Located in the heart of the NorthAfrican coastline, adjacent to vital shipping channelsconnecting Europe and Asia, Tunisia has long been a regionaleconomic influence in the Middle East and North Africa.Although socialist policies dominated the Tunisian economythroughout the latter half of the 20th century, Tunisia hasre-focused its economic strategy on key indicators such asforeign investment, domestic job creation, exports andtourism. These have become the backbone of the Tunisianeconomy and have helped strengthen relationships withprimary trading partners in the European Union. Exports suchas textiles, computer arts and petrochemicals now accountfor a significant portion of the Tunisian economy. Thisliberal economic development strategy created years ofstable annual growth and improved living standards well intothe 2000s. However, this growth was unequal due to a cultureof corruption and cronyism that reached its height duringthe era of former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali from1987 through 2011. Years of progressive economic growth werestymied by rising unemployment and government waste.Discontent for the Ben Ali government boiled over in January2011 with a revolution to overthrow the president, rulingparty and Parliament. In the ensuing months of uncertainty,declines in tourism and investment contributed to an overalleconomic decline that lasted throughout much of the year.The political climate also remained uncertain as Tunisiansworked to form a new coalition government and transitioninto a democratic system.
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