Conventional long form name of country: Tunisian Republic
Capital city: Tunis
Type of government: republic
Date of independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National Holiday[s]: Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)
Chief of state :President Moncef MARZOUKI (since 12 December 2011)
Capital city: Tunis
Type of government: republic
Date of independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National Holiday[s]: Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)
Chief of state :President Moncef MARZOUKI (since 12 December 2011)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ali LAAREYDH (since 27 February 2013)
Executive branch/powers: Tunisia's interim government was appointed in December 2011 and will remain in power pending drafting of a new constitution and holding of general elections in 2013. cabinet is selected by the prime minister and approved by the Constituent Assembly. President elected by Constituent Assembly; election last held on 12 December 2011(next to be held in 2013); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch/powers: Its role remains unclear, initial election of 217 Constituent Assembly members held on 23 October 2011 (next to be held on 23 June 2013)
Judicial branch/powers: judge selection and term of office- judges nominated by the Higher Magistracy Council (also called the Superior Council of the Judiciary), a 7-member body of judges and prosecutors; judges appointed by presidential decree; judge tenure NA. Highest courts are Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (organized into civil and criminal chambers and consists of NA judges)
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months
Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kais DARRAGI
Location of embassy in U.S: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
U.S. Ambassador to them: Ambassador Jake WALLES
Location of U.s embassy there: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
Their representative to UN: H.E Ghazi JOMAA
Legislative branch/powers: Its role remains unclear, initial election of 217 Constituent Assembly members held on 23 October 2011 (next to be held on 23 June 2013)
Judicial branch/powers: judge selection and term of office- judges nominated by the Higher Magistracy Council (also called the Superior Council of the Judiciary), a 7-member body of judges and prosecutors; judges appointed by presidential decree; judge tenure NA. Highest courts are Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (organized into civil and criminal chambers and consists of NA judges)
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months
Ambassador to the U.S: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Kais DARRAGI
Location of embassy in U.S: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
U.S. Ambassador to them: Ambassador Jake WALLES
Location of U.s embassy there: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
Their representative to UN: H.E Ghazi JOMAA
Flag symbolism: 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.
Ntional symbols: encircled red star and crescent
Ntional symbols: encircled red star and crescent