The Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), or Tunisia, is a Muslim Arab country situated on the North Africa Mediterranean Sea coast. It is the easternmost and smallest of the three nations along the Atlas mountains range, bordering one of the others, Algeria to the west, as well as Libya to the south and east. Forty per cent of the country is comprised by the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly Fertile soil land and easily accessible coasts. Both played a prominent role in Ancient history times, first with the founding of the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, Roman Empire, it became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. It is thought that the name Tunis originated from Berber languages, meaning either a geographical promontory, or, 'to spend the night.' {| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+الجمهورية التونسية
El-joumhouriyya et-Tounisiyya |- | style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" | {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | align="center" width="140px" | | align="center" width="140px" | |- | align="center" width="140px" | (Flag of Tunisia) | align="center" width="140px" | (Coat of arms of Tunisia) |} |- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | ''List of state mottos: n/a'' |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background: #ffffff;" | |- | Official language | Arabic language |- | Capital | Tunis |- | President of Tunisia | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali |- | Prime Minister of Tunisia | Mohamed Ghannouchi |- | Area
- Total | List of countries by area
163,610 square kilometre |- | Population
- Total (2003) | List of countries by population
9,924,742 |- | Currency | Tunisian Dinar |- | Time zone
- in Daylight saving time | Central European Time (Coordinated Universal Time+1)
Central European Summer Time (Coordinated Universal Time+2) |- | Independence
- Granted | (from France)
March 20 1956 |- | National anthem | ''Himat Al Hima'', ''Ala Khallidi'' |- | Top-level domain | .tn |- | List of country calling codes | 216 |} ==History== ''Main article: History of Tunisia'' At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th Century B.C. In the 6th Century B.C., Carthage rose to power, but it was conquered by Rome (2nd Century B.C.), and the region became one of the granaries of Rome. It was held by the Vandals (5th cent. A.D.) and Byzantines (6th Century). In the 7th Century it was conquered by Arab Islam, who founded Al Qayrawan. Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions. The reigns of the Aghlabids (9th Century) and of the Zirids (from 972), Berber followers of the Fatimids, were especially prosperous. When the Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050), the latter sent in the Banu Hilal to ravage Tunisia. The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th Century. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs of Morocco. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230–1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered for Islam by the Ottoman Empire. Under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957. In the late 16th Century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States). It was made a France protectorate on May 12, 1881. Tunisia became national independence in 1956, and has had two presidents since. ==Politics== ''Main article: Politics of Tunisia'' Tunisia is a republic with a strong presidential system dominated by a single political party. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been in office since 1987 when he deposed Habib Bourguiba, who had been President since Tunisia's independence from France in 1956. The ruling party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), was the sole legal party for 25 years--when it was known as the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD) - and still dominates political life . The President is elected to 5-year terms - with virtually no opposition - and appoints a Prime Minister and cabinet, who play a strong role in the execution of policy. Regional governors and local administrators also are appointed by the central government; largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected. There is a unicameral legislative body, the Chamber of Deputies, which has 182 seats, 20% of which are reserved for the opposition. It plays a growing role as an arena for debate on national policy but never originates legislation and virtually always passes bills presented by the executive with only minor changes. The judiciary is nominally independent but responds to executive direction especially in political cases. The military is professional and does not play a role in politics. There are currently six legal opposition parties. Tunisia is going for its Municipal Elections in May 2005. See also: * Foreign relations of Tunisia ==Governorates== ''Main article: Governorates of Tunisia'' Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates. ==Geography== ''Main article: Geography of Tunisia'' Tunisia is in north Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert and between Algeria and Libya. Much of the land is semi-arid and desert. There are mountains in the north. The climate is temperate in the north, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The desert is in the south. See also: * List of cities in Tunisia ==Economy== ''Main article: Economy of Tunisia'' Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.0% in the 1990s, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union (EU) entered into force on March 1 1998, the first such accord between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future. In 2008, Tunisia will be a completely associated member of the E.U. (comparable to the status of Norway or Iceland). ==Culture of Tunisia== ''Main article: Culture of Tunisia'' See also: * Tunisian Arabic * Music of Tunisia * Islam in Tunisia ==Miscellaneous Topics== * Demographics of Tunisia * Communications in Tunisia * Transportation of Tunisia * Military of Tunisia ==External links== ===Government=== *[http://www.ministeres.tn/ Tunisia Government] official site (French) *[http://www.chambre-dep.tn/ Tunisia Chamber of Deputies] official site (Arabic) ===News=== *[http://allafrica.com/tunisia/ AllAfrica.com - ''Tunisia''] news headline links *[http://www.tunisiaonline.com/news/ Tunisia Media Online] government-sourced *[http://www.north-africa.com/one.htm The North Africa Journal] business news ===Overviews=== *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791969.stm BBC News Country Profile - ''Tunisia''] *[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ts.html CIA World Factbook - ''Tunisia''] ===Directories=== *[http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317916/us559898/us559899/us10065673/us559961/ LookSmart - ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Tunisia/ Open Directory Project - ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Tunisia.html University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Tunisia/ Yahoo! - ''Tunisia''] directory category ===Tourism=== * ===Other=== *[http://www.tunisiaonline.com TunisiaOnline] *[http://tunisia.ianandwendy.com/ Pictures and photos of Tunisia, including a traveller's travelogue] Tunisia Arab League African Union member states fa:تونس ks:टुनिशिया la:Tunesia lv:Tunisija ms:Tunisia nds:Tunesien zh-min-nan:Tunisia
Selected on Template:March 20 selected anniversaries (may be in HTML comment) --------- The spelling was not the "Dutch" spelling, it was picked from the French wikipedia. The idea is not to have "English" spelling either, it should be how it is spelled in Tunesia. User:GerardM 05:36, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC) == The Anthem: Ala Khallidi == The Second Anthem Ala Khallidi was abondoned when the President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took power in 1987. This marvellous anthem was simply discarded because it contains praise to the old president Habib Bourguiba. It may be obvious that one country should have one single anthem but it should not be obvious to consider Ala Khallidi as simply non existant (as it is the case now in Tunisian media). I wonder if somebody could get the lyrics or even the music on a file and provide it to the Wikipedia, just to remember the childhood years when just before the 8 PM news edition we heard that anthem, while surrounded by our loved family. It is simply a piece of memory and certainly a cherished part of us. ---0:348, 12 DEC 2004 (UTC)--- R. B. Incertus.
African countries North Africa Maghreb Mediterranean Arab League
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Words begining with Tunisia:
Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia/Communications
Tunisia/Economy
Tunisia/Geography
Tunisia/Government
Tunisia/History
Tunisia/Military
Tunisia/People
Tunisia/Transnational_issues
Tunisia/Transportation
Tunisian
Tunisian_Arabic
Tunisian_athletes
Tunisian_Communist_Party
Tunisian_Communist_Workers_Party
Tunisian_crochet
Tunisian_cuisine
Tunisian_culture
Tunisian_Dinar
Tunisian_dinar
Tunisian_footballers
Tunisian_football_association
Tunisian_music
Tunisian_music
Tunisian_people
Tunisian_politicians
Tunisian_sport
Tunisian_sportspeople
Tunisian_Workers'_Communist_Party
Tunisian_writers
Tunisia_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics
Tunisia_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics
Tunisia_Campaign
Tunisia_Campaign
Tunisia_fa
Tunisia_maps
Tunisia_national_football_team
Tunisia
The Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), or Tunisia, is a Muslim Arab country situated on the North Africa Mediterranean Sea coast. It is the easternmost and smallest of the three nations along the Atlas mountains range, bordering one of the others, Algeria to the west, as well as Libya to the south and east. Forty per cent of the country is comprised by the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly Fertile soil land and easily accessible coasts. Both played a prominent role in Ancient history times, first with the founding of the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, Roman Empire, it became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. It is thought that the name Tunis originated from Berber languages, meaning either a geographical promontory, or, 'to spend the night.' {| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+الجمهورية التونسية
El-joumhouriyya et-Tounisiyya |- | style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan="2" | {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" | align="center" width="140px" | | align="center" width="140px" | |- | align="center" width="140px" | (Flag of Tunisia) | align="center" width="140px" | (Coat of arms of Tunisia) |} |- | align=center style="vertical-align: top;" colspan=2 | ''List of state mottos: n/a'' |- | align=center colspan=2 style="background: #ffffff;" | |- | Official language | Arabic language |- | Capital | Tunis |- | President of Tunisia | Zine El Abidine Ben Ali |- | Prime Minister of Tunisia | Mohamed Ghannouchi |- | Area
- Total | List of countries by area
163,610 square kilometre |- | Population
- Total (2003) | List of countries by population
9,924,742 |- | Currency | Tunisian Dinar |- | Time zone
- in Daylight saving time | Central European Time (Coordinated Universal Time+1)
Central European Summer Time (Coordinated Universal Time+2) |- | Independence
- Granted | (from France)
March 20 1956 |- | National anthem | ''Himat Al Hima'', ''Ala Khallidi'' |- | Top-level domain | .tn |- | List of country calling codes | 216 |} ==History== ''Main article: History of Tunisia'' At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th Century B.C. In the 6th Century B.C., Carthage rose to power, but it was conquered by Rome (2nd Century B.C.), and the region became one of the granaries of Rome. It was held by the Vandals (5th cent. A.D.) and Byzantines (6th Century). In the 7th Century it was conquered by Arab Islam, who founded Al Qayrawan. Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions. The reigns of the Aghlabids (9th Century) and of the Zirids (from 972), Berber followers of the Fatimids, were especially prosperous. When the Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050), the latter sent in the Banu Hilal to ravage Tunisia. The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th Century. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs of Morocco. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230–1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered for Islam by the Ottoman Empire. Under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957. In the late 16th Century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States). It was made a France protectorate on May 12, 1881. Tunisia became national independence in 1956, and has had two presidents since. ==Politics== ''Main article: Politics of Tunisia'' Tunisia is a republic with a strong presidential system dominated by a single political party. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been in office since 1987 when he deposed Habib Bourguiba, who had been President since Tunisia's independence from France in 1956. The ruling party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), was the sole legal party for 25 years--when it was known as the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD) - and still dominates political life . The President is elected to 5-year terms - with virtually no opposition - and appoints a Prime Minister and cabinet, who play a strong role in the execution of policy. Regional governors and local administrators also are appointed by the central government; largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected. There is a unicameral legislative body, the Chamber of Deputies, which has 182 seats, 20% of which are reserved for the opposition. It plays a growing role as an arena for debate on national policy but never originates legislation and virtually always passes bills presented by the executive with only minor changes. The judiciary is nominally independent but responds to executive direction especially in political cases. The military is professional and does not play a role in politics. There are currently six legal opposition parties. Tunisia is going for its Municipal Elections in May 2005. See also: * Foreign relations of Tunisia ==Governorates== ''Main article: Governorates of Tunisia'' Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates. ==Geography== ''Main article: Geography of Tunisia'' Tunisia is in north Africa, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sahara Desert and between Algeria and Libya. Much of the land is semi-arid and desert. There are mountains in the north. The climate is temperate in the north, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The desert is in the south. See also: * List of cities in Tunisia ==Economy== ''Main article: Economy of Tunisia'' Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth averaged 5.0% in the 1990s, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union (EU) entered into force on March 1 1998, the first such accord between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future. In 2008, Tunisia will be a completely associated member of the E.U. (comparable to the status of Norway or Iceland). ==Culture of Tunisia== ''Main article: Culture of Tunisia'' See also: * Tunisian Arabic * Music of Tunisia * Islam in Tunisia ==Miscellaneous Topics== * Demographics of Tunisia * Communications in Tunisia * Transportation of Tunisia * Military of Tunisia ==External links== ===Government=== *[http://www.ministeres.tn/ Tunisia Government] official site (French) *[http://www.chambre-dep.tn/ Tunisia Chamber of Deputies] official site (Arabic) ===News=== *[http://allafrica.com/tunisia/ AllAfrica.com - ''Tunisia''] news headline links *[http://www.tunisiaonline.com/news/ Tunisia Media Online] government-sourced *[http://www.north-africa.com/one.htm The North Africa Journal] business news ===Overviews=== *[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/791969.stm BBC News Country Profile - ''Tunisia''] *[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ts.html CIA World Factbook - ''Tunisia''] ===Directories=== *[http://search.looksmart.com/p/browse/us1/us317916/us559898/us559899/us10065673/us559961/ LookSmart - ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Tunisia/ Open Directory Project - ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Tunisia.html University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: ''Tunisia''] directory category *[http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/Tunisia/ Yahoo! - ''Tunisia''] directory category ===Tourism=== * ===Other=== *[http://www.tunisiaonline.com TunisiaOnline] *[http://tunisia.ianandwendy.com/ Pictures and photos of Tunisia, including a traveller's travelogue] Tunisia Arab League African Union member states fa:تونس ks:टुनिशिया la:Tunesia lv:Tunisija ms:Tunisia nds:Tunesien zh-min-nan:Tunisia
Tunisia
Selected on Template:March 20 selected anniversaries (may be in HTML comment) --------- The spelling was not the "Dutch" spelling, it was picked from the French wikipedia. The idea is not to have "English" spelling either, it should be how it is spelled in Tunesia. User:GerardM 05:36, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC) == The Anthem: Ala Khallidi == The Second Anthem Ala Khallidi was abondoned when the President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took power in 1987. This marvellous anthem was simply discarded because it contains praise to the old president Habib Bourguiba. It may be obvious that one country should have one single anthem but it should not be obvious to consider Ala Khallidi as simply non existant (as it is the case now in Tunisian media). I wonder if somebody could get the lyrics or even the music on a file and provide it to the Wikipedia, just to remember the childhood years when just before the 8 PM news edition we heard that anthem, while surrounded by our loved family. It is simply a piece of memory and certainly a cherished part of us. ---0:348, 12 DEC 2004 (UTC)--- R. B. Incertus.
Tunisia
African countries North Africa Maghreb Mediterranean Arab League
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
T
TA | TB | TC | TD | TE | TF | TG | TH | TI | TJ | TK | TL | TŁ | TM | TN | TO | TP | TR | TS | TU | TW | TX | TY | TZ |Words begining with Tunisia:
Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia/Communications
Tunisia/Economy
Tunisia/Geography
Tunisia/Government
Tunisia/History
Tunisia/Military
Tunisia/People
Tunisia/Transnational_issues
Tunisia/Transportation
Tunisian
Tunisian_Arabic
Tunisian_athletes
Tunisian_Communist_Party
Tunisian_Communist_Workers_Party
Tunisian_crochet
Tunisian_cuisine
Tunisian_culture
Tunisian_Dinar
Tunisian_dinar
Tunisian_footballers
Tunisian_football_association
Tunisian_music
Tunisian_music
Tunisian_people
Tunisian_politicians
Tunisian_sport
Tunisian_sportspeople
Tunisian_Workers'_Communist_Party
Tunisian_writers
Tunisia_at_the_1972_Summer_Olympics
Tunisia_at_the_2004_Summer_Olympics
Tunisia_Campaign
Tunisia_Campaign
Tunisia_fa
Tunisia_maps
Tunisia_national_football_team
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