However, the Turks brought with them the teaching of the Hanafi School during the Ottoman rule, which still survives among the Turkish descended families today, and their mosques traditionally have octagonal minarets. During the reign of the Hafsid dynasty, fruitful commercial relationships were established with several Christian Mediterranean states. Before the recent democratic transition, although freedom of the press was formally guaranteed by the constitution, almost all newspapers have in practice followed the government line report. [152] Italian is understood and spoken by a small part of the Tunisian population. Growth is set to recover slowly to 2.8% in 2021 and 3.3% in 2022. Tunisia's economic growth historically has depended on oil, phosphates, agri-food products, car parts manufacturing, and tourism. The percentage of Tunisians identifying themselves as non-religious increased from around 12% in 2013 to around 33% in 2018, which makes Tunisia the least religious country in the Arab world according to the Aran Barometer Survey. [77] In 2008, in terms of Press freedom, Tunisia was ranked 143rd out of 173.[78]. [186] Nearly a third of the books are published for children.[187]. [197] In the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won a bronze medal in the 1500 meter freestyle and a gold medal in the Men's marathon swim at a distance of 10 kilometers. In the Khroumerie, the northwestern corner of the Tunisian Tell, elevations reach 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) and snow occurs in winter. The country maintains 19,232 kilometres (11,950 mi) of roads,[121] with three highways: the A1 from Tunis to Sfax (works ongoing for Sfax-Libya), A3 Tunis-Beja (works ongoing Beja – Boussalem, studies ongoing Boussalem – Algeria) and A4 Tunis – Bizerte. It contains the eastern end of the Atlas Mountains and the northern reaches of the Sahara desert, with much of its remaining territory arable land. [180], A new exposition opened in an old monarchal palace in Bardo dubbed the "awakening of a nation". [20] Tunisia remains a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic; and is the only North African country classified as "Free" by Freedom House,[21] and considered the only fully democratic state in the Arab World in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index. The IMF supports the authorities’ efforts to increase social protection and, more precisely, to lower the impact on the most vulnerable. In the 2008 Summer Olympics, Tunisian Oussama Mellouli won a gold medal in 1500 meter freestyle. The stock market capitalisation of listed companies in Tunisia was valued at $5.3 Billion in 2007, 15% of 2007 GDP, by the World Bank.[25]. ", "Caught in the Net: Tunisia's First Lady", "Ajaccio – Un trafic de yachts entre la France et la Tunisie en procès", "Le parcours fulgurant de Sakhr El-Materi, gendre du président tunisien Ben Ali", "Droits de l'Homme : après le harcèlement, l'asphyxie", "Dans le monde de l'après-11 septembre, seule la paix protège les libertés", "How Tunisia's revolution began – Features", "Wikileaks might have triggered Tunis' revolution", "Tunisia riots: Reform or be overthrown, US tells Arab states amid fresh riots", "Trade unions: the revolutionary social network at play in Egypt and Tunisia", "When fleeing Tunisia, don't forget the gold", Middle East Research and Information Project, "Former dissident sworn in as Tunisia's president", "Tunisia's constitution will not be based on Sharia: Islamist party", "Tunisian opposition leader Chokri Belaid shot dead outside his home", "Tunisia launches Truth and Dignity Commission", "The real reason Tunisia renewed its state of emergency", "Tunisia election: Kais Saied to become president", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "Tunisia holds first election under new constitution", "TUNISIA. The IOC has since announced that it is considering postponing the Olympics, but it will not cancel. [160][161], Tunisia's sizable Christian community of around over 35,000 adherents,[162][163] are mainly Catholics (22,000), and to a lesser degree Protestants. [88] On 12 December 2011, former dissident and veteran human rights activist Moncef Marzouki was elected president. [91], In 2014, President Moncef Marzouki established Tunisia's Truth and Dignity Commission, as a key part of creating a national reconciliation. The battle opened with initial success by the German and Italian forces, but the massive supply and numerical superiority of the Allies led to the Axis surrender on 13 May 1943. The government offers substantial tax incentives to encourage companies to join the exchange, and expansion is occurring. From early antiquity, Tunisia was inhabited by the indigenous Berbers. [121], According to the 1956 Tunisian census, Tunisia had a population at the time of 3,783,000 residents, 95% consisting of Berbers and Arabs, 256 000 Europeans and 105 000 Jews. Five airlines are headquartered in Tunisia: Tunisair, Syphax airlines, Karthago Airlines, Nouvelair, and Tunisair Express. Tunisia, country of North Africa situated between Algeria and Libya along the Mediterranean Sea. [167][168] One-third of the Jewish population lives in and around the capital. Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi renewed the state of emergency in October for three more months. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957. Thus, the persecution, and murder of the Jews from 1940 to 1943 was part of the Shoah in France. The railway network is operated by SNCFT and amounts to 2,135 kilometres (1,327 mi) in total. He was consistently re-elected with enormous majorities every five years (well over 80 percent of the vote), the last being 25 October 2009,[68] until he fled the country amid popular unrest in January 2011. Also, some Tunisian Christians emigrated; some richer members of society did so after the conquest in 698 and others were welcomed by Norman rulers to Sicily or Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries – the logical destination because of the 1200 year close connection between the two regions. This has changed since, as the media censorship by the authorities have been largely abolished, and self-censorship has significantly decreased. The city is located at the crossroads of a narrow strip of land between Lake Tunis and Séjoumi. [98] The south of the country is desert. The greatest threat to Almohad rule in Tunisia was the Banu Ghaniya, relatives of the Almoravids, who from their base in Mallorca tried to restore Almoravid rule over the Maghreb. Pakistan continues to face multiple sources of internal and external conflict. The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis; a central urban hub and the capital of modern-day Tunisia. Miscellanea offerta in onore di Luigi Serra, a cura di A.M. Di Tolla", TUNISIA 2018 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT, "The Last Christians of North-West Africa: Some Lessons For Orthodox Today", International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Tunisia, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, "Believers in Christ from a Muslim Background: A Global Census", "Pilgrims flock to Tunisia's Djerba Jewish festival | Lamine Ghanmi", "National adult literacy rates (15+), youth literacy rates (15–24) and elderly literacy rates (65+)", "The Global Competitiveness Report 2008–2009", "The Tunisia K-12 Education System- Basic and Secondary Education", "Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | Data", "Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births) | Data", "A Tunis, une exposition réveille l'histoire précoloniale du pays", "La littérature tunisienne de langue française (Mémoire vive)". " The main clubs are Espérance Sportive de Tunis, Étoile Sportive du Sahel, Club Africain, Club Sportif Sfaxien, Union Sportive Monastirienne, and ES Metlaoui. The Ennahda Movement, formerly banned under the Ben Ali regime, came out of the election as the largest party, with 89 seats out of a total of 217. During the Roman period, the area of what is now Tunisia enjoyed a huge development. The main field is El Bourma. The bad news? The Tunisian Air Force has 154 aircraft and 4 UAVs. In 2014 Tunisian American creative nonfiction scribe and translator Med-Ali Mekki who wrote many books, not for publication but just for his own private reading translated the new Constitution of the Tunisian Republic from Arabic to English for the first time in Tunisian bibliographical history, the book was published worldwide the following year and it was the Internet's most viewed and downloaded Tunisian book. [153] In 1910 there were 105,000 Italians in Tunisia.[59]. [74], Independent human rights groups, such as Amnesty International, Freedom House, and Protection International, documented that basic human and political rights were not respected. Since 1993, ONAS has had the status of a main operator for In another development, Youssef Rekik reused the technique of painting on glass and founded Nja Mahdaoui calligraphy with its mystical dimension. North of the Dorsal is the Tell, a region characterized by low, rolling hills and plains, again an extension of mountains to the west in Algeria. "The Nobel Peace Prize 2015". Contrary to the pessimism of Albert Memmi, who predicted that Tunisian literature was sentenced to die young,[184] a high number of Tunisian writers are abroad including Abdelwahab Meddeb, Bakri Tahar, Mustapha Tlili, Hele Beji, or Mellah Fawzi. [188][189], In 2007, some 245 newspapers and magazines (compared to only 91 in 1987) are 90% owned by private groups and independents. [195], In boxing, Victor Perez ("Young") was world champion in the flyweight weight class in 1931 and 1932.[196]. As of 2008[update], Tunisia had an army of 27,000 personnel equipped with 84 main battle tanks and 48 light tanks. 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