Tunisia

Where is Tunisia?

Located in Northern Africa, Tunisia has a 1,495.00 km border with Algeria (1,034 km) and Libya (461 km). It has a 1,148.00 km coastline.

The capital of Tunisia is Tunis, which is located in the northeastern region of the country. It is built among the hills that surround the Lake of Tunis. This city is home to the most important port in the country, known as La Goulette. This port is connected to the Mediterranean Sea by a canal. Tunis has held an important position as an administrative and political center since at least 1159 AD.The population of Tunis is 1,056,247 individuals, living in the city proper. The entire metropolitan area, however, has a population size of 2,643,695. Population growth here has been dramatic and the government has been dedicated to slowing it down.Tunisia is a relatively popular place to visit within Tunisia, although beach resorts located outside of the city tend to be more popular. Tunis is located within a Mediterranean climatic zone, which means it experiences mild winters and hot, dry summers.

Tunisia is an African country covering 163,610.00 km² of which 5.04% is water and 155,360.00 km² is land. This makes it the 91st largest country in the world and slightly larger than Georgia. Its geographic coordinates are 34 00 N, 9 00 E and Tunis is the capital city.

The country's name comes from the capital city of Tunis.

Its ISO code is TN.

Geography

Tunisia has a mean elevation of 246 m above sea level.

It has a temperate climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters; this is exaggerated in the interior of the country. The terrain consists mostly of mountains in the north, with semiarid regions in the south.

Population

Tunisia has a population of 11,134,588 making it the 79th largest in the world. The majority of the population lives in the northern part of the country.

Arabic, French, and Berber are all widely spoken. The most reported ethnic group in the country is Arab. The majority of the population is Sunni Muslim.

The official language of Tunisia is Standard Arabic, which belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family. Although this language is spoken and understood by over 80% of the population, Tunisian Arabic is more popular. This dialect holds nationally recognized status and is most commonly used on a daily basis by the inhabitants of this country. Linguists believe that nearly the entire population understands and uses Tunisian Arabic. Another major language spoken in Tunisia is French, a remnant of the colonial era. French was once more widely spoken, primarily because it was the language of formal education. Today, it is being phased out by government regulation aimed at replacing French with Arabic in the public school sector. Tourists planning a trip to Tunisia should learn a few basic phrases in Tunisian Arabic to help with getting around the country. In addition to these languages, Tunisia is also home to a number of minority languages. Most of these belong to the Berber language family, which is itself a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic language family.

The dialing code for the country is 216.

Government

Tunisia is an independent country. It gained independence from France in 1956. Its constitution was last ratified in 2014.

The political system of Tunisia is classified as a democratic republic, which means the citizens of the country elect representatives to carry out governmental responsibilities. This classification has happened recently, as the result of a political revolution that took place between December of 2010 and January of 2011. Under this system, the President of Tunisia acts as the Head of State. The citizens elect the President to serve a 5-year term with a limit of 2 times in office. The President appoints the Prime Minister, who leads the legislative branch as the Head of Government. This legislative branch is made up of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, a unicameral body with 217 members. These members are also elected to serve a 5-year term. The number of representatives from each constituency is based on its population size. These representatives meet in Le Bardo, just outside of the capital of Tunisia. Likewise, the presidential residence is also located outside of the capital in the city of Carthage. This residence is known as the Carthage Palace.

Economy

Factoring in Purchasing Power Parity, Tunisia's GDP is $131,000,000,000.00 (USD) with $11,700.00 (USD) per capita. This makes it the 80th largest economy and its citizens the 127th richest in the world. The currency of Tunisia is the Dinar (TND).

Its major export partners are France, Italy, and Germany. Its main exports are clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, and agricultural products. Its major import partners are France, Italy, and China. Its major imports include textiles, machinery, hydrocarbons, and chemicals.

Flag

The flag of Tunisia is characterized by its bright red background. It has a red crescent moon and a red 5-pointed star within a white circle located at the center of the flag. This flag was legally made the official flag of the country by the Constitution of 1999, although the design has been in use since sometime around 1831. Several interpretations of the symbolism of the flag have been given, but in general, the red color is believed to represent the blood lost during the Turkish invasion and the red color is said to represent peace. The crescent moon and star shapes are often associated with the Islamic religion. Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud designed the current flag of Tunisia while leader of the Husainid Dynasty toward the middle of the 19th century.