1956 2 6 Post independence 1956 2011 2 7 Post revolution since 2011 2 7 1 Presidency of Kais Saied 2019 present 3 Geography 3 1 Climate 3 2 Biodiversity 4 Government and politics 4 1 Foreign relations 4 2 Military 4 3 Administrative divisions 5 Economy 5 1 Tourism 5 2 Energy 5 3 Transport 5 4 Water supply and sanitation 6 Demographics 6 1 Ethnic groups 6 2 Languages 6 3 Religion 6 4 Education 6 5 Health 7 Culture 7 1 Painting 7 2 Literature 7 3 Music 7 4 Festivals 7 5 Media 7 6 Sports 8 See also 9 References 9 1 Notes 9 2 References 10 External linksEtymology EditSee also Tunis Etymology The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis a central urban hub and the capital of modern day Tunisia The present form of the name with its Latinate suffix ia evolved from French Tunisie 25 in turn generally associated with the Berber root ⵜⵏⵙ transcribed tns which means to lay down or encampment 26 It is sometimes also associated with the Carthage goddess Tanith or Tunit 25 27 and the ancient city of Tynes 28 29 The French derivative Tunisie was adopted in some European languages with slight modifications introducing a distinctive name to designate the country Other languages have left the name untouched such as the Russian Tuni s Tunis and Spanish Tunez In this case the same name is used for both country and city as with the Arabic تونس and only by context can one tell the difference 25 History EditMain article History of Tunisia Antiquity Edit Main articles Capsian culture and Ancient Carthage Farming methods reached the Nile Valley from the Fertile Crescent region about 5000 BC and spread to the Maghreb by about 4000 BC Agricultural communities in the humid coastal plains of central Tunisia then were ancestors of today s Berber tribes Carthaginian dependencies and protectorates through the Punic Wars It was believed in ancient times that Africa was originally populated by Gaetulians and Libyans both nomadic peoples According to the Roman historian Sallust the demigod Hercules died in Spain and his polyglot eastern army was left to settle the land with some migrating to Africa Persians went to the West and intermarried with the Gaetulians and became the Numidians The Medes settled and were known as Mauri later Moors 30 The Numidians and Moors belonged to the race from which the Berbers are descended The translated meaning of Numidian is Nomad and indeed the people were semi nomadic until the reign of Masinissa of the Massyli tribe 31 32 33 At the beginning of recorded history Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 12th century BC Bizerte Utica The city of Carthage was founded in the 9th century BC by Phoenicians Legend says that Dido from Tyre now in modern day Lebanon founded the city in 814 BC as retold by the Greek writer Timaeus of Tauromenium The settlers of Carthage brought their culture and religion from Phoenicia now present day Lebanon and adjacent areas 34 After the 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 Statue of the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca 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 Roman power From the conclusion of the Second Punic War in 202 BC Carthage functioned as a client state of the Roman Republic for another 50 years 35 Following the Battle of Carthage which began in 149 BC during the Third Punic War Carthage was conquered by Rome in 146 BC 36 Following its conquest the Romans renamed Carthage to Africa incorporating it as a province During the Roman period the area of what is now Tunisia enjoyed a huge development The economy mainly during the Empire boomed the prosperity of the area depended on agriculture Called the Granary of the Empire the area of actual Tunisia and coastal Tripolitania according to one estimate produced one million tons of cereals each year one quarter of which was exported to the Empire Additional crops included beans figs grapes and other fruits Ruins of Dougga s World Heritage Site By the 2nd century olive oil rivaled cereals as an export item In addition to the cultivations and the capture and transporting of exotic wild animals from the western mountains the principal production and exports included the textiles marble wine timber livestock pottery such as African Red Slip and wool There was even a huge production of mosaics and ceramics exported mainly to Italy in the central area of El Djem where there was the second biggest amphitheater in the Roman Empire Berber bishop Donatus Magnus was the founder of a Christian group known as the Donatists 37 During the 5th and 6th centuries from 430 to 533 AD the Germanic Vandals invaded and ruled over a kingdom in Northwest Africa that included present day Tripoli The region was easily reconquered in 533 534 AD during the rule of Emperor Justinian I by the Eastern Romans led by General Belisarius 38 Middle Ages Edit Main article History of medieval Tunisia Uqba ibn Nafi led the Umayyad conquest of Tunisia in the late 7th century Sometime between the second half of the 7th century and the early part of the 8th century Arab Muslim conquest occurred in the region They founded the first Islamic city in Northwest Africa Kairouan It was there in 670 AD that the Mosque of Uqba or the Great Mosque of Kairouan was constructed 39 This mosque is the oldest and most prestigious sanctuary in the Muslim West with the oldest standing minaret in the world 40 it is also considered a masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture 41 Tunis was taken in 695 re taken by the Byzantine Eastern Romans in 697 but lost permanently in 698 The transition from a Latin speaking Christian Berber society to a Muslim and mostly Arabic speaking society took over 400 years the equivalent process in Egypt and the Fertile Crescent took 600 years and resulted in the final disappearance of Christianity and Latin in the 12th or 13th century The majority of the population were not Muslim until quite late in the 9th century a vast majority were during the 10th Also some Tunisian Christians emigrated some richer members of society did so after the conquest in 698 and others were welcomed by Norman rulers to Sicily or Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries the logical destination because of the 1200 year close connection between the two regions 42 The Arab governors of Tunis founded the Aghlabid dynasty which ruled Tunisia Tripolitania and eastern Algeria from 800 to 909 43 Tunisia flourished under Arab rule when extensive systems were constructed to supply towns with water for household use and irrigation that promoted agriculture especially olive production 43 44 This prosperity permitted luxurious court life and was marked by the construction of new palace cities such as al Abbasiya 809 and Raq Adda 877 43 After conquering Cairo the Fatimids abandoned Tunisia and parts of Eastern Algeria to the local Zirids 972 1148 45 Zirid Tunisia flourished in many areas agriculture industry trade and religious and secular learning 46 Management by the later Zirid emirs was neglectful though and political instability was connected to the decline of Tunisian trade and agriculture 43 47 48 Domes of the Great Mosque of Kairouan Founded in 670 it dates in its present form largely from the Aghlabid period 9th century It is the oldest mosque in the Maghreb The depredation of the Tunisian campaigns by the Banu Hilal a warlike Arab Bedouin tribe encouraged by the Fatimids of Egypt to seize Northwest Africa sent the region s rural and urban economic life into further decline 45 Consequently the region underwent rapid urbanisation as famines depopulated the countryside and industry shifted from agriculture to manufactures 49 The Arab historian Ibn Khaldun wrote that the lands ravaged by Banu Hilal invaders had become completely arid desert 47 50 The main Tunisian cities were conquered by the Normans of Sicily under the Kingdom of Africa in the 12th century but following the conquest of Tunisia in 1159 1160 by the Almohads the Normans were evacuated to Sicily Communities of Tunisian Christians would still exist in Nefzaoua up to the 14th century 51 The Almohads initially ruled over Tunisia through a governor usually a near relative of the Caliph Despite the prestige of the new masters the country was still unruly with continuous rioting and fighting between the townsfolk and wandering Arabs and Turks the latter being subjects of the Muslim Armenian adventurer Karakush Also Tunisia was occupied by Ayyubids between 1182 and 1183 and again between 1184 and 1187 52 The greatest threat to Almohad rule in Tunisia was the Banu Ghaniya relatives of the Almoravids who from their base in Mallorca tried to restore Almoravid rule over the Maghreb Around 1200 they succeeded in extending their rule over the whole of Tunisia until they were crushed by Almohad troops in 1207 After this success the Almohads installed Walid Abu Hafs as the governor of Tunisia Tunisia remained part of the Almohad state until 1230 when the son of Abu Hafs declared himself independent During the reign of the Hafsid dynasty fruitful commercial relationships were established with several Christian Mediterranean states 53 In the late 16th century the coast became a pirate stronghold Ottoman Tunisia Edit Main article Ottoman Tunisia In the last years of the Hafsid dynasty Spain seized many of the coastal cities but these were recovered by the Ottoman Empire Conquest of Tunis by Charles V and liberation of Christian galley slaves in 1535 The first Ottoman conquest of Tunis took place in 1534 under the command of Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha the younger brother of Oruc Reis who was the Kapudan Pasha of the Ottoman Fleet during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent However it was not until the final Ottoman reconquest of Tunis from Spain in 1574 under Kapudan Pasha Uluc Ali Reis that the Ottomans permanently acquired the former Hafsid Tunisia retaining it until the French conquest of Tunisia in 1881 Initially under Turkish rule from Algiers soon the Ottoman Porte appointed directly for Tunis a governor called the Pasha supported by janissary forces Before long however Tunisia became in effect an autonomous province under the local bey Under its Turkish governors the beys Tunisia attained virtual independence The Hussein dynasty of beys established in 1705 lasted until 1957 54 This evolution of status was from time to time challenged without success by Algiers During this era the governing councils controlling Tunisia remained largely composed of a foreign elite who continued to conduct state business in the Turkish language Attacks on European shipping were made by corsairs primarily from Algiers but also from Tunis and Tripoli yet after a long period of declining raids the growing power of the European states finally forced its termination Under the Ottoman Empire the boundaries of Tunisia contracted it lost territory to the west Constantine and to the east Tripoli St Louis Cathedral Carthage Tunisia 1899 The plague epidemics ravaged Tunisia in 1784 1785 1796 1797 and 1818 1820 55 In the 19th century the rulers of Tunisia became aware of the ongoing efforts at political and social reform in the Ottoman capital The Bey of Tunis then by his own lights but informed by the Turkish example attempted to effect a modernizing reform of institutions and the economy 56 Tunisian international debt grew unmanageable This was the reason or pretext for French forces to establish a protectorate in 1881 French Tunisia 1881 1956 Edit Main article French protectorate of Tunisia British tank moves through Tunis after the city was taken from Axis troops 8 May 1943 In 1869 Tunisia declared itself bankrupt and an international financial commission took control over its 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 57 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 58 During World War II French Tunisia was ruled by the collaborationist Vichy government located in Metropolitan France The antisemitic Statute on Jews enacted by the Vichy government was also implemented in Vichy controlled Northwest Africa and other overseas French territories Thus the persecution and murder of the Jews from 1940 to 1943 was part of the Holocaust in France From November 1942 until May 1943 Vichy controlled Tunisia was occupied by Germany SS Commander Walter Rauff continued to implement the Final Solution there From 1942 to 1943 Tunisia was the scene of the Tunisia Campaign a series of battles between the Axis and Allied forces The battle opened with initial success by the German and Italian forces but the massive supply and numerical superiority of the Allies led to the Axis surrender on 13 May 1943 59 60 The six month campaign of Tunisia s liberation from Axis occupation signalled the end of World War II in Africa Struggle for independence 1943 1956 Edit Post independence 1956 2011 Edit Main article History of modern Tunisia Habib Bourguiba was the first president of Tunisia from 1957 to 1987 Tunisia achieved independence from France on 20 March 1956 with Habib Bourguiba as Prime Minister 61 20 March is celebrated annually as Tunisian Independence Day 62 A year later Tunisia was declared a republic with Bourguiba as the first President 63 From independence in 1956 until the 2011 revolution the government and the Constitutional Democratic Rally RCD formerly Neo Destour and the Socialist Destourian Party were effectively one Following a report by Amnesty International The Guardian called Tunisia one of the most modern but repressive countries in the Arab world 64 In November 1987 doctors declared Bourguiba unfit to rule 65 and in a bloodless coup d etat Prime Minister Zine El Abidine Ben Ali assumed the presidency 63 in accordance with Article 57 of the Tunisian constitution 66 The anniversary of Ben Ali s succession 7 November was celebrated as a national holiday He was consistently re elected with enormous majorities every five years well over 80 percent of the vote the last being 25 October 2009 67 until he fled the country amid popular unrest in January 2011 Ben Ali and his family were accused of corruption 68 and plundering the country s money Economic liberalisation provided further opportunities for financial mismanagement 69 while corrupt members of the Trabelsi family most notably in the cases of Imed Trabelsi and Belhassen Trabelsi controlled much of the business sector in the country 70 The First Lady Leila Ben Ali was described as an unabashed shopaholic who used the state airplane to make frequent unofficial trips to Europe s fashion capitals 71 Tunisia refused a French request for the extradition of two of the President s nephews from Leila s side who were accused by the French State prosecutor of having stolen two mega yachts from a French marina 72 According to Le Monde Ben Ali s son in law was being primed to eventually take over the country 73 Independent human rights groups such as Amnesty International Freedom House and Protection International documented that basic human and political rights were not respected 74 75 The regime obstructed in any way possible the work of local human rights organizations 76 In 2008 in terms of press freedom Tunisia was ranked 143rd out of 173 77 Post revolution since 2011 Edit See also Tunisian Revolution Tunis on 14 January 2011 during the Tunisian Revolution The Tunisian Revolution 78 79 was an intensive campaign of civil resistance that was precipitated by high unemployment food inflation corruption 80 a lack of freedom of speech and other political freedoms 81 and poor living conditions Labour unions were said to be an integral part of the protests 82 The protests inspired the Arab Spring a wave of similar actions throughout the Arab world The catalyst for mass demonstrations was the death of Mohamed Bouazizi a 26 year old Tunisian street vendor who set himself afire on 17 December 2010 in protest at the confiscation of his wares and the humiliation inflicted on him by a municipal official named Faida Hamdy Anger and violence intensified following Bouazizi s death on 4 January 2011 ultimately leading longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to resign and flee the country on 14 January 2011 after 23 years in power 83 Protests continued for banning of the ruling party and the eviction of all its members from the transitional government formed by Mohammed Ghannouchi Eventually the new government gave in to the demands A Tunis court banned the ex ruling party RCD and confiscated all its resources A decree by the minister of the interior banned the political police special forces which were used to intimidate and persecute political activists 84 On 3 March 2011 the interim president announced that elections to a Constituent Assembly would be held on 24 July 2011 85 On 9 June 2011 the prime minister announced the election would be postponed until 23 October 2011 86 International and internal observers declared the vote free and fair The Ennahda Movement formerly banned under the Ben Ali regime came out of the election as the largest party with 89 seats out of a total of 217 87 On 12 December 2011 former dissident and veteran human rights activist Moncef Marzouki was elected president 88 In March 2012 Ennahda declared it will not support making sharia the main source of legislation in the new constitution maintaining the secular nature of the state Ennahda s stance on the issue was criticized by hardline Islamists who wanted strict sharia but was welcomed by secular parties 89 On 6 February 2013 Chokri Belaid the leader of the leftist opposition and prominent critic of Ennahda was assassinated 90 In 2014 President Moncef Marzouki established Tunisia s Truth and Dignity Commission as a key part of creating a national reconciliation 91 Tunisia was hit by two terror attacks on foreign tourists in 2015 first killing 22 people at the Bardo National Museum and later killing 38 people at the Sousse beachfront Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi renewed the state of emergency in October for three more months 92 The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for its work in building a peaceful pluralistic political order in Tunisia 93 Presidency of Kais Saied 2019 present Edit Tunisia s first democratically elected president Beji Caid Essebsi died in July 2019 94 Following him Kais Saied became Tunisia s president after a landslide victory in the 2019 Tunisian presidential elections in October 95 On 23 October 2019 Kais Saied was sworn in as Tunisia s new President 96 On 25 July 2021 amid ongoing demonstrations concerning government dysfunction and corruption and rises in COVID 19 cases Kais Saied suspended parliament dismissed the prime minister and withdrew immunity of parliament members 97 98 In September 2021 Saied said he would appoint a committee to help draft new constitutional amendments 99 On 29 September he named Najla Bouden as the new prime minister and tasked her with forming a cabinet which was sworn in on 11 October 100 101 On 3 February 2022 Tunisia was voted to the African Union s AU Peace and Security Council for the term 2022 2024 according to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry The poll took place on the fringes of the AU Executive Council s 40th ordinary session which was held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa according to the ministry 102 In February 2022 Tunisia and the International Monetary Fund are still holding preliminary negotiations in the hopes of securing a multibillion dollar bailout for an economy beset by recession public debt inflation and unemployment 103 Geography EditMain article Geography of Tunisia Koppen climate classification in Tunisia The climate is Mediterranean towards the coast in the north while most of the country is desert Tunisia is situated on the Mediterranean coast of Northwest Africa midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Nile Delta It is bordered by Algeria on the west 965 km and southwest and Libya on the south east 459 km 104 It lies between latitudes 30 and 38 N and longitudes 7 and 12 E An abrupt southward turn of the Mediterranean coast in northern Tunisia gives the country two distinctive Mediterranean coasts west east in the north and north south in the east Though it is relatively small in size Tunisia has great environmental diversity due to its north south extent Its east west extent is limited Differences in Tunisia like the rest of the Maghreb are largely north south environmental differences defined by sharply decreasing rainfall southward from any point The Dorsal the eastern extension of the Atlas Mountains runs across Tunisia in a northeasterly direction from the Algerian border in the west to the Cape Bon peninsula in the east North of the Dorsal is the Tell a region characterized by low rolling hills and plains again an extension of mountains to the west in Algeria In the Khroumerie the northwestern corner of the Tunisian Tell elevations reach 1 050 metres 3 440 ft and snow occurs in winter The Sahel a broadening coastal plain along Tunisia s eastern Mediterranean coast is among the world s premier areas of olive cultivation Inland from the Sahel 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 713 mi long In maritime terms the country claims a contiguous zone of 24 nautical miles 44 kilometres and a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles 22 kilometres 105 The city of Tunis is built on a hill slope down to the lake of Tunis These hills contain places such as Notre Dame de Tunis Ras Tabia La Rabta La Kasbah Montfleury and La Manoubia with altitudes just above 50 metres 160 feet The city is located at the crossroads of a narrow strip of land between Lake Tunis and Sejoumi 106 Climate Edit Tunisia s climate is Mediterranean in the north with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers 107 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 Chott el Djerid at 17 metres 56 ft below sea level and the highest is Jebel ech Chambi at 1 544 metres 5 066 ft 108 Biodiversity Edit Tunisia is home to five terrestrial ecoregions Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests Saharan halophytics Mediterranean dry woodlands and steppe Mediterranean woodlands and forests and North Saharan steppe and woodlands 109 Government and politics EditMain article Politics of Tunisia Kais SaiedPresident since 2019 Najla BoudenPrime Minister since 2021 Tunisia is a representative democracy and a republic with a president serving as head of state a prime minister as head of government a unicameral parliament and a civil law court system The Constitution of Tunisia adopted 26 January 2014 guarantees rights for women and states that the President s religion shall be Islam In October 2014 Tunisia held its first elections under the new constitution following the Arab Spring 110 Tunisia was the only democracy in North Africa until 2021 The country now classifies as hybrid regime in the Democracy Index 111 The number of legalized political parties in Tunisia has grown considerably since the revolution There are now over 100 legal parties including several that existed under the former regime During the rule of Ben Ali only three functioned as independent opposition parties the PDP FDTL and Tajdid While some older parties are well established and can draw on previous party structures many of the 100 plus parties extant as of February 2012 are small 112 Rare for the Arab world women held more than 20 of seats in the country s pre revolution bicameral parliament 113 In the 2011 constituent assembly women held between 24 and 31 of all seats 114 115 Tunisia is included in the European Union s European Neighbourhood Policy ENP which aims at bringing the EU and its neighbours closer On 23 November 2014 Tunisia held its first presidential election following the Arab Spring in 2011 116 The Tunisian legal system is heavily influenced by French civil law while the law of personal status is based on Islamic law 117 Sharia courts were abolished in 1956 117 A Code of Personal Status was adopted shortly after independence in 1956 which among other things gave women full legal status allowing them to run and own businesses have bank accounts and seek passports under their own authority The code outlawed the practices of polygamy and repudiation and a husband s right to unilaterally divorce his wife 118 Further reforms in 1993 included a provision to allow Tunisian women to transmit citizenship even if they are married to a foreigner and living abroad 119 The Law of Personal Status is applied to all Tunisians regardless of their religion 117 The Code of Personal Status remains one of the most progressive civil codes in North Africa and the Muslim world 120 On 25 May 2022 President Kais Saied issued a decree for change of constitution by 25 July 121 The referendum was held that day to a low turnout of 30 of voters the overwhelming majority of whom accepted the new constitution strengthening significantly the presidential power 122 Foreign relations Edit Main article Foreign relations of Tunisia Nations with which Tunisia has diplomatic relations Tunisia maintains diplomatic relations with over 160 countries Former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has maintained its long time policy of seeking good relations with the West while playing an active role in Arab and African regional bodies President Habib Bourguiba took a nonaligned stance but emphasized close relations with Europe Pakistan and the United States Military Edit Main article Tunisian Armed Forces Tunisian military force As of 2008 update Tunisia had an army of 27 000 personnel equipped with 84 main battle tanks and 48 light tanks The navy had 4 800 personnel operating 25 patrol boats and 6 other craft The Tunisian Air Force has 154 aircraft and 4 UAVs Paramilitary forces consisted of a 12 000 member national guard 123 Tunisia s military spending was 1 6 of GDP as of 2006 update The army is responsible for national defence and also internal security Tunisia has participated in peacekeeping efforts in the DROC and Ethiopia Eritrea 124 United Nations peacekeeping deployments for the Tunisian armed forces have been in Cambodia UNTAC Namibia UNTAG Somalia Rwanda Burundi Western Sahara MINURSO and the 1960s mission in the Congo ONUC The military has historically played a professional apolitical role in defending the country from external threats Since January 2011 and at the direction of the executive branch the military has taken on increasing responsibility for domestic security and humanitarian crisis response 112 Administrative divisions Edit Main articles Governorates of Tunisia and Delegations of Tunisia Mediterranean sea Djerba Kerkennah Jendouba Bizerte Kef Beja Kasserine Gafsa Tozeur Kebili Tataouine Medenine Gabes Sfax Mahdia Monastir Sousse Nabeul Sidi Bouzid Kairouan Siliana Zaghouan Manouba Ben Arous Ariana Tunis Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates Wilaya which are further divided into 264 delegations or districts mutamadiyat and further subdivided into municipalities baladiyats 125 and sectors imadats 126 Economy EditMain article Economy of Tunisia GDP per capita development of Tunisia Ranked the most competitive economy in Africa by the World Economic Forum in 2009 127 Tunisia is an export oriented country in the process of liberalizing and privatizing an economy that while averaging 5 GDP growth since the early 1990s has suffered from corruption benefiting politically connected elites 128 Tunisia s Penal Code criminalises several forms of corruption including active and passive bribery abuse of office extortion and conflicts of interest but the anti corruption framework is not effectively enforced 129 However according to the Corruption Perceptions Index published annually by Transparency International Tunisia was ranked the least corrupt North African country in 2016 with a score of 41 Tunisia has a diverse economy ranging from agriculture mining manufacturing and petroleum products to tourism which accounted for 7 of the total GDP and 370 000 jobs in 2009 130 In 2008 it had an economy of US 41 billion in nominal terms and 82 billion in PPP 131 The agricultural sector accounts 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 rate especially among youth citation needed The European Union remains Tunisia s first trading partner currently accounting for 72 5 of Tunisian imports and 75 of Tunisian exports Tunisia is 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 came into force Tunisia started dismantling tariffs on bilateral EU trade Tunisia finalised the tariffs dismantling for industrial products in 2008 and therefore was the first non EU Mediterranean country to enter in a free trade area with EU 132 Tourism Edit Main article Tourism in Tunisia Sidi Bou Said Among Tunisia s tourist attractions are its cosmopolitan capital city of Tunis the ancient ruins of Carthage the Muslim and Jewish quarters of Djerba coastal resorts outside of Monastir and the night life driven city of Hammamet 133 According to The New York Times Tunisia is known for its golden beaches sunny weather and affordable luxuries 134 Energy Edit Main article Energy in TunisiaSources of electricity production in Tunisia 135 Thermal steam 44 Combined cycle 43 Gas turbine 11 Wind hydroelectric solar 2 The majority of the electricity used in Tunisia is produced locally by state owned company STEG Societe Tunisienne de l Electricite et du Gaz In 2008 a total of 13 747 GWh was produced in the country 136 Oil production of Tunisia is about 97 600 barrels per day 15 520 m3 d The main field is El Bourma 137 Oil production began in 1966 in Tunisia Currently there are 12 oil fields 138 Tunisia had plans for two nuclear power stations to be operational by 2020 Both facilities are projected to produce 900 1000 MW France is set to become an important partner in Tunisia s nuclear power plans having signed an agreement along with other partners to deliver training and technology 139 140 As of 2015 update Tunisia has abandoned these plans Instead Tunisia is considering other options to diversify its energy mix such as renewable energies coal shale gas liquified natural gas and constructing a submarine power interconnection with Italy 141 According to the Tunisian Solar Plan which is Tunisia s Renewable Energy Strategy not limited to solar contrary to what its title may suggest proposed by the National Agency for Energy Conservation Archived 21 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine Tunisia s objective is to reach a share of 30 of renewable energies in the electricity mix by 2030 most of which should be accounted for by wind power and photovoltaics 142 As of 2015 update Tunisia had a total renewable capacity of 312 MW 245 MW wind 62 MW hydropower 15 MW photovoltaics 143 144 Transport Edit Main article Transport in Tunisia The country maintains 19 232 kilometres 11 950 mi of roads 131 with three highways the A1 from Tunis to Sfax works ongoing for Sfax Libya A3 Tunis Beja works ongoing Beja Boussalem studies ongoing Boussalem Algeria and A4 Tunis Bizerte There are 29 airports in Tunisia with Tunis Carthage International Airport and Djerba Zarzis International Airport being the most important ones A new airport Enfidha Hammamet International Airport opened in 2011 The airport is located north of Sousse at Enfidha and is to mainly serve the resorts of Hamammet and Port El Kantaoui together with inland cities such as Kairouan Five airlines are headquartered in Tunisia Tunisair Syphax Airlines Karthago Airlines Nouvelair and Tunisair Express The railway network is operated by SNCFT and amounts to 2 135 kilometres 1 327 mi in total 131 The Tunis area is served by a Light rail network named Metro Leger which is managed by Transtu Water supply and sanitation Edit Main article Water supply and sanitation in Tunisia Tunisia has achieved the highest access rates to water supply and sanitation services in the Middle East and North Africa As of 2011 update access to safe drinking water became close to universal approaching 100 in urban areas and 90 in rural areas 145 Tunisia provides good quality drinking water throughout the year 146 Responsibility for the water supply systems in urban areas and large rural centres is assigned to the Societe Nationale d Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux SONEDE a national water supply authority that is an autonomous public entity under the Ministry of Agriculture Planning design and supervision of small and medium water supplies in the remaining rural areas are the responsibility of the Direction Generale du Genie Rurale DGGR In 1974 ONAS was established to manage the sanitation sector Since 1993 ONAS has had the status of a main operator for protection of water environment and combating pollution The rate of non revenue water is the lowest in the region at 21 in 2012 147 Demographics EditMain articles Tunisians and Demographics of Tunisia vte Largest cities or towns in Tunisia According to the 2014 Census 148 Rank Name Governorate Pop Tunis Sfax 1 Tunis Tunis 1 066 961 Sousse2 Sfax Sfax 330 4403 Sousse Sousse 271 4284 Ettadhamen Mnihla Ariana 196 2985 Kairouan Kairouan 186 6536 Gabes Gabes 152 9217 Bizerte Bizerte 142 9668 La Soukra Ariana 129 6939 Aryanah Aryanah 114 48610 Sakiet Eddaier Sfax 113 776 Population pyramid Arabs leaving mosque in Tunis c 1899 Tunisian students According to the CIA as of 2021 Tunisia has a population of 11 811 335 inhabitants 131 The government has supported a successful family planning program that has reduced the population growth rate to just over 1 per annum contributing to Tunisia s economic and social stability 112 Ethnic groups Edit According to the CIA World Factbook ethnic groups in Tunisia are Arab 98 European 1 Jewish and other 1 131 According to the 1956 Tunisian census Tunisia had a population at the time of 3 783 000 residents 95 consisting of Berbers and Arabs 256 000 Europeans and 105 000 Jews Speakers of Berber dialects were 2 of the population 149 According to another source the population of Arabs is estimated to be lt 40 150 to 98 131 151 152 and that of Berbers at 1 153 to over 60 150 clarification needed Black Tunisians make up 10 15 of the population 154 155 and are mostly descended from sub Saharan Africans brought to Tunisia as part of the slave trade 156 Amazighs are generally concentrated in the Dahar mountains and on the island of Djerba in the southeast and in the Khroumire mountainous region in the north west An important number of genetic and other historical studies point to the predominance of the Amazighs in Tunisia 157 An Ottoman influence has been particularly significant in forming the Turco Tunisian community Other peoples have also migrated to Tunisia during different time periods including West Africans Greeks Romans Vandals Phoenicians Punics Jews and French and Italian settlers 158 By 1870 the distinction between the Arabic speaking population and the Turkish elite had blurred 159 From the late 19th century to the period after World War II Tunisia was home to large populations of French and Italians 255 000 Europeans in 1956 160 although nearly all of them along with the Jewish population left after Tunisia became independent The history of the Jews in Tunisia goes back some 2 000 years In 1948 the Jewish population was estimated at 105 000 but by 2013 only about 1000 remained 161 The first people known to history in what is now Tunisia were the Berbers Numerous civilizations and peoples have invaded migrated to or have been assimilated into the population over the millennia with influences of population from Phoenicians Carthaginians Romans Vandals Arabs Spaniards Ottoman Turks and Janissaries and French There was a continuing inflow of nomadic Arab tribes from the Arabian Peninsula 45 After the Reconquista and expulsion of non Christians and Moriscos from Spain many Spanish Muslims and Jews arrived in Tunisia According to Matthew Carr As many as eighty thousand Moriscos settled in Tunisia most of them in and around the capital Tunis which still contains a quarter known as Zuqaq al Andalus or Andalusia Alley 162 Languages Edit Main article Languages of Tunisia Arabic is the official language of Tunisia Tunisian Arabic known as Tounsi 163 is the national vernacular variety of Arabic used by the public 164 There is also a small minority of speakers of Berber languages known collectively as Jebbali or Shelha in the country 165 166 French also plays a major role in Tunisian society 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 business In 2010 there were 6 639 000 French speakers in Tunisia or about 64 of the population 167 Italian is understood and spoken by a small part of the Tunisian population 168 Shop signs menus and road signs in Tunisia are generally written in both Arabic and French 169 Religion Edit Main article Religion in Tunisia Al Zaytuna Mosque in Tunis Cathedral of St Vincent de Paul Tunis Tunisia s constitution declares Islam as the official state religion and the absolute majority of its population or around 98 report to be Muslims while some 2 follow predominantly Christianity or Judaism 131 According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Arab Barometer the vast majority of Tunisians 99 4 continue to identify as Muslim 170 The survey also found that more than one third of Tunisians identify as non religious The percentage of Tunisians identifying themselves as non religious has recently increased from around 12 in 2013 to around 33 in 2018 making Tunisia the least religious country in the Arab world 171 Nearly half of young Tunisians described themselves as non religious according to that same survey 172 The most recent 2021 Arab Barometer survey reported that 44 of Tunisians consider themselves religious 37 somewhat religious and 19 non religious 170 Tunisians enjoy a significant degree of religious freedom a right enshrined and protected in its constitution which guarantees the freedom of thoughts beliefs and to practice one s religion 173 The country has a secular culture where religion is separated from not only political but also public life Individual Tunisians are tolerant of religious freedom and generally do not inquire about a person s personal beliefs 173 The bulk of Tunisians belong to the Maliki school of Sunni Islam and their mosques are easily recognizable by square minarets However the Turks brought with them the teaching of the Hanafi school during Ottoman rule which still survives among families of Turkish descent today their mosques traditionally have octagonal minarets 174 Sunnis form the majority with non denominational Muslims being the second largest group of Muslims 175 full citation needed followed by Ibadite Amazighs 176 177 Prior to independence Tunisia was home to more than 250 000 Christians mostly of Italian and Maltese ancestry Many Christian Italian settlers left to Italy or France after independence from France 178 Today Tunisia s sizable Christian community of around gt 35 000 adherents 179 180 is composed mainly of Catholics 22 000 and to a lesser degree Protestants Berber Christians continued to live in some Nefzaoua villages up until the early 15th century 181 and the community of Tunisian Christians existed in the town of Tozeur up to the 18th century 51 The International Religious Freedom Report for 2007 estimates that thousands of Tunisian Muslims have converted to Christianity 182 183 Judaism is the third largest religion with between 1 000 and 1 400 members 184 185 One third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital The remainder lives on the island of Djerba with 39 synagogues where the Jewish community dates back 2 600 years 186 in Sfax and in Hammam Lif 173 Djerba an island in the Gulf of Gabes is home to El Ghriba synagogue which is one of the oldest synagogues in the world and the oldest continuously used Many Jews consider it a pilgrimage site with celebrations taking place there once a year due to its age and the legend that the synagogue was built using stones from Solomon s temple 187 Although anti Semitic violence has been reported 188 Tunisia and Morocco are said to be the Arab countries most accepting of their Jewish populations 189 Education Edit Main article Education in Tunisia Sadiki College in Tunis Literacy rate of Tunisia population 15 years and older 1985 2015 UNESCO Institute of Statistics The total adult literacy rate in 2008 was 78 190 and this rate goes up to 97 3 when considering only people from 15 to 24 years old 191 full citation needed 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 09 released by the World Economic Forum 192 While children generally acquire Tunisian Arabic at home when they enter school at age six 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 12 193 The four years of secondary education are open to all holders of Diplome de Fin d Etudes de l Enseignement de Base where the students focus on entering university level or join the workforce after completion The Enseignement secondaire is divided into two stages general academic and specialized The higher education system in Tunisia has experienced a rapid expansion and the number of students has more than tripled over the past 10 years from approximately 102 000 in 1995 to 365 000 in 2005 The gross enrollment rate at the tertiary level in 2007 was 31 percent with gender parity index of GER of 1 5 192 Health Edit Main article Health in Tunisia In 2010 spending on healthcare accounted for 3 37 of the country s GDP In 2009 there were 12 02 physicians and 33 12 nurses per 10 000 inhabitants 194 The life expectancy at birth was 75 73 years in 2016 or 73 72 years for males and 77 78 years for females 195 Infant mortality in 2016 was 11 7 per 1 000 196 Culture EditMain article Culture of Tunisia Municipal Theatre The culture of Tunisia is mixed due to its long established history of outside influence from people such as Phoenicians Romans Vandals Byzantines Arabs Siculo Normans Turks Italians Maltese and the French who all left their mark on the country Painting Edit The birth of Tunisian contemporary painting is strongly linked to the School of Tunis established by a group of artists from Tunisia united by the desire to incorporate native themes and rejecting the influence of Orientalist colonial painting It was founded in 1949 and brings together French and Tunisian Muslims Christians and Jews Pierre Boucherle was its main instigator along with Yahia Turki Abdelaziz Gorgi Moses Levy Ammar Farhat and Jules Lellouche Given its doctrine some members have therefore turned to the sources of aesthetic Arab Muslim art such as miniature Islamic architecture etc Expressionist paintings by Amara Debbache Jellal Ben Abdallah and Ali Ben Salem are recognized while abstract art captures the imagination of painters like Edgar Naccache Nello Levy and Hedi Turki 197 After independence in 1956 the art movement in Tunisia was propelled by the dynamics of nation building and by artists serving the state A Ministry of Culture was established under the leadership of ministers such as Habib Boulares who oversaw art and education and power 197 Artists gained international recognition such as Hatem El Mekki or Zoubeir Turki and influenced a generation of new young painters Sadok Gmech draws his inspiration from national wealth while Moncef Ben Amor turns to fantasy In another development Youssef Rekik reused the technique of painting on glass and founded Nja Mahdaoui calligraphy with its mystical dimension 197 There are currently fifty art galleries housing exhibitions of Tunisian and international artists 198 These galleries include Gallery Yahia in Tunis and Carthage Essaadi gallery 198 A new exposition opened in an old monarchal palace in Bardo dubbed the awakening of a nation The exposition boasts documents and artifacts from the Tunisian reformist monarchial rule in mid 19th century 199 Literature Edit Main article Tunisian literature Abdelwahab Meddeb a Tunisian French language poet and novelist Tunisian literature exists in two forms Arabic and French Arabic literature dates back to the 7th century with the arrival of Arab civilization in the region It is more important in both volume and value than French literature which was introduced during the French protectorate from 1881 200 Among the literary figures include Ali Douagi who has produced more than 150 radio stories over 500 poems and folk songs and nearly 15 plays 201 Khraief Bashir an Arabic novelist who published many notable books in the 1930s and which caused a scandal because the dialogues were written in Tunisian dialect 201 and others such as Moncef Ghachem Mohamed Salah Ben Mrad or Mahmoud Messadi As for poetry Tunisian poetry typically opts for nonconformity and innovation with poets such as Aboul Qacem Echebbi As for literature in French it is characterized by its critical approach Contrary to the pessimism of Albert Memmi who predicted that Tunisian literature was sentenced to die young 202 a high number of Tunisian writers are abroad including Abdelwahab Meddeb Bakri Tahar Mustapha Tlili Hele Beji or Mellah Fawzi The themes of wandering exile and heartbreak are the focus of their creative writing citation needed The national bibliography lists 1249 non school books published in 2002 in Tunisia with 885 titles in Arabic 203 In 2006 this figure had increased to 1 500 and 1 700 in 2007 204 Nearly a third of the books are published for children 205 In 2014 Tunisian American creative nonfiction scribe and translator Med Ali Mekki who wrote many books not for publication but just for his own private reading translated the new Constitution of the Tunisian Republic from Arabic to English for the first time in Tunisian bibliographical history the book was published worldwide the following year and it was the Internet s most viewed and downloaded Tunisian book Music Edit Main article Music of Tunisia Rachidia orchestra playing traditional music in Tunis Theater At the beginning of the 20th century musical activity was dominated by the liturgical repertoire associated with different religious brotherhoods and secular repertoire which consisted of instrumental pieces and songs in different Andalusian forms and styles of origins essentially borrowing characteristics of musical language In 1930 The Rachidia was founded well known thanks to artists from the Jewish community The founding in 1934 of a musical school helped revive Arab Andalusian music largely to a social and cultural revival led by the elite of the time who became aware of the risks of loss of the musical heritage and which they believed threatened the foundations of Tunisian national identity The institution did not take long to assemble a group of musicians poets scholars The creation of Radio Tunis in 1938 allowed musicians a greater opportunity to disseminate their works citation needed Notable Tunisian musicians include Saber Rebai Dhafer Youssef Belgacem Bouguenna Sonia M barek Latifa Salah El Mahdi Anouar Brahem Emel Mathlouthi and Lotfi Bouchnak Festivals Edit Main article List of festivals in Tunisia Hundreds of international festivals national regional or local punctuate the calendar year Music and theatrical festivals dominate the national cultural scene Several festivals take place annually in summer the Carthage International Festival in July the International Festival of Arts of Mahr from late July to early August and the International Festival of Hammamet in July and August The Carthage Film Festival is held in October and November of every other year alternating with the Carthage Theatre Festival It was created in 1966 206 by the Tunisian Minister of Culture to showcase films from the Maghreb Africa and the Middle East In order to be eligible for the competition a film must have a director of African or Middle Eastern nationality and have been produced at least two years before entry The grand prize is the Tanit d or or Golden Tanit named for the lunar goddess of ancient Carthage the award is in the shape of her symbol a trapezium surmounted by a horizontal line and a circle The International Festival of the Sahara celebrated annually at the end of December honors the cultural traditions associated with the Tunisian desert This attracts many tourists and musicians from all around the world as well as horsemen who flaunt their saddles and local fabrics and skills There are also a number of musical festivals some honor traditional Tunisian music while others including the Tabarka Jazz Festival focus on other genres In the city of Sousse the Carnival of Awussu is an annual festive and cultural event that unfolds each 24th of July It s a parade of symbolic chariots fanfares and folk groups from Tunisia and elsewhere which takes place near the beach of Boujaafar at the eve of the beginning of Awussu The word designating the heat wave of the month of August according to the Berber calendar Originally it was a Pagan feast Neptunalia celabrating the god of the seas Neptune in the Roman province of Africa and might even go back to Phoenician times the appellation Awussu is a possible deformation of Oceanus 207 Omek Tannou is an ancient Tunisian rainmaking festival which was inherited from Punic and Berber traditions involving invocations of the goddess Tanit It features the ritual use of the sculpted head of a woman somewhat resembling the head of a girl s doll which is carried in procession between the houses of a village during periods of drought by children singing the refrain أمك طانقو يا نساء طلبت ربي عالشتاء transliteration amk ṭangu ya nsaʾ tlbt rbi ʿalshta a Amek tango o women ask God to rain This song varies according to the region because the term shta designates rain only in certain urban areas Each housewife then pours a little water on the statuette invoking rain Media Edit Main article Media of Tunisia Headquarters of Television Tunisienne since March 2010 The TV media has long remained under the domination of the Establishment of the Broadcasting Authority Tunisia ERTT and its predecessor the Tunisian Radio and Television founded in 1957 On 7 November 2006 President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali announced the demerger of the business into two separate companies which became effective on 31 August 2007 Until then ERTT managed all public television stations Television Tunisienne 1 as well as Television Tunisienne 2 which had replaced the defunct RTT 2 and four national radio stations Radio Tunis Tunisia Radio Culture Youth and RTCI and five regional stations in Sfax Monastir Gafsa Le Kef and Tataouine Most programs are in Arabic but some are in French Growth in private sector radio and television broadcasting has seen the creation of numerous operations including Radio Mosaique FM Jawhara FM Zaytuna FM Hannibal TV Ettounsiya TV and Nessma TV 208 209 In 2007 some 245 newspapers and magazines compared to only 91 in 1987 are 90 owned by private groups and independents 210 The Tunisian political parties have the right to publish their own newspapers but those of the opposition parties have very limited editions like Al Mawkif or Mouwatinoun Before the recent democratic transition although freedom of the press was formally guaranteed by the constitution almost all newspapers have in practice followed the government line report Critical approach to the activities of the president government and the Constitutional Democratic Rally Party then in power were suppressed In essence the media was dominated by state authorities through the Agence Tunis Afrique Presse This has changed since as the media censorship by the authorities have been largely abolished and self censorship has significantly decreased 211 Nonetheless the current regulatory framework and social and political culture mean that the future of press and media freedom is still unclear 211 Sports Edit Main article Sport in Tunisia Stade Hammadi Agrebi in Rades Football is the most popular sport in Tunisia The Tunisia national football team also known as The Eagles of Carthage won the 2004 African Cup of Nations ACN which was held in Tunisia 212 213 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 Their premier football league is the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 The main clubs are Esperance Sportive de Tunis Etoile Sportive du Sahel Club Africain Club Sportif Sfaxien Union Sportive Monastirienne Stade Tunisien and CA Bizertin The Tunisia men s national handball team has participated in several handball world championships In 2005 Tunisia came fourth 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 Wissem Hmam was ranked as the top scorer of the tournament The Tunisian national handball team won the African Cup ten times being the team dominating this competition The Tunisians won the 2018 African Cup in Gabon by defeating Egypt 214 Tunisia s national basketball team has emerged as a top side in Africa The team won the 2011 Afrobasket and hosted Africa s top basketball event in 1965 1987 and 2015 Tunisia was one of the continent s pioneers in basketball as it established one of Africa s first competitive leagues 215 In boxing Victor Perez Young was world champion in the flyweight weight class in 1931 and 1932 216 In the 2008 Summer Olympics Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won a gold medal in 1500 meter freestyle 217 In the 2012 Summer Olympics he won a bronze medal in the 1500 meter freestyle and a gold medal in the men s marathon swim at a distance of 10 kilometers In 2012 Tunisia participated for the seventh time in its history in the Summer Paralympic Games Their national team finished the competition with 19 medals 9 golds 5 silvers and 5 bronzes Tunisia was classified 14th on the Paralympics medal table and 5th in Athletics Tunisia was suspended from Davis Cup play for the year 2014 because the Tunisian Tennis Federation was found to have ordered Malek Jaziri not to compete against an Israeli tennis player Amir Weintraub 218 ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said There is no room for prejudice of any kind in sport or in society The ITF Board decided to send a strong message to the Tunisian Tennis Federation that this kind of action will not be tolerated 218 See also Edit Africa portalIndex of Tunisia related articles Outline of Tunisia Architecture of TunisiaReferences EditNotes Edit Pronunciation UK tj uː ˈ n ɪ z i e ˈ n ɪ s US ˈ n iː ʒ e ˈ n iː ʃ e ˈ n ɪ ʒ e ˈ n ɪ ʃ e 16 Arabic تونس Tunis pronounced tuː nɪs Berber Tunest French Tunisie Arabic الجمهورية التونسية al Jumhuriya at Tunisiya French Republique tunisienne The native Arabic official name translates more closely to Tunisian Republic as does the commonly used French translation but the less exact English translation Republic of Tunisia is used in English even by the Tunisian government for official purposes e g the designation used by the Tunisian embassy in Washington D C Lebanon and Iraq are confessional democracies References Edit Tunisia Constitution Article 4 PDF 26 January 2014 Archived from the original PDF on 9 February 2014 Retrieved 10 February 2014 Tunisian Constitution Article 1 PDF 26 January 2014 Archived from the original PDF on 9 February 2014 Retrieved 10 February 2014 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 Arabic Tunisian Spoken Ethnologue 19 February 1999 Retrieved on 5 September 2015 Tunisia Languages 22 May 2022 a b Tunisia the World Factbook 22 December 2022 Tunisia Demographics Berbers Populations Distribution 12 March 2004 Q amp A The Berbers 12 March 2004 The Jews of Tunisia www pjvoice com Tunisia Religions 22 May 2022 National Institute of Statistics Tunisia National Institute of Statistics Tunisia Archived from the original on 28 November 2019 Retrieved 2 March 2020 a b c d World Economic Outlook Database April 2022 IMF org International Monetary Fund April 2022 Retrieved 19 April 2022 GINI index World Bank Retrieved 19 January 2013 Human Development Report 2021 2022 PDF United Nations Development Programme 8 September 2022 Retrieved 8 September 2022 Report on the Delegation of تونس Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 2010 Archived from the original on 31 May 2012 Retrieved 8 November 2010 Wells John C 2008 Longman Pronunciation Dictionary 3rd ed Longman ISBN 9781405881180 Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia Retrieved 30 September 2021 Tunisie les legislatives fixees au 26 octobre et la presidentielle au 23 novembre Tunisia legislative elections fixed for 26 October and presidential elections for 23 November Jeune Afrique in French 25 June 2014 Tunisia holds first post revolution presidential poll BBC News 23 November 2014 Democracy Index 2021 The Economist Retrieved 22 February 2022 Democracy 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Tunisia suspended from Davis Cup over Malek Jaziri order Sky Sports Retrieved 4 November 2013 SourcesSteel Catherine 5 March 2013 The End of the Roman Republic 146 to 44 BC Edinburgh University Press ISBN 9780748629022 Retrieved 21 November 2022 External links EditTunisia at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel information from Wikivoyage Resources from Wikiversity Official Tunisia Government website Official website of the Ministry of Tourism Official Tourism Portal Official website of the National Institute of Meteorology Official website of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People Official website of the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior Official website of The Ministry of Transport Tunisia Profile from UNESCO Tunisia The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency The Emergence and activity of Tunisia s most fearful terrorist group 137 150 Tunisia web resources provided by GovPubs at the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries Tunisia at Curlie Tunisia profile from BBC News Tunisia profile and timeline from the Conservative Middle East Council Wikimedia Atlas of Tunisia Geographic data related to Tunisia at OpenStreetMap EU Neighbourhood Info Centre Country profile of Tunisia Coordinates 34 N 9 E 34 N 9 E 34 9 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tunisia amp oldid 1138221182, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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