Tunisia Government

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. Under this system, the President of Tunisia acts as the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is charged with acting as Head of Government. Legislative actions are taken by the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, a unicameral body with 217 members. It was first established in October of 2014. The judicial branch acts independently, although the President is involved as the leader of the Judicial Council.

The citizens of Tunisia elect their President to serve a 5-year term. In order to win, the candidate must receives more than 50% of the vote. If that doesn’t happen in the first round of voting, the two most voted for candidates go on to a second round of voting. The President is limited to 2 terms in office. Representatives of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People are also elected to serve a 5-year term. The number of representatives from each constituency is based on its population size.

The Assembly of the Representatives of the People convene at the Parliament Building, which is within the Bardo Palace. Most of this palace is dedicated as a museum, home to important art and history exhibits. It is located in the city of Le Bardo, outside of Tunis, the capital of the country. The presidential palace, known as the Carthage Palace, is located in Carthage, just outside of Tunis.

In recent years, a number of new political parties have developed in Tunisia. This increase is largely due to the political revolution that took place at the end of 2010. The President of Tunisia belongs to the Nidaa Tounes political party, which also holds 67 seats in the legislative body. Other political parties represented in the Assembly of the Representatives of the People include: Ennahda (69 seats), Machrouu Tounes (25 seats), Popular Front (15 seats), Free Patriotic Union (25 seats), and Afek Tounes (10 seats).

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Tunis
Languages	Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Berber (Tamazight)
Ethnic Groups	Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religion	Muslim (official; Sunni) 99.1%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) 1%
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	20 March 1956 (from France)
Area	163,610.00 km²
Water Area	8,250.00 km²
Land Area	155,360.00 km²
Population	11,134,588.00 The overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Algeria 1,034 km, Libya 461 km
GDP(PPP)	$131,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$11,700.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are France, Italy, and Germany.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, and agricultural products.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are France, Italy, and China.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include textiles, machinery, hydrocarbons, and chemicals.
Climate	Temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Terrain	Mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Learn More	Tunisia

Tunisia Government

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