突尼斯共和國位于北非、隸屬于馬格里布地區(qū)，東北部緊鄰地中海。突尼斯有兩個鄰國，分別為西方的阿爾及利亞（公共國界線長965公里）與東南方的利比亞（公共國界線長459公里）。突尼斯因其坐落于國家北方的首都突尼斯市而得名。

突尼斯的官方語言為阿拉伯語，但法語和英語的通用性也很高。

突尼斯盛產(chǎn)橄欖油，產(chǎn)量居世界第4位，被稱為“世界橄欖油園”、“橄欖之邦”。除了出口紡織品與橄欖油之外，觀光業(yè)也是其重要的收入之一。

突尼斯曾經(jīng)是迦太基的發(fā)源地和國家中樞。這個位于北非的國家統(tǒng)治了西班牙，北非，地中海沿岸等零星地區(qū)，成為當(dāng)時地中海最強盛的國家，并因此成為以后羅馬的強敵，迦太基名將漢尼拔曾經(jīng)一度要攻入羅馬的首都。后來北非第三次布匿戰(zhàn)爭后，迦太基被征服并成為羅馬共和國的阿非利加行省。后來此地又陸續(xù)受到汪達(dá)爾王國、拜占庭帝國、阿拉伯帝國的統(tǒng)治。突尼斯在很長一段時間內(nèi)受到奧斯曼帝國統(tǒng)治（這一時期被稱為突尼斯攝政時期）。在1881年時，隨著法國對殖民地的開拓，轉(zhuǎn)而成為法國的被保護(hù)國。

1956年3月20日，在殖民地獨立風(fēng)潮之際，突尼斯贏得了獨立，正式改名為突尼斯王國。羅爾斯貝伊成為首任統(tǒng)治者，享有國王尊號和至高無上的君權(quán)。1957年7月25日，共和國宣告成立，民族主義領(lǐng)袖哈比卜·布爾吉巴就任首屆總統(tǒng)，他使突尼斯共和國邁向了現(xiàn)代化。然而他30年統(tǒng)治的結(jié)果是以收買人心的政策以及伊斯蘭運動的崛起為標(biāo)志的，繼任總統(tǒng)扎因·阿比丁·本·阿里將之廢除，但延續(xù)了布爾吉巴主義的現(xiàn)代化目標(biāo)，即經(jīng)濟自由化。

Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic, is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area is almost 165,000 square kilometres (64,000 sq mi), with an estimated population of just over 10.4 million. Its name is derived from the capital Tunis located in the north-east.

Tunisia is the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil and 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) of coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, then as the Roman province of Africa which was known as the "bread basket" of Rome. Later, Tunisia was occupied by Vandals during the 5th century AD, Byzantines in the 6th century, and Arabs in the 8th century. Under the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia was known as "Regency of Tunis". It passed under French protectorate in 1881. After obtaining independence in 1956 the country took the official name of the "Kingdom of Tunisia" at the end of the reign of Lamine Bey and the Husainid Dynasty. With the proclamation of the Tunisian republic on July 25, 1957, the nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba became its first president.