Tunisia

Capital: Tunis
Population: 10.486.339 (July 2009 estimates)
Size: 163.610 sq km (8250 sq km of water)
Literacy: 74.3 %
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Life expectancy: 75.8 years
Coastline: 1.148 km

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. BEN ALI is currently serving his fourth consecutive five-year term as president; the next elections are scheduled for October 2009. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society. (Source: CIA World Factbook)