Tunisia

Tunisia is a country in North Africa, the smallest of the Maghreb region. It is bordered by Libya to the southeast and Algeria to the west and south. The north and east of the country is bordered by a long Mediterranean coastline. The majority of the population live in the relatively humid and mountainous northern region, which is also home to the capital, Tunis.

Tunisia has a long history of invasion by foreign powers, who prized its ease of access to the Mediterranean. The most recent was France, from which Tunisia gained independance in 1956. Post-independance politics was dominated by Habib Bourguiba, the first President of Tunisia, who ruled until 1987 when succeeded by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Ongoing concerns about poor social conditions and a lack of political freedom in Tunisia led to widespread demonstrations against the government which in turn led to the dissolution of parliament and resignation of President Ben Ali in January 2011. The protest movement was the first of what would become known as the Arab Spring.