Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
TUNISIA THE COUNTRY
Fancy a little history and geography lesson …. read on, if not skip and move onto the next blog entry.(Source:www.worldmapmaker.com)
The Flag (adopted between 1831 and 1835 and is one of the World's oldest flags - current version 3 July 1999)
Flag: Red base with a white outline of a circle in the centre.Inside the circle there is a red five pointed start which is based on a white circle and a red crescent.
Meaning: Red is a traditional colour of Islam and was the colour adopted by the Ottoman Empire who ruled Tunisia from the late 16th century until 1881.It also came to represent the resistance against Turkish supremacy.The crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam and are also considered to be lucky symbols.The white circle represents the sun.
Background: Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. BEN ALI is currently serving his fourth consecutive five-year term as president; the next elections are scheduled for October 2009. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.
Area: total: total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km - slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries:total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Population: 10,5 million (July 2009 est.)
Nationality: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce
Government type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday Independence Day, 20 March (1956); also the anniversary of BEN ALI's assumption of the presidency, 7 November (1987
Currency: Tunisian dinars (TND)
Foreign Exchange Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.3016 (2009 est)
- comments