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Following independence from France in 1956,
President Habib BOURGIUBA established a strict one-party state. He
dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In
recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its
foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure
for a more open political society.
In the north the Atlas mountains form the
Northern Tell and High Tell ranges. They are separated by the wide fertile
Medjerda valley, a major agriculture region notable for producing cereals.
In places, the mountains with altitudes exceeding 1,000m, are covered with
cork oak and pine forests. The highest summits are Mt. Chambi near the
Algerian border and Mt. Mrhila southwest of Tunis.
Central Tunisia is semi-arid steppe plateau. The Sahel, a low lying flat
westward extension of the coastal plain which extends into Libya, has
seasonal salt lakes and olive groves.
Southern Tunisia, which stretches from the Algerian border to the
Mediterranean, contains extensive seasonal salt flats and spectacular date
palm plantations. The extreme south of Tunisia gives way to the Sahara
desert.
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