Tunisia
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Country
names & abbreviations |
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Country name
short: Tunisia
Country name long: Tunisian Republic
Local name short: Tunis
Local name long: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
Former name:
Abbrevation:
Olympia: TUN
ISO_numerisch: 788
3er Codierung: TUN
2er Codierung: TN
CIA-Kuerzel: TS
Internet id: .tn
Vorwahl: +216
Nationality plate: TN
Dependency Status: independant
Dependant Areas:
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)
Nationality noun: Tunisian(s)
Nationality adjective: Tunisian
Capital: Tunis
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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 fifth consecutive five-year term as president. 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.
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Flag |
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red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam |
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International
disputes |
none
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