1. Tunisia

2. Tunisia

3. French Protectorate (colony) 1883 - 1956
French colonies in green
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4. Habib Bourguiba : Independence leader first president ( 1956 - 1987)
Declared president for life in 1975
(Relatively) benign dictator
Overthrown in a bloodless coup in 1987 by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

5. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali President of Tunisia: 1987 - 2011
Western-aligned
Liberal economy experienced strong growth over Ben Ali's reign
Lack of basic freedoms (right to vote, free speech)

6. Discontent
Rampant corruption - the president and his family seemed to have a hand in all commerce
High unemployment
High inflation
Lack of basic freedoms

7. Mohamed Bouazizi March 29, 1984 - January 4, 2011

8. 'Public suicide attempt sparks angry riots in central Tunisia' Sarra Grira & Slimane Rouissi France 24, 21/12/

9. Ben Ali forced 14 January 2011

10. A 'Twitter Revolution'?
The people of Tunisia and the Arab world have suffered under corrupt and oppressive regimes for decades. Suddenly, they are rising up and courageously trying to overthrow dictators.
Why now? In seeking to explain the uprisings in Tunisia and elsewhere, some commentators have turned to social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. They argue that these media enable people to bypass government censorship and communicate and collaborate.

11. 'The First Twitter Revolution?' Ethan Zuckerman
Foreign Policy, January 14,