TUNISIA

Modern Standard Arabic is Tunisia’s official language [i], while Tunisian Arabic is the colloquial dialect. It is a dialect of Maghrebi Arabic that resembles Moroccan Darija but may still be incomprehensible to other MENA Arabic speakers. Modern Standard Arabic is taught in schools and Tunisian Arabic is spoken at home. French is also widely spoken due to French colonization and the introduction of French into media, education, and government. In 2017, various Amazigh (Tunisian tribal people) leaders met at a symposium to work towards institutionalizing the Amazigh languages [ii], which include various dialects such as Tamazight and Djerba.

Due to the 7th century Arab conquests and an influential history of French colonialism, Tunisian culture cannot be strictly defined [iii]. After 50 years of secular rule by both post-French colonization presidents, citizen-led backlash caused conservative social customs, historically associated with Islam, to make a reappearance. For example, cafes became social settings exclusively for men and women started to wear veils. Tunisia has an Amazigh tribal history and is home to the major archaeological site of Carthage. An important part of Tunisian daily life is spending time with family [iv] and sharing meals, such as couscous, a popular meal in the Maghreb region.

Tunisia is a Muslim-majority [v] country with 98% of the population practicing Islam. The remaining 2% of Tunisians adhere to other Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism and Christianity. There is also a small Baha’i minority of roughly 1,000 practitioners. According to the 2014 constitution [vi], Islam is the country’s official religion and all Tunisian presidents must be Muslim. Mosques and the salaries of Imams are also government-funded, and Islamic holidays are government holidays. At the same time, the government and constitution also promote freedom of belief and expression [vii], which is in line with Tunisia’s history of acceptance of secularism and religious tolerance.

In 2011, Mohammed Bouazizi, an unemployed Tunisian street vendor, lit himself on fire outside a government building to protest Tunisia’s lack of economic opportunity and rampant authoritarianism. His suicide sparked the Jasmine Revolution [viii], commonly known as the Arab Spring, wherein civilians protested political repression across the region. President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was replaced that same year by a coalition government, primarily led by the Islamist party, Ennahda. Ever since, Ennahda and the secular party, Nidaa Tunis, have struggled to reach consensus, especially regarding the new constitution [ix]. Nevertheless, Tunisia is often regarded as the only functional Arab democracy with legitimate elections.

Tunisia uses the Tunisian Dinar. It began implementation of the Dinar in 1956 after the end of French colonization; before 1956, Tunisia used the French Franc. One Tunisian Dinar is 0.35 United States Dollars. Tunisia’s economy has been in flux since the 2011 Arab Spring and transition to a democratic political system [x]. Divisions between political parties and the neighboring strife in Libya have severely slowed economic reform. Tunisia’s 2019 unemployment rate of 15.51% predominantly affects women and youth in inland areas. Similar to many countries in the region, a higher education level correlates with a higher chance of unemployment.

Tunisia’s roots are with its tribes, the Amazigh people [xi]. When Arab conquerors invaded Tunisia in the 7th century, they converted the Amazigh people to Islam. The Amazigh were then ruled by a succession of Islamic dynasties until French colonists in 1881. Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, but was then ruled by two presidential dictators: Habib Bourguiba (1957–1987) and then Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali (1987–2011). Both presidents violently enforced progressive social policies. In 2011, the Arab Spring began in Tunisia and protestors ousted President Ben Ali. The democratic transition in Tunisia was led by Ennahda, an Islamist party.

Nestled between Algeria to the west and Libya to the east, Tunisia has a relatively small landmass, taking up only 163,610 square kilometers [xii] (63,170 square miles). With the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the country boasts a temperate climate around the coast with mild winters. Summers, however, run hot and dry, especially closer to the Sahara Desert, which covers much of the south. The Atlas Mountains sprawl through the north and stretch west all the way through Algeria and Morocco while the central, low-lying plains are home to lush vegetation and the eastern, coastal Sahel region is highly arable.