top of pageBackground: 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 convincing 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 after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country's new constitution.
Climate: temperate in north with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers; desert in south
Terrain: mountains in north; hot dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
GeographyNote: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries particularly for oil exploration
top of pageLanguages: Arabic (official one of the languages of commerce) French (commerce) Berber (Tamazight)
Note: despite having no official status French plays a major role in the country and is spoken by about two-thirds of the population
Religions: Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1% other (includes Christian Jewish Shia Muslim and Baha'i) 1%
Demographic profile:
The Tunisian Government took steps in the 1960s to decrease population growth and gender inequality in order to improve socioeconomic development. Through its introduction of a national family planning program (the first in Africa) and by raising the legal age of marriage Tunisia rapidly reduced its total fertility rate from about 7 children per woman in 1960 to 2 today. Unlike many of its North African and Middle Eastern neighbors Tunisia will soon be shifting from being a youth-bulge country to having a transitional age structure characterized by lower fertility and mortality rates a slower population growth rate a rising median age and a longer average life expectancy.
Currently the sizable young working-age population is straining Tunisia’s labor market and education and health care systems. Persistent high unemployment among Tunisia’s growing workforce particularly its increasing number of university graduates and women was a key factor in the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the BEN ALI regime in 2011. In the near term Tunisia’s large number of jobless young working-age adults; deficiencies in primary and secondary education; and the ongoing lack of job creation and skills mismatches could contribute to future unrest. In the longer term a sustained low fertility rate will shrink future youth cohorts and alleviate demographic pressure on Tunisia’s labor market but employment and education hurdles will still need to be addressed.
Tunisia has a history of labor emigration. In the 1960s workers migrated to European countries to escape poor economic conditions and to fill Europe’s need for low-skilled labor in construction and manufacturing. The Tunisian Government signed bilateral labor agreements with France Germany Belgium Hungary and the Netherlands with the expectation that Tunisian workers would eventually return home. At the same time growing numbers of Tunisians headed to Libya often illegally to work in the expanding oil industry. In the mid-1970s with European countries beginning to restrict immigration and Tunisian-Libyan tensions brewing Tunisian economic migrants turned toward the Gulf countries. After mass expulsions from Libya in 1983 Tunisian migrants increasingly sought family reunification in Europe or moved illegally to southern Europe while Tunisia itself developed into a transit point for sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe.
Following the ousting of BEN ALI in 2011 the illegal migration of unemployed Tunisian youths to Italy and onward to France soared into the tens of thousands. Thousands more Tunisian and foreign workers escaping civil war in Libya flooded into Tunisia and joined the exodus. A readmission agreement signed by Italy and Tunisia in April 2011 helped stem the outflow leaving Tunisia and international organizations to repatriate resettle or accommodate some 1 million Libyans and third-country nationals.
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated
EnvironmentCurrent issues: 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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Drinking water source:
urban: 100% of population
rural: 93.2% of population
total: 97.7% of population
urban: 0% of population
rural: 6.8% of population
total: 2.3% of population (2015 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
urban: 97.4% of population
rural: 79.8% of population
total: 91.6% of population
urban: 2.6% of population
rural: 20.2% of population
total: 8.4% of population (2015 est.)
top of pageAdministrative divisions: 24 governorates (wilayat singular - wilayah); 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) L'Ariana (Aryanah) Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah) Manouba (Manubah) Medenine (Madanin) Monastir (Al Munastir) Nabeul (Nabul) Sfax (Safaqis) Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd) Siliana (Silyanah) Sousse (Susah) Tataouine (Tatawin) Tozeur (Tawzar) Tunis Zaghouan (Zaghwan)
National holiday: Independence Day 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day 14 January (2011)
Constitution: several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014 signed by president on 27 January 2014 (2016)
Legal system: 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
Suffrage: 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
Executive branchChief of state: President Beji CAID ESSEBSI
Head of government: Prime Minister Youssef CHAHED
Cabinet: selected by the prime minister and approved by the Constituent Assembly
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 23 November and 21 December 2014 (next to be held in 2019); following legislative elections the prime minister is selected by the majority party or majority coalition and appointed by the president
Election results: Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Beji CAID ESSEBSI 55.7% Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3%
Legislative branchDescription: unicameral Chamber of the People's Deputies
Elections: initial election held on 26 October 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - Tunisia's Call 39.6% al-Nahda 31.8% UPL 7.4% Popular Front 6.9% Afek Tounes 3.7% CPR 1.8% other 8.8%; seats by party - Tunisia's Call 86 al-Nahda 69 UPL 16 Popular Front 15 Afek Tounes 8 CPR 4 other 17 independent 2
Judicial branchHighest court: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation ; Constitutional Court (consists of 12 members)
Note: the new Tunisian constitution of January 2014 called for the creation of a constitutional court by the end of 2015; the court will consist of 12 members - 4 each appointed by the president Supreme Judicial Council or SJC and the Chamber of the People's Deputies (parliament); members will serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years; in late 2015 the International Commission of Jurists called on Tunisia's parliament to revise the draft on the constitutional court to ensure compliance with international standards
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council a body of elected and appointed judges and specialized staff after consultation with the prime minister; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court members appointed 3 each by the president of the republic the Chamber of the People's Deputies and the SJC; members serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders:
The Initiative [Kamel MORJANE] (formerly the Constitutional Democratic Rally or RCD)
Tunisian Ba'ath Movement [Omar Othman BEKHADJ secretary general]
Tunisia's Call (Nidaa Tounes) [Mohamed ENNACEUR]
Workers' Party [Hamma HAMMAMI]
International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU BSEC (observer) CAEU CD EBRD FAO G-11 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAS MIGA MONUSCO NAM OAS (observer) OIC OIF OPCW OSCE (partner) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO
Flag description: 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
Note: the flag is based on that of Turkey itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire
National anthemName: 'Humat Al Hima'
Lyrics and music: Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
Note: adopted 1957 replaced 1958 restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates
top of pageEconomy overview:
Tunisia's diverse market-oriented economy has long been cited as a success story in Africa and the Middle East but it faces an array of challenges following the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s Tunisia embarked on a successful strategy focused on bolstering exports foreign investment and tourism all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel food products petroleum products chemicals and phosphates with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner the EU.
Tunisia's liberal strategy coupled with investments in education and infrastructure fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improving living standards. Former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) continued these policies but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance and unemployment rose among the country's growing ranks of university graduates. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI sending Tunisia's economy into a tailspin as tourism and investment declined sharply.
Since its establishment in late 2014 Tunisia’s new government has faced challenges reassuring businesses and investors bringing budget and current account deficits under control shoring up the country's financial system lowering high unemployment and reducing economic disparities between the more developed coastal region and the impoverished interior. In 2015 successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP slowed growth to less than 1% of GDP.
Agriculture products: olives olive oil grain tomatoes citrus fruit sugar beets dates almonds; beef dairy products
Industries: petroleum mining (particularly phosphate iron ore) tourism textiles footwear agribusiness beverages
Exports:
$14.07 billion (2015 est.)
$16.84 billion (2014 est.)
Rank: 76
Commodities: clothing semi-finished goods and textiles agricultural products mechanical goods phosphates and chemicals hydrocarbons electrical equipment
Partners: France 28.5% Italy 17.2% Germany 10.9% Libya 6.1% Spain 4.2% (2015)
Imports:
$19.1 billion (2015 est.)
$23.4 billion (2014 est.)
Rank: 75
Commodities: textiles machinery and equipment hydrocarbons chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 19.4% Italy 16.4% Algeria 8.2% Germany 7.4% China 6% (2015)
Debt external:
$25.45 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$26.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
Rank: 81
Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -
1.9617 (2015 est.)
1.6976 (2014 est.)
1.6976 (2013 est.)
1.56 (2012 est.)
1.4078 (2011 est.)
top of pagetop of pageTelephone systemGeneral assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax Sousse Bizerte and Tunis; telephone network is completely digitized; Internet access available throughout the country
Domestic: in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network the government awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; rural areas are served by wireless local loops; competition between several mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 140 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 216; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe Middle East and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2015)
Broadcast media: 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)
top of pageMilitary service age and obligation: 20-23 years of age for compulsory service 1-year service obligation; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; Tunisian nationality required (2012)
top of pagePipelines: condensate 68 km; gas 3,111 km; oil 1381 km; refined products 453 km (2013)
Tunisia - Transnational issues 2016
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