Tunisia |
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The Tunisian Republic, located in North Africa, shares its border with Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea borders Tunisia to the north and northeast. It is the northernmost African nation as well as the smallest nation situated along the Atlas mountain range. The city of Tunis is the capital of Tunisia. HISTORY:- The Phoenicians settled in the region at the earliest around the 12th century BC. The city of Carthage was the most powerful land in the western Mediterranean around the 6th century BC. But the three successive Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage destroyed the great city of Carthage in 146 BC. The city of Carthage became a part of Vandal Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. The Arabs conquered the region in 648 and it was controlled by various Arab and Berber Empires. In 1570, the land became a part of Ottoman Empire following the Turk conquest. In 1881, the land was occupied by the French. Following years the nation became a French protectorate. Struggle for independence from the French started and France was forced to recognize the independence and sovereignty of Tunisia in 1956. In 1957 Tunisia became a republic with Habib Bourguiba as the first president of the nation. In 1987, Bourguiba was overthrown in a bloodless coup and replaced by Gen. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. GEOGRAPHY:-Tunisia is located at 34 00 N, 9 00 E in Northern Africa, spanning through 163,610 sq km area in which land masses and internal water sources occupy 155,360 sq km and 8,250 sq km respectively. The coastline is 1,148 km long along with the Mediterranean Sea. The lowest point is Shatt al Gharsah (-17 m) and the highest point is Jebel ech Chambi (1,544 m). The northern part is mountainous. Arable land can be found in north and along the central coasts while the southern part is mostly semiarid or desert. 40% of the terrain is occupied by the Sahara desert. CLIMATE:- The climate of Tunisia varies from temperate in the north with mild and rainy winters and hot and dry summers to desert in the south. GOVERNMENT:- Tunisia is a republic. The constitution was adopted on 1st June 1959 but was amended in 1988 and 2002. The legal system is a mixture of the French civil law system and the Islamic law. The three major branches of the government are: Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime Minister (head of government), and the Council of Ministers. The president is elected by a popular vote on a 5-year term. The prime minister and the council of ministers are appointed by the president. Legislative branch comprises the bicameral parliament, consists of the Chamber of Deputies (189 seats), and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats). Judicial branch comprises the District Courts, the Courts of Appeal, and the Court of Cassation. Democratic Constitutional Rally is the ruling party of Tunisia. Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL, Liberal Social Party or PSL, Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS, Popular Unity Party or PUP, Unionist Democratic Union or UDU, Progressive Democratic Party or PDP, and Green Party for Progress or PVP are the major opposition political parties of Tunisia. Suffrage is universal at the age of 18. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:-Tunisia is divided into 24 governorates. CULTURE:- The culture of Tunisia is a fusion of Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Turkish, Spanish, and French cultures. Several popular festivals include Tabarka Jazz Festival, Testour's Arab Andalusian Music Festival, and the Sahara Festival in Douz. ECONOMY:- The Tunisian economy is ranked high among the Middle Eastern and African nations according to the World Economic Forum. Agricultural, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors are the backbones of the economy of Tunisia. Advancement in the non-textile manufacturing, a recovery in agricultural sector, and development in the services sector let the real growth rise from 5% to 6.3% in 2007. GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $77 billion; per capita $7,500. Real growth rate: 6.3%. Inflation: 3.1%. Unemployment: 14.1%. Arable land: 17%. Agriculture: Olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products. Labor force: 3.593 million; note: shortage of skilled labor; services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.). Budget: Public debt: 55.4% of GDP (2007 est.) Debt - external: $19.27 billion (December 2007) Industries: Petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages. Natural resources: Petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt. Exports: $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons. Imports: $12.86 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food. Major trading partners: France, Italy, Germany, Spain (2004). Monetary unit: Tunisian dinar LANGUAGE:- Arabic is the official languages of Tunisia while French is widely used in commerce. CITIES:- The city of Tunis is the capital and the largest city of Tunisia. Other major cities are Greater Tunis, Sfax, Nabeul, Sousse. POPULATION:- The approximate population of Tunisia is 10,276,158 with an average growth rate of 1.0%. RACE:- RELIGION:- HEALTH:- UNICEF:- The government has undertaken programmes to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality. UNICEF supports new measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and provides support for HIV+ children. The national immunization campaign immunized teenage girls against measles and rubella. UNICEF partners with various organizations to improve health care in Tunisia. Ministry of Education launched a programme of preparatory classes in primary schools to cover 1,250 schools and 24,000 children to increase school enrolment. English has been introduced as a regular part of the education curriculum. The new legislation and a policy broaden the awareness on children rights. More than 1200 social workers received training on protecting vulnerable children. UNICEF ties up with journalists to improve media coverage of issues affecting children in Tunisia. TRANSPORTATION:- Posted by subhasis on Thursday Aug 21 reply Comments |
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