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Home of the ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia has long been an important player in the Mediterranean, placed as it is in the centre of North Africa, close to vital shipping routes. In their time, the Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French realised its strategic significance, making it a hub for control over the region.
Overview
French colonial rule ended in 1956, and Tunisia was led for three decades by Habib Bourguiba, who advanced secular ideas. These included emancipation for women - women's rights in Tunisia are among the most advanced in the Arab world - the abolition of polygamy and compulsory free education.
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AT-A-GLANCE
Politics: Tunisia has been relatively stable and prosperous under the leadership of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali since 1987. He stepped aside in January 2011 following widespread unrest
Economy: The diverse economy has grown steadily and the slum population has halved, but the world recession has pushed unemployment up in recent years
International: Tunisia has strong ties with the European Union; its peacekeepers have served in several conflict areas
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Mr Bourguiba insisted on an anti-Islamic fundamentalist line, while increasing his own powers to become a virtual dictator. In 1987 he was dismissed on grounds of senility and Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali' became president. He continued with a hard line against Islamic extremists, but inherited an economically-stable country. Although Tunisia has introduced some press freedoms and has freed a number of political prisoners, human rights groups say the authorities tolerate no dissent, harassing government critics and rights activists. Mr Ben Ali faced reproach at home and abroad for his party's three "99.9%" election wins. The opposition condemned changes to the constitution which allowed him to run for re-election in 2004, and in 2009. Tunisia is more prosperous than its neighbours and has strong trade links with Europe. Agriculture employs a large part of the workforce, and dates and olives are cultivated in the drier regions. Millions of European tourists flock to Tunisian resorts every year. Political violence was rare until recently, but militant Islamists have become an issue of concern for the authorities. A suicide bomb attack on an historic synagogue in the resort of Djerba in 2002 killed 21 people and led to a dramatic drop in tourist numbers. A dozen suspected Islamists were killed in shoot-outs with security forces in and around Tunis at the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. Lawyers say hundreds of people were arrested on suspicion of links with terrorist groups since 2003, when the authorities gained new powers of arrest. Violent repression of protests over unemployment and lack of political freedom in the winter of 2010-2011 left dozens of people dead. But popular street protests continued and President Ben Ali went into exile in January 2011, his prime minister taking charge.
Facts
- Full name: Tunisian Republic
- Population: 10.4 million (UN, 2010)
- Capital: Tunis
- Area: 164,150 sq km (63,378 sq miles)
- Major languages: Arabic (official); French
- Major religion: Islam
- Life expectancy: 73 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
- Main exports: Agricultural products, textiles, oil
- GNI per capita: US $3,720 (World Bank, 2009)
- Internet domain: .tn
- International dialling code: +216
Leaders
Interim President: Fouad Mebazaa Former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who had been in power since 1987, went into exile in January 2011 following weeks of street protests.
Ben Ali had been president since 1987
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His prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, briefly stepped into his shoes, before the speaker of parliament Fouad Mebazaa took the oath of office, pledging to form a unity government. Mr Ben Ali, from the ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), had been due to retire in 2004 but changes to the constitution allowed him to run for two more terms. Born in 1936 in Hammam Sousse, Mr Ben Ali was Tunisia's ambassador in Warsaw in 1980 and became prime minister in October 1987. He was sworn in as the new president in 1987, after doctors declared President Habib Bourguiba unfit to govern because of senility. The takeover is sometimes described as a palace coup. Rights groups and some political opponents said Tunisia's government was authoritarian with a veneer of pluralism. They said it stifled free speech and beat and jailed opponents, something the government denied.
Media
Although freedom of opinion and expression is guaranteed by the Tunisian constitution, the government tightly controls the press and broadcasting. The state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates two national TV channels and several radio networks. Egyptian and pan-Arab satellite TV stations command large audiences. Two London-based opposition TV channels can be received via satellite; Al Mustaqillah TV and Zeitouna TV. Press codes shape coverage and stipulate large fines and prison sentences for violators. Journals are screened by the authorities before publication and the government encourages a high degree of self-censorship. Media rights organisations say the intimidation of journalists is widespread. Discussion of corruption and human rights in the media is taboo. Editions of foreign newspapers, including French and pan-Arab publications, are regularly seized. There are several privately-run newspapers and magazines, including two opposition party journals. Internet monitoring is omnipresent. Websites which criticise the government are often blocked. There were around 3.5 million internet users by December 2009 - more than 30% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). The press Television Radio
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