Population density: 63/km2 (163/mi2)
Main languages spoken: Arabic, French The population is almost entirely Muslim, of Arab and Berber descent, though there are Jewish and Christian minorities. Many Tunisians still live in extended family groups, in which three or four generations are represented. Tunisia has traditionally been one of the most liberal Arab states. The 1956 Personal Statutes Code of President Bourguiba gave women fuller rights than in any other Arab country. Further legislation has since given women the right to custody of children in divorce cases, made family violence against women punishable by law, and helped divorced women to get alimony. Family planning and contraception were made freely available in the 1960s. Tunisia's population growth rate has halved since the 1980s. Women make up 31% of the total workforce and 35% of the industrial workforce. Company ownership by women is steadily increasing; politics, however, remains an exclusively male preserve. These freedoms are threatened by the growth in recent years of Islamic fundamentalism, which also worries the mainly French-speaking political and business elite who wish to strengthen links with Europe. The Ben Ali regime has been criticized for its actions against Islamist activists. Despite continuing condemnation of its human rights record, the government's efforts to foster democracy were praised in 2002 when it received the "Mediterranean Award," given by European human rights leagues. THE URBAN/RURAL POPULATION SPLIT
 RELIGIOUS PERSUASION
 ETHNIC MAKEUP
 POPULATION AGE BREAKDOWN
 From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004 | 
