Tunisia: 50 years of independence [Archives:2006/931/Last Page]
March 23 2006
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SANA'A, March 21 – The Republic of Tunisia marked the 50th anniversary of its independence Monday, March 20.
Tunisia is a country on North Africa's Mediterranean coast. It is the smallest and easternmost nation situated along the Atlas mountain range, bordering Algeria to the west and Libya to the south and east. The Sahara Desert composes 40 percent of the country, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil with easily accessible coasts.
Tunisia's population is approximately 9.6 million and its demographic growth rate is 1.14. Arab, Berber, African and European influences have helped shape Tunisia's unique cultural identity. The overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim and the official religion is Sunni Islam. Christian and Jewish communities freely practice their faith, contributing to Tunisia's rich cultural diversity.
Tunisians spent 50 years building to assure a decent life and a modern country in which individual rights are respected. Tunisia has achieved great success in political, economic and social fields. The country's economic achievements confirmed Tunisian policy's right choices in this field when the growth rate rose to five percent and the poverty rate decreased to four percent of the general population. The middle class increased to 80 percent of the population, while education reached 100 percent.
Foreign investment reached $1000 m in 2004 and tourism investment rose to 26 percent in 2005, with the number of visitors to Tunisia increasing to six million.
Estimates reveal that 80 percent of Tunisian families own houses. Tunisia has witnessed immense changes in the past 50 years due to its leadership convictions coupled with change, realizing achievements in tourism, health, education and great development in women's rights.
Yemeni-Tunisian relations
Yemeni relations with Tunisia are old and distinctive, supported by forming the Yemeni-Tunisian committee. The joint committee meetings achieved fruitful results, the most important of which was in the commercial field regarding activating the role of businessmen in both countries.
Industrial sector cooperation also was activated whereby technical cooperation was linked to training and technical studies, especially exchanging experiences in fields of modernization and industrial development.
Cooperation also included culture, tourism, farming, fishing, minerals, transportation, oil, gas and electricity, as well as justice and judiciary, social affairs and insurance, standards, specifications and measurements. The social side included women, family, children, health, population, information, higher education, technical education and training, vocational education, youth and sports.
The two sides intensified efforts particularly in the cultural field to activate an October 24, 2002 executive program they signed concerning preserving and renovating towns by exchanging information, studies and documents regarding both countries' cultural legacy and historical sites. Training courses also were held for Yemeni experts, wherein town integration was encouraged.
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