Tunisia (Tunisian Republic)

Tunisia Tunisian Republic
Status	Independent State
Capital	Tunis
Land Area	155 360km21
Location	Africa, Mediterranean
Population	10.7m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	74.98yrs (2017)3
GNI	$10 249 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	TN, TUN, 7885
Internet Domain	.tn6
Currency	Dinar (TND)7
Telephone	+2168

1. Overview
2. Tunisia National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Peace Versus Instability
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. Children's Health
10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
11. Links

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1. Overview

“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. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012, and released a second working draft in December 2012. The interim government has proposed presidential and parliamentary elections be held in 2013.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“From the sands of the Sahara to golden-hued beaches, tangled Tunis alleys to scattered Roman ruins, Tunisia is a country that intrigues and charms at every turn. It´s but a slim wedge of North Africa´s vast expanse, but Tunisia has enough history, cultural diversity and extremes of landscape to fill a country many times its size. With a sand-fringed, jasmine-scented coast, it´s a destination usually equated with Mediterranean sun holidays. But get beyond the beaches and you´ll find stunning Roman sites, forested hinterland, Saharan dunes and mountain oases, all of which can be experienced in a few days.

The country´s tourist sector has struggled mightily since the historic Jasmine Revolution of 2011. Isolated incidents of instability grab international headlines, but it´s essentially business as usual. Tunis, the capital, continues to offer an enthralling mix of tradition and modernity, Islamic serenity and seaside hedonism. Surprisingly, while much of the tourist industry founders, there´s a number of new guesthouses and small hotels popping up throughout the country. Now, more than ever, Tunisians will welcome you with open arms.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Tunisia National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
95	Colombia	95
96	Dominica	96
97	Suriname	97
98	Tunisia	97
99	Dominican Rep.	99
100	St Vincent & Grenadines	99
101	Tonga	101
102	Libya	102
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
	...
106	Suriname	52.8
107	Turkmenistan	52.7
108	St Lucia	52.7
109	Tunisia	52.2
110	Belize	52.0
111	Cape Verde	51.7
112	St Vincent & Grenadines	51.7
113	India	51.7
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #population #Tunisia

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
110	N. Korea	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
114	Azerbaijan	18.7
115	Colombia	18.8
116	Antigua & Barbuda	19.0
117	St Vincent & Grenadines	19.7
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
90	Slovenia	6.5%
91	Kiribati	6.5%
92	Bhutan	6.3%
93	Tunisia	6.3%
94	Finland	6.2%
95	Singapore	6.1%
96	Guatemala	6.1%
97	Brunei	6.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
9	Myanmar (Burma)	1.95
10	Indonesia	2.07
11	Sweden	1.93
12	Tunisia	1.93
13	St Lucia	1.93
14	USA	2.08
15	Ireland	2.10
16	Iceland	2.10
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
171	Angola	0.3%
172	Haiti	0.3%
173	Vanuatu	0.3%
174	Tunisia	0.3%
175	Honduras	0.3%
176	Eritrea	0.3%
177	Afghanistan	0.3%
178	Lesotho	0.3%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
70	Sri Lanka	75.05
71	Algeria	75.03
72	Georgia	75.02
73	Tunisia	74.98
74	Malaysia	74.90
75	Armenia	74.89
76	Romania	74.84
77	Peru	74.81
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
74	Rwanda	11.3m
75	Cuba	11.2m
76	Belgium	10.8m
77	Tunisia	10.7m
78	Portugal	10.7m
79	S. Sudan	10.7m
80	Czechia	10.6m
81	Guinea	10.5m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Tunisia's population is predicted to rise to 12.21 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.93. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #politics #tolerance #tunisia

Tunisia is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Tunisia does better than average for eliminating modern slavery₁₈ (one of the lowest in Africa), commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₁₉ (amongst the highest in Africa), opposing gender inequality₂₀ (amongst the best in Africa), its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁, its Global Peace Index rating₂₂ and in fighting corruption₂₃. Since finally removing the authoritarian Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia has made some progress in supporting women's rights and improving detainee procedures₂₄. From 2016, the Truth and Dignity Commission began hearing and airing complaints against human rights abuses₂₄, helping to foster new era of dignity and responsibility towards fellow humans, although it has so far avoided the most serious kinds of complaints (for example, torture and high-level corruption). The 2014 constitution upholds many "key civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights"₂₄. Tunisia does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₅, the year from which women could participate in democracy₂₆ and in supporting press freedom₂₇. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 in fighting anti-semitic opinions₂₈ (one of the highest in Africa) and in LGBT equality₂₉. Some recent changes are worrying; granting amnesty for state officials previously accused of corruption₂₄ can only ever cause further corruption in the future, leading to degradation of national life. The needless discriminatory law that criminalizes sodomy continues to result in prison spaces being filled by people who have done nothing other than conduct private and consensual sexual relations₂₄.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Tunisia

5. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism #Tunisia

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
4	Egypt	4
5	Nigeria	5
6	Uruguay	6
7	Indonesia	7
8	Brunei	8
9	Moldova	9
10	Morocco	10
11	Oman	11
12	Tanzania	12
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
104	Armenia	104
105	Suriname	105
106	Namibia	106
107	Tunisia	107
108	Cape Verde	108
109	China	109
110	Kazakhstan	110
111	Jordan	111
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Global Peace Index (2012)22
Pos.		Lower is better22
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
69	Guyana	1.94
70	Cuba	1.95
71	Ukraine	1.95
72	Tunisia	1.96
73	Cyprus	1.96
74	Gambia	1.96
75	Gabon	1.97
76	Paraguay	1.97
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₂₂. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₂₂ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₂₂.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)31
Pos.		Lower is better Score31
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
97	Canada	3.59
98	Belgium	3.64
99	Angola	3.78
100	Tunisia	3.94
101	Tajikistan	3.95
102	Uganda	3.96
103	Mexico	4.08
104	Venezuela	4.10
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

6. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #tunisia

Religiosity (2009)32
Pos.		Lower is better %32
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
77	Paraguay	92
78	Saudi Arabia	93
79	Sudan	93
80	Tunisia	93
81	Uganda	93
82	Palestine	93
83	Nepal	93
84	Bahrain	94
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)33
Pos.		Higher is better %33
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
95	Thailand	0
96	Togo	0
97	Benin	0
98	Tunisia	0
99	Uganda	0
100	Bangladesh	0
101	UAE	0
102	Azerbaijan	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₄:

Christian	0.2%
Muslim	99%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.2%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim (Islam - official) 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%₃₅.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Tunisia: 5. Freedom of Belief and Religion

7. The Internet

#internet #politics #the_internet #Tunisia

Freedom On The Internet (2012)36
Pos.		Lower is better36
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
23	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25	Turkey	46
26	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
30	Russia	52
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)37
Pos.		Higher is better37
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
98	Uzbekistan	51%
99	Armenia	50%
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103	Paraguay	47%
104	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)38
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio38
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
115	Kazakhstan	0.0
116	New Caledonia	0.0
117	Maldives	0.0
118	Tunisia	0.0
119	Tuvalu	0.0
120	Marshall Islands	0.0
121	Georgia	0.0
122	Swaziland	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #genetics #health #obesity #public_health #smoking #sociology #Tunisia #UK

Tunisia does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Tunisia does better than average when it comes to its adolescent birth rate₂₀ (amongst the lowest in Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₉ and in its immunizations take-up₄₀. Tunisia does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₀ (still low for Africa), the prevalence of overweight adults₄₁ (one of the worst in Africa) and in its smoking rate₄₂ (the worst in Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)39
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita39
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
37	Chad	1.6
38	Tuvalu	1.7
39	Madagascar	1.9
40	Tunisia	1.9
41	Bahrain	1.9
42	Qatar	2.0
43	Nepal	2.0
44	Singapore	2.0
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₄₃ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₄₄ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₄₅ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₄₆. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₄₇. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
89	Azerbaijan	89
90	Uganda	90
91	Chile	91
92	Tunisia	92
93	Bahrain	93
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)41
Pos.		Lower is better %41
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
146	Spain	61.6
147	Hungary	61.6
148	Costa Rica	61.6
149	Tunisia	61.6
150	Iran	61.6
151	Bulgaria	61.7
152	Algeria	62.0
153	Greece	62.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₄₈. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₄₉. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₄₉ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₅₀ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₅₁. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₅₂. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₅₃.

Smoking Rates (2014)42
Pos.		Lower is better42
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
154	Turkey	1 581
155	Slovakia	1 618
156	Romania	1 620
157	Tunisia	1 628
158	Switzerland	1 634
159	Serbia	1 644
160	Cyprus	1 688
161	Croatia	1 709
	World Avg	819
q=182.

9. Children's Health

#health #parenting #population #Tunisia #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)20
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100020
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
17	Finland	6.5
18	Germany	6.7
19	Maldives	6.7
20	Tunisia	6.8
21	Austria	7.1
22	China	7.3
23	Greece	7.5
24	Oman	8.1
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)40
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %40
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
50	Malaysia	96.0
51	Croatia	95.9
52	Nicaragua	95.9
53	Tunisia	95.7
54	Japan	95.7
55	Portugal	95.7
56	Qatar	95.6
57	Armenia	95.6
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries