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.
The National Anthem
Title "Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland)
Lyric/music Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB
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 15 September 2019 with a runoff on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
Election results


2019: Kais SAIED elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 18.4%, Nabil KAROUI (Heart of Tunisia) 15.6%, Abdelfattah MOUROU (Nahda Movement) 12.9%, Abdelkrim ZBIDI (independent) 10.7%, Youssef CHAHED (Long Live Tunisia) 7.4%, Safi SAID (independent) 7.1%, Lotfi MRAIHI (Republican People's Union) 6.6%, other 21.3%; percent of vote in second round - Kais SAIED 72.7%, Nabil KAROUI 27.3%

2014: Beji CAID ESSEBSI elected president in second round; percent of vote - Beji CAID ESSEBSI (Call for Tunisia Party) 55.7%, Moncef MARZOUKI (CPR) 44.3% 
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 appointed by municipal-level 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 24 December 2023 for 279 local councils, which will indirectly elect the National Council (next to be held in 2028)
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 note: in 2022, President SAIED issued a new electoral law, which requires all legislative candidates to run as independents
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
AT.Washington@Tunisiaembassy.org

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
tuniswebsitecontact@state.gov

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
    • International organization participation
  • ABEDA
  • AfDB
  • AFESD
  • AIIB
  • AMF
  • AMU
  • AU
  • BSEC (observer)
  • CAEU
  • CD
  • EBRD
  • FAO
  • G-11
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (national committees)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IHO
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • IMSO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • LAS
  • MIGA
  • MONUSCO
  • NAM
  • OAS (observer)
  • OIC
  • OIF
  • OPCW
  • OSCE (partner)
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNOCI
  • UNOOSA
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO
    • All Important Facts about Tunisia

    Want to know more about Tunisia? Check all different factbooks for Tunisia below.

    Tunisia is found in Northern Africa