Tunisia_KA_AD

Tunisia

__**a look at the nation**__
 * __Demographics:__ **

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 * About 23 percent of the population is younger than age 15.
 * 83% (male); 66% (female) literacy rate
 * Islam is the official religion, and 98 percent of Tunisians are Muslim.
 * One percent of the population is Christian and a smaller number is Jewish.


 * __Geography:__ **

Tunisia covers 63,170 square miles (163,610 square kilometers) and is twice as big as Austria, or slightly larger than the U.S. state of Georgia.

Hundreds of miles of sandy beaches line Tunisia's Mediterranean coastline. The Atlas Mountains divide the more fertile north and east from the arid south.

Tunisia's central region rises to a plateau and then gives way to the semidesert terrain of the Sahel. Further south, dry salt lakes and scattered oases border the Sahara Desert.


 * __Economic resources__ **
 * agriculture is especially important in the interior and along the Sahel coast; olives and dates are exported. Eighty percent of all exports go to Europe

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 * GDP: 60.51 billion (USA: 42.23 billion)
 * unemployment rate: 18.57%
 * work force: 3.769 million people


 * __Political structure:__ **


 * Republic
 * the government is officially apportioned to the control of the people and thus a "public matter" and where offices of state are subsequently directly or indirectly elected or appointed.

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 * anyone over 18. members of the military cannot vote.
 * elections are held every 5 years.

**__Tunisia Timeline __**


 * = ** December 17: **

-The protests began in Sidi Bouzid that same day. ||= ** January 18: **

-Unhappy with the lineup of the new government, Tunisians take to the streets in protest.

- A new government is announced, but includes several Ben Ali loyalists in key posts. ||= ** January 20: **

-All ministers in the interim government quit Ben Ali's RCD party but remain in their cabinet posts. The central committee of RCD is dissolved, as many of the ministers were also committee members. ||= ** January 21: **

The first of a three-day period of national mourning sees protesters gather peacefully throughout the day in Tunis. ||= ** January 27: **

Tunisia's foreign minister, Kamel Morjane, announces his resignation. ||

**__Legitimacy test __** ** __Snapshot of current uprising__: **
 * = **purposes**
 * of government** ||= **does** **it** **fulfill** **the**
 * purpose** ||= **evidence** ||
 * = individual rights ||= yes ||= attend carefully to the limitations of Islamist organisations in the areas of individual rights, religious pluralism, and democratic practice because it emphasised the importance of the secular nature of the state. ||
 * = maintain order ||= no ||= Many people have been commiting suicide and many people have been shot and killed. There are lots of protests as well. ||
 * = provide national defense ||= yes ||= The military has historically played a professional, apolitical role in defending the country from external threats. Since January 2011 and at the direction of the executive branch, the military has taken on increasing responsibility for domestic security and humanitarian crisis response. ||
 * = provide public services ||= yes ||= There are many health care providers for the citizens. ||
 * = economic decisions ||= no ||= The government’s spending has increased and they are not meeting the standards of the country. ||

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 * ** Who revolted? **
 * Protesters were young, jobless or bad paid, lower class, people that want new government
 * ** Why did they revolt? **
 * People were were upset because unemployment, food inflation (prices went up), Lack of freedom(mostly speech of speech)
 * ** how did they organize? **
 * Not planned, people find out about the protest from the internet, social networking sites.
 * ** How did the people overthrow the government? **
 * Protests (online and in person)
 * ** How did the government respond? **
 * They made a new government but the people were not happy so the foreign ministers resigned.
 * ** How was the government the same or different following the revolution? **
 * Ben Ali (Tunisia’s then president) was exiled in January 2011. A new government came into power and a new constitution is formed.

** Works Cited ** Al Jazeera English. "Timeline: Tunisia's Uprising - Tunisia - Al Jazeera English." Al Jazeera English. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. .

"Background Note: Tunisia." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. 

ProQuest. "Subscriber Area Only." CultureGrams Online Database:. 2012 ProQuest LLC and Brigham Young University., 2004. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. 

Tunisia Live. "Tunisiaâs Complementary Budget for 2012: Future of the Fiscal Deficit in Question." Tunisiaâs Complementary Budget for 2012: Future of the Fiscal Deficit in Question : Tunisia Live. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. .