Tunisia
Tunisia is located in North Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya. It is slightly larger than the state of Georgia. The population consists of 9.9 million inhabitants.
Arab, Berber, African, and European influences have helped shape the unique Tunisian cultural identity. Most of the population is Muslim, and the official religion is Sunni Islam. Christian and Jewish communities practice their faith freely and contribute to Tunisia's rich cultural diversity. Its population is over 62 percent urban, and Tunis, the capital, has a population of about 1 million and is one of the principal cosmopolitan urban centers of the Mediterranean. The official language is Arab, but many Tunisians speak French and English, and some speak Italian.
Tunisia became a protectorate of France in 1881. An expeditionary force of 30,000 soldiers invaded Tunisia from Algeria, officially to stabilize the borderlands. The French column met only sporadic resistance and in less than two weeks reached the outskirts of Tunis. Prior to this action by the French, Muhammad al-Sadiq Bey had formally promulgated a constitution in 1859. It established a constitutional monarchy with the bey's ministers responsible to a Grand Council, composed of sixty members, chosen by him. Tunisia remained under al-Sadiq's rule from 1859 until 1882.
However, in 1873, the bey named Khair al-Din as prime minister; al-Din was impressed with Western ideology and was anxious to apply it in Tunisia. During his term in office, al-Din made a valiant effort to avert a European takeover. He attempted to balance and hold at bay competing foreign interests while introducing domestic reforms aimed at achieving the order and stability conducive to prosperity. al-Din believed that in order to increase public faith, the government must staff its administration with officials of high integrity and competence. Many reforms were thus initiated, but in his second round of such changes, al-Din moved away from merely imitating European ideas, giving his programs a more indigenous, Islamic flavor. He was eventually ousted by the French.
Tunisia remained a protectorate throughout World War II (1939–1945) and finally won its independence in 1956. Habib Bourguiba (1903–2000) became president and established a one-party state. He dominated the country for thirty-one years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. His successor was Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (b. 1936), who became president on November 7, 1987. His regime ushered Tunisia into a new era, known as the "Change." It involved democratic reform. Ben Ali initiated several major reforms to firmly anchor democracy and expand political participation. Tunisia became a constitutional government. In 1994 presidential and legislative elections were held; Ben Ali was elected for a second term, and in 1999 voters elected him to a third term.
(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)Executive power is divided between the president of the republic and the government (ministers and prime ministers) appointed by the president. In addition, there is a Constitutional Council whose function is to review laws for constitutional compliance prior to promulgation. Both the president and the unicameral legislature are elected through direct, free, and secret elections with universal suffrage. The Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) sits atop a hierarchical judiciary whose judges are appointed by the president. The Human Rights Watch has complained that the harassment of dissidents has increased since the 1990s, including the imprisonment of individuals critical of the regime's human rights abuses.
Reproductive Rights; Shari'a.
Bibliography
Laitman, Leon. Tunisia Today: Crisis in North Africa. New York: Citadel Press, 1954.
Perkins, Kenneth. Tunisia: Crossroads of the Islamic and European Worlds. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1986.
"Tunisia." CIA World Factbook. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2005. <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publicat ions/factbook/geos/ts.html>.
Tunisia Government Online. <http://www.tunisiaonline.com&#x 003E;.
"Tunisia: Government Steps Up Harassment of Activists." Human Rights News, September 6 2003. <http://hrw.org/press/2003/09/tu nisia090603.htm>.
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