| Background: |
Following
independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGIUBA
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. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate,
non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically,
it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open
political society. |
| Location: |
Northern Africa,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
34 00 N, 9 00 E |
| 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 |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 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:
19%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 44% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
3,850 sq km (1993
est.) |
| 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, 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 |
| Population: |
9,705,102 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
28.74% (male 1,440,636; female 1,348,133)
15-64 years: 65.12% (male 3,157,988; female
3,161,596)
65 years and over: 6.14% (male 296,930; female
299,819) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.15% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
17.11
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.99 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.67 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
29.04
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 73.92 years
male: 72.35 years
female: 75.62 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.99 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.04% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| 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: 66.7%
male: 78.6%
female: 54.6% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| Administrative
divisions: |
23 governorates;
Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus),
Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah),
Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al
Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), 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 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)
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 1999
(next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN
ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent
of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to
be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party -
RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid
5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win
up to 20% of seats; the opposition increased number of seats
from 19 to 34 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Court of
Cassation or Cour de Cassation |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Al-Tajdid
Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; 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
Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular
Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist
Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
the Islamic
fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB,
AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU,
OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Rust DEMMING
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
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
- 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. Real growth averaged 5.5% in the past four years,
and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased
trade have been key elements in this steady growth.
Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union
entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord
between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated.
Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers
to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader
privatization, further liberalization of the investment code
to increase foreign investment, and improvements in
government efficiency are among the challenges for the
future. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $62.8 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $6,500 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
14%
industry: 32%
services: 54% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
6% (2000 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.3%
highest 10%: 30.7% (1990) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2.65 million
(2000 est.)
note: shortage of skilled labor |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 55%,
industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
15.6% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$7.5 billion
expenditures: $8.1 billion, including capital
expenditures to $1.6 billion (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum, mining
(particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles,
footwear, food, beverages |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4.1% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
9.173 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
99.2%
hydro: 0.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
8.677 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
19 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
165 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
olives, olive
oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef,
sugar beets, dates, almonds |
| Exports: |
$6.1 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
textiles,
mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural
products, hydrocarbons |
| Exports
- partners: |
Germany 28%,
France 22%, Italy 17%, Belgium 5%, Libya 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$8.4 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food |
| Imports
- partners: |
France 23%,
Germany 23%, Italy 15%, Belgium 3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$13 billion (2000
est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$933.2 million
(1995); note - ODA, $90 million (1998 est.) |
| Currency: |
Tunisian dinar (TND) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Tunisian dinars
per US dollar - 1.3753 (January 2001), 1.4667 (November
2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997), 0.9734
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
654,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
50,000 (1998) |
| 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: 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
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
110,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
2,168 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges
(three rails) |
| Highways: |
total:
23,100 km
paved: 18,226 km
unpaved: 4,874 km (1996) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 797 km;
petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Bizerte, Gabes,
La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 149,554 GRT/156,861
DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker
3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger
3, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
15
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 8
under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
20 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,739,566 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,561,484 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
105,146 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$356 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.5% (FY99) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
