The Arab Spring, a series of protests and uprisings that took place across the Middle East and North Africa, started from Tunisia.

In December 2010, a street vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest of police harassment and corruption in the city of Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. Bouazizi’s act of protest sparked a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest across Tunisia, which eventually led to the ousting of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.

The success of the Tunisian uprising inspired similar protests and uprisings in other countries in the region, including Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria, among others. The Arab Spring is considered a significant turning point in the political history of the Middle East and North Africa region.