Tunisia

Geography

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 163,610 sq km
land area: 155,360 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total 1,424 km, Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 10%
meadows and pastures: 19%
forest and woodland: 4%
other: 47%

Irrigated land: 2,750 sq km (1989)

Environment:
current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

Population: 8,879,845 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,507,866; male 1,563,411)
15-64 years: 60% (female 2,665,586; male 2,672,712)
65 years and over: 5% (female 226,201; male 244,069) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.69% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.25 years
male: 71.16 years
female: 75.44 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%

Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 57%
male: 69%
female: 45%

Labor force: 2.25 million
by occupation: agriculture 32%
note: shortage of skilled labor

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis

Digraph: TS

Type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab): elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats - (163 total) RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Other political or pressure groups: the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed

Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azzouz ENNAIFER
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY
embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
FAX: [216] (1) 789-719

Flag: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

Economy

Overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade, including increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt. Real growth has averaged roughly 5% in 1991-94, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and IMF support have been key elements in this solid record. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: 4.4% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $4,250 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $4.3 billion
expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA (1993 est.)

Exports: $4.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners: EC countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports: $6.5 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
partners: EC countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1%

External debt: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for 22% of GDP, including petroleum

Electricity:
capacity: 1,410,000 kW
production: 5.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 595 kWh (1993)

Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages

Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89) $52 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million

Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9849 (January 1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 2,260 km
standard gauge: 492 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,758 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges

Highways:
total: 29,183 km
paved: bituminous 17,510 km
unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 11,673 km

Pipelines: crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km

Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis

Merchant marine:
total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 129,035 GRT/168,032 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 5, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1

Airports:
total: 31
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 8
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7

Communications

Telephone system: 233,000 telephones; 28 telephones/1,000 persons; the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis
local: NA
intercity: facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
international: 5 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 19
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,294,912; males fit for military service 1,317,642; males reach military age (20) annually 93,601 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $549 million, 3% of GDP (1994)