[colorado tanker]

"Because urbanization in northern Tunisia has always been more extensive, going back to ancient Carthage," Abdelbaki Hermassi explains, "sedentary life is older here, and tribal identity based on nomadism correspondingly weak. Thus the centralized state is more deeply embedded." Regimes in Algeria and Libya never succeeded in weakening tribal identities, so governments there have been feeble unless they resorted to cruelty.

[SunkenCiv]

Tunisia spends 25 per cent of its national budget on education, but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence. :’)

[happygrl]

Curious that Tunisia remains below the radar for an example of an Arab country that seems to work.

But then, it self-admittedly identifies with Europe, rather than the surrounding Maghreb nations. I'm surprised that more of finance and commerce located in Lebanon didn't flee to Tunisia.

The original Tunisians are descendents of the Phoenecians, who are the modern-day Lebanese.