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Introduction | Tunisia

Background:

Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Geography | Tunisia

Location: | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Geographic coordinates: | 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: | total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: | 1,148 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
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
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Natural resources: | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: | arable land: 17.05% permanent crops: 13.08% other: 69.87% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | NA
Environment - current issues: | toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: | strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People | Tunisia

Population: | 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 27.8 years male: 27.3 years female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.99% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.12 years male: 73.4 years female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2005)
Nationality: | noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: | Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religions: | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.3% male: 83.4% female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

Government | Tunisia

Country name: | conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis
Government type: | republic
Capital: | Tunis

Administrative divisions:

24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Independence: | 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
Constitution: | 1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
Legal system: | based on French civil law system and Shari'a 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:

bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch: | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:

Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation:

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Nejib HACHANA chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador William J. HUDSON embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 107-090
Flag description: | 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 | Tunisia

Economy - overview:

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $76.99 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $30.93 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 4.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $7,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 13.8% industry: 30.7% services: 55.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 3.41 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 13.5% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 7.4% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 40 (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 3.2% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 21.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $7.322 billion expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)
Public debt: | 58.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products
Industries: | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: | 3.8% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production: | 11.56 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 10.76 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 10 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 5 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 76,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 90,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves: | 1.7 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 2.15 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 3.84 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 77.87 billion cu m (2005)
Current account balance: | $-492 million (2005 est.)
Exports: | $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners: | France 33.1%, Italy 25.3%, Germany 9.2%, Spain 6.1% (2004)
Imports: | $12.86 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners: | France 25.1%, Italy 19%, Germany 8.5%, Spain 5.3% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $4.333 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $18.91 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $114.6 million (2002)
Currency (code): | Tunisian dinar (TND)
Currency code: | TND
Exchange rates: | Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use: | 1,203,500 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 3.563 million (2004)

Telephone system:

general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios: | 2.06 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: | 920,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .tn
Internet hosts: | 426 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)
Internet users: | 835,000 (2005)

Transportation | Tunisia

Airports: | 30 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2005)
Pipelines: | gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004)
Railways: | total: 2,152 km standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) dual gauge: 10 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2004)
Roadways: | total: 18,997 km paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)
Merchant marine: | total: 10 ships (1000 GRT or over) 149,142 GRT/118,333 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 registered in other countries: 3 (Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2) (2005)
Ports and terminals: | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira

Military | Tunisia

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force (2003)
Military service age and obligation: | 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 20-49: 2,441,741 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 20-49: 2,035,431 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 108,817 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues | Tunisia

Disputes - international: | none

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006