Tunisia

Like much of the rest of the MENA region, Tunisia has a history characterised by foreign intervention. Once the home to the powerful ancient naval city of Carthage, the land now known as Tunisia experienced both Turkish Ottoman rule and later on French imperialism during the mid-20th century. As it occupies a position in the centre of North Africa, with close proximity to the Mediterranean’s pivotal shipping routes, Tunisia was often seen as a strategic asset in the region. 

Over 70 years as a French protectorate ended in 1956 when Habib Bourguiba had launched his pro-independence campaign. Bourguiba was the first president and remained in power for three decades. He was replaced by Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in a bloodless coup. Ben Ali managed to dismiss Bourguiba on the grounds that he was unable to lead the country due to senility. Bourguiba had enforced strict secular values, and women enjoyed more rights than in most other Arab states. Both leaders followed an anti-Islamic rhetoric, leading in both cases to authoritarian rule.

The Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia in early 2011 inspired people around the Middle East and North Africa to stand up against their regimes, resulting in the Arab Spring that saw the ousting of Egypt’s President Mubarak, Qadhafi in Libya and Ben Ali in Tunisia.

A popular tourist destination, Tunisia is one of the most prosperous nations in North Africa. It maintains strong ties to Europe and was the first Mediterranean country to sign an Association Agreement with the EU in 1995. The country is currently governed by an interim government with elections to be held in October 2011.