Tunisia_JF_LG


 * Part 1: A look at the Nation. **
 * ** Demographics- A snapshot of the people **
 * ** 23% of the population is under the age of 15 **
 * ** The men are responsible for being the provider. The woman is responsible for being the household keeper. Although now at least one fourth of women have joined the workforce. **
 * ** 98% of the people of the people are of Arab descent. 98% of the people are muslim and a small **
 * ** [[image:http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/tunisia/map_of_tunisia.jpg width="419" height="315" align="right"]] minority are christian and jewish. **
 * ** Geography **
 * ** In northern Africa **
 * ** Hundreds of miles of sandy beaches along the mediterranean coastline. **
 * ** Central regions rises to a plateau and then turns into a semi desert terrain of Sahel(sections of the Sahara Desert) **
 * ** 17% is available to be used for cultivation. Another 13% can be use for permanent crops: such as oranges and olives the main source of agricultural products. **
 * ** Economic Resources **
 * ** Import:Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products **
 * ** Export: olive oil, iron ore and phosphate **
 * ** Jobs: mostly found in the textile industry and tourism **
 * ** For four decades the economy kept growing. But in 2011 the president was overthrown sending the economy crashing. Now the real trouble is too stable the economy. **
 * ** Political Structure **
 * ** The type of government tells me that the decisions might take a while to make because it has to go through a lot of people. **
 * ** People that are older than 18 can vote **
 * ** Elections are every 5 years **


 * Part 2: History **


 * 1) ** Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956. (Movement lead by Habib Bourguiba since the 1930s.) **
 * 2) ** Habib Bourguiba became president in 1957. **
 * 3) **  1987, Habib taken out of power by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. (Ben Ali accomplished achievements in education, women’s emancipation, and social modernization.)  **
 * 4) ** December 2009 protests happened all over Tunisia because of high levels of unemployment and lack of political freedoms. Tunisian government became violent and killed people. **
 * 5) ** 2011- Ben Ali, forced to exile **
 * 6) ** In October 2011, about 4.4 million people turned out to vote in a ** ** landmark election. Moderate Islamic party won most of the seats. By December 2011, a new government was sworn in. **


 * Part 3: Legitimacy of the government and leader **


 * Purposes of Government || Fulfilled/ Not fulfilled || Evidence ||
 * 3. Maintain Order || Fulfilled || They have police to keep the peace. ||
 * 2.Provide National Defense || Fulfilled || Tunisia has an army. Even though there are rumors about the military dominating politics. It does exist. ||
 * 1. Provide Public Services || Fulfilled || Give transportation like buses. Landlines. Educational system. Free medical care, because of this infant mortality rates have dropped to less than 85% since 1970 ||
 * 4.Protect Individual Rights || Fulfilled || They have freedom of religion. The country is mostly muslim but they have the freedom to be anything else. ||
 * 5. Govern Economic Decisions || Fulfilled || A new government was formed in 2011. The politicians govern the economic decisions. ||


 * Part 4: Snapshots of the Current Uprising **


 * ** Who revolted **
 * ** The protesters set themselves on fire are mostly young men from poor areas. They are mostly unmarried, out of work and have little prospect of employment, and have basic education. **
 * ** Why revolt? **
 * ** [[image:http://socialcapital.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/tunisia-cc-marcovdz.jpg width="512" height="339" align="right"]] Because of high levels of unemployment and lack of political freedoms, there were revolts against the tunisian government. **

>> ** By revolting against Ben Ali, taking the revolt to the streets of Tunisia. **
 * ** How did they (the protesters) organize? **
 * ** A young man lit himself on fire in protest of the local authorities. He was beaten in public and later died. Other people in the young man’s rural hometown protested his death at the hands of the police. The revolt spread all over Tunisia. Some protests even became violent. **
 * ** How did the people overthrow the government? **
 * ** How did the government respond? **
 * ** Police attacked the protesters with weapons and smoke bombs, but the protesters kept on protesting. The government was eventually overthrown **
 * ** How was the Government the same or different following the Revolution? **
 * ** After Ben Ali was exiled from Tunisia, an all new government was sworn in. The government is still drafting a new Constitution. **

**Works Cited ** **AP. "Tunisia Protest: Demonstrators, Police Clash In Tunis (PHOTOS)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Sept. 2012. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . ** **"ORGANIZED RAGE: Lets Hope the Tunisian Revolt Will Not Produce Same Old, Same As." ORGANIZED RAGE. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . ** **"Tunisia." CIA. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . ** **"Tunisia." CultureGrams Online Database:. Proquest. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . ** **"Tunisia Profile." BBC News. BBC, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . ** **"Tunisia Profile." BBC News. BBC, 13 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Apr. 2012.  ** **"Tunisia: The Revolution That Started It All." International Affairs Review. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. . **

