Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012, and is aiming to have it ratified by the end of the year.

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

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Africa

slightly larger than Georgia

1,148 km

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

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

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

4,450 sq km (2003)

4.6 cu km (2003)

NA

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

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

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

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

Muslim (Islam - official) 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

10,732,900 (July 2012 est.)

0.964% (2012 est.)

17.28 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

5.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-1.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

TUNIS (capital) 759,000 (2009)

56 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

2.02 children born/woman (2012 est.)

6.2% of GDP (2009)

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2009)

less than 0.1% (2009 est.)

2,400 (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

3.3% (2006)

7.1% of GDP (2007)

republic

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

20 March 1956 (from France)

Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002; note - the Constituent Assembly formed in October 2011 following the country's political revolution was charged with writing a new constitution; approval is expected by the end of 2012

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

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

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

unicameral Constituent Assembly (217 seats); note - this interim legislative body was formed and members elected following Tunisia's 2010-11 political revolution

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

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

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

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

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

encircled red star and crescent

Tunisia has a diverse, market-oriented economy, with important agricultural, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors but faces an array of challenges. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia successfully focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% going to the European Union. Tunisia achieved four decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth. As the presidency wore on, cronyism and corruption under former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) stymied economic performance and unemployment rose among the university's graduates. In January 2011 BEN ALI was overthrown, sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin. The country's newly elected government faces immediate challenges stabilizing the economy. It must reassure businesses and investors, bring budget and current account deficits under control, shore up the country's financial system, bring down high unemployment, and reduce economic disparities between the more developed coastal region and impoverished interior.

$102.3 billion (2011 est.)

$103.1 billion (2010 est.)

$100.1 billion (2009 est.)

$46.36 billion (2011 est.)

-0.8% (2011 est.)

3.1% (2010 est.)

3.1% (2009 est.)

$9,600 (2011 est.)

$9,800 (2010 est.)

$9,600 (2009 est.)

3.904 million (2011 est.)

18% (2011 est.)

13% (2010 est.)

3.8% (2005 est.)

40 (2005 est.)

41.7 (1995 est.)

25.2% of GDP (2011 est.)

21.9% of GDP (2011 est.)

-5.8% of GDP (2011 est.)

49% of GDP (2011 est.)

42.5% of GDP (2010 est.)

3.5% (2011 est.)

4.4% (2010 est.)

5.75% (31 December 2010 est.)

NA% (31 December 2009 est.)

7.31% (31 December 2010 est.)

7.305% (31 December 2010 est.)

$13.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$11.44 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$29.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$28.11 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$34.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$31.03 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$9.662 billion (31 December 2011)

$10.68 billion (31 December 2010)

$9.12 billion (31 December 2009)

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

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

-6.4% (2011 est.)

-$3.161 billion (2011 est.)

-$2.104 billion (2010 est.)

$17.73 billion (2011 est.)

$16.43 billion (2010 est.)

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

France 29.4%, Italy 19.2%, Germany 10.3%, Libya 6.6% (2009 est.)

$23.62 billion (2011 est.)

$21.01 billion (2010 est.)

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

France 21%, Italy 17.5%, Germany 8.8%, Spain 4.9%, China 4.7%, Russia 4.5% (2009 est.)

$7.372 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$9.462 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$23.21 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$21.58 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$32.26 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$31.41 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$310 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$285 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -

1.4078 (2011 est.)

1.4314 (2010 est.)

1.3503 (2009)

1.211 (2008)

1.2776 (2007)

calendar year

14.76 billion kWh (2009 est.)

12.75 billion kWh (2009 est.)

81 million kWh (2009 est.)

122 million kWh (2009 est.)

3.648 million kW (2009 est.)

96.9% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

1.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

70,480 bbl/day (2011 est.)

65,960 bbl/day (2009 est.)

24,580 bbl/day (2009 est.)

425 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

36,670 bbl/day (2008 est.)

88,380 bbl/day (2011 est.)

15,270 bbl/day (2008 est.)

74,600 bbl/day (2008 est.)

2.03 billion cu m (2010 est.)

3.28 billion cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

1.25 billion cu m (2010 est.)

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

18.72 million Mt (2010 est.)

1.218 million (2011)

12.388 million (2011)

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

.tn

575 (2010)

3.5 million (2009)

29 (2012)

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

Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armees Tunisiens, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Tunisian Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'Tunisia) (2012)

20-23 years of age for compulsory service, one year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2007)

1.4% of GDP (2006)

none