Tunisia ( or ; ' ; officially the Tunisian Republic (though often called the Republic of Tunisia in English), '; ; , is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is the smallest country in North Africa by land area and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, with the northernmost point on the African continent, Ras ben Sakka. Tunisia contains the eastern streamers of the Atlas Mountains, while the south of the country contains the northern reaches of the Sahara desert. The country's coasts represent the natural African conjunction between the Western and Eastern Mediterranean Basins, and feature the second and third nearest points of mainland Africa to Europe after Gibraltar, by means of the Sicilian Strait to the northeast and the Sardinian Channel to the northwest.

Tunisia is almost in area, with an estimated population of just under 10.7 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the northeast. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and of coastline.

Tunisia has an association agreement with the European Union and is a member of La Francophonie, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Arab League, and the African Union. Tunisia has established close relations with Europe and France in particular, through economic cooperation, industrial modernization, and privatisation programs.

In 2011, a revolution resulted in the overthrow of autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the first free elections in the country were held. Since then, Tunisia has been consolidating its young democracy.

Public domain  (Author : United Nations)