| Republic of Tunisia الجمهورية التونسية | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
 | |
| Official languages | Arabic |
| Dominant mode of production | Capitalism |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
• President | Kais Saeid |
• Prime Minister | Najla Bouden |
| Area | |
• Total | 163,610 km² |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 11,708,370 |
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in North Africa.
History
After Tunisia achieved independence from French colonial rule in 1956, Habib Bourguiba of the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RDC) took power as a dictator. He ruled until 1981, when Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali pushed him out of power. Ben Ali brutally repressed political opposition, including communists, Islamists, and liberals. Under the RDC's rule, police outnumbered the army three to one and non-party members could not secure animal feed, borrow from banks, or be promoted at their jobs. The European Union and IMF supported Ben Ali's dictatorship.
Protests against Ben Ali's regime begin in December 2010 after Mohamed Bouazizi publicly set himself on fire to protest unemployment. The dictator and his family fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 January and brought over $40 million of gold with them. On 17 January, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi announced the formation of a National Unity Government similar to the former government.[1]
References
- ↑ Harpal Brar (2010-12-01). "Intifada in Tunisia and the fall of Ben Ali" Proletarian. Archived from the original on 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-12-18.