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...