Tunisia - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Tunisia, it was the country name derives from the capital city of Tunis. The Government system in this country is the parliamentary republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 24 governorates (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), L'Ariana (Aryanah), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)
National symbols
Encircled red crescent moon and five-pointed star; national colors: red, white.
The flag
The National flag of Tunisia has red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam.
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note: the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire
The National Anthem
| Title | "Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB |
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note: adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates
More about the government of Tunisia
| Date of Independence | 20 March 1956 (from France) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011) |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code and Islamic (sharia) law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | several previous; latest - draft published by the president 30 June 2022, approved by referendum 25 July 2022, and adopted 27 July 2022 |
| Amendments | Proposed by the president of the republic or by one third of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People membership; following review by the Constitutional Court, approval to proceed requires an absolute majority vote by the Assembly and final passage requires a two-thirds Assembly majority vote; the president can opt to submit an amendment to a referendum, which requires an absolute majority of votes cast for passage |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Tunisia |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Kais SAIED (since 23 October 2019) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Kamel MADDOURI (since 7 August 2024); President Kais SAIED dismissed Prime Minister Ahmed HACHANI the same day he appointed Kamel MADDOURI |
| Cabinet | prime minister appointed by the president; cabinet members appointed by the president in consultation with the prime minister |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 6 October 2024 (next to be held in 2029) |
| Election results | 2024: Kais SAIED reelected president in first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 90.7%, Ayachi ZAMMEL (Long Live Tunisia) 7.3%, Zouhair MAGHZAOUI (People's Movement) 2% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral legislature (enacted by the 2022 constitution) consists of: newly added National Council of Regions and Districts (Le Conseil national des régions et des districts) (77 seats; members indirectly elected by regional and district councils; members of each Regional Council elect 3 members among themselves to the National Council; each District Council elects 1 member among themselves to the National Council; members serve 5-year term) Assembly of the People's Representatives (161 seats; 151 members in single seat constituencies and 10 members from Tunisian diaspora directly elected by majoritarian two-round voting system; all members serve 5-year terms) |
| Elections | National Council of Regions and Districts - last held on 18 April 2024 for 279 local councils, which indirectly elect the National Council (next to be held in 2029) Assembly of Representatives of the People - last held on 17 December 2022 with a runoff on 29 January 2023 (next to be held in late 2027) |
| Election results | National Council of Regions and Districts - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party NA Assembly of Representatives of the People - percent of vote by party NA; seats by party NA |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Court of Cassation (consists of the first president, chamber presidents, and magistrates and organized into 27 civil and 11 criminal chambers) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council, an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder legal specialists; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court (established in the 2014 and 2022 constitutions, but inception has been delayed; note - in mid-February 2022, President SAIED dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and replaced it with an interim council in early March 2022 |
| Subordinate courts | Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Hanene TAJOURI BESSASSI (since 1 December 2021) |
| Chancery | 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 862-1850 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 862-1858 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.tunisianembassy.org/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Joey HOOD (since 2 February 2023) |
| Embassy | Les Berges du Lac, 1053 Tunis |
| Mailing address | 6360 Tunis Place, Washington DC 20521-6360 |
| Telephone | [216] 71-107-000 |
| FAX | [216] 71-107-090 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://tn.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 9 (8 cultural, 1 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Amphitheatre of El Jem (c); Archaeological Site of Carthage (c); Medina of Tunis (c); Ichkeul National Park (n); Punic Town of Kerkuane (c); Kairouan (c); Medina of Sousse (c); Dougga / Thugga (c); Djerba: Testimony to a settlement pattern in an island territory (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Tunisia
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Tunisia
Want to know more about Tunisia? Check all different factbooks for Tunisia below.
