The outbreak of riots and protests across the Middle East and North Africa is referred to as the Arab Spring. The spring started in Tunisia when a fruit vendor protested the government by standing in front of an important government building and lighting himself on fire. News quickly spread of the event, and protests soon broke out across the country. In 2011, the governments of both Tunisia and Egypt were overthrown, and protests began in many different countries including Libya, Syria, Yemen, Algeria, Iraq, Oman, and Morocco. Thanks to the Tunisian man lighting himself on fire, many governments across the Middle East and North Africa are looking to reshape their governments into more democratic/republic forms.