Tunisia

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTunis

Area163,610 km2

Populationas each edition published it

8.1 million July 1990 · 11.96m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.84% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 72.54 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4 children per woman 1990 · 1.59 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 10.6 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,650 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 8% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 km2

arable land 20%permanent crops 10%meadows and pastures 19%forest and woodland 4%other 47%includes 1% irrigated

Total area

163,610km2

land area: 155,360 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Coastline

1,148km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,424km total

Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

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

crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Environment

deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean;
only 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily;
borders Libya on east

People

14 fields

Population

8,095,492

(July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

28Death

6Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Arab 98%European 1%less than 1% Jewish

Religion

Muslim 98%Christian 1%less than 1% Jewish

Literacy

62%

(est.)

Language

Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)

Labor force

2,250,000;
32% agriculture;
shortage of skilled labor

Organized labor

about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party

Government

Republic

17 fields

Long-form name

Republic of Tunisia; note--may be changed to Tunisian Republic

Administrative divisions

23 governorates (wilayat, singular--wilayah);
Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn, Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin Arus, Jundubah, Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis, Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis, Zaghwan

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation) Chief of State--President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)

Political parties and leaders

Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President Ben Ali (official ruling party);
Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri;
five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

universal at age 20 President--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, others 2.4% seats--(141 total) RCD 141

Communists

a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students

Member of

AfDB, Arab League, AIOEC, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Abdelaziz HAMZAOUI;
Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005;
telephone (202) 862-1850;
US--Ambassador Robert H. PELLETREAU, Jr.;
Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere;
telephone [216] (1) 782-566

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

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for continued growth.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$8.7billion

per capita $1,105; real growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

10%

(1989)

Unemployment rate

25%

(1989)

External debt

$7.6billion

(December 1989)

Imports $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989)commodities, where a share is given

industrial goods and equipment

57%hydrocarbons

13%food

12%

also consumer goods; partners--EC 68%, US 7%, Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria

Budget

Revenues

$2.9 billionExpenditures

$3.2 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $0.8 billion (1989 est.)

Overview

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for continued growth. Two successive drought-induced crop failures have strained the government's budget and increased unemployment. The current account fell from a $23 million surplus in 1988 to a $390 million deficit in 1989.

Despite its foreign payments problems, Tunis appears committed to its IMF-supported structural adjustment program. Nonetheless, the government may have to slow its implementation to head off labor unrest. The increasing foreign debt--$7.6 billion at yearend 1989--is also a key problem. Tunis probably will seek debt relief in 1990.

Exports

$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities--hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals;
partners--EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR

Industrial production

growth rate 3.5% (1988)

Electricity

1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), 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;
fish catch of 99,200 metric tons (1986)

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $694 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $410 million

Currency

Tunisian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1--0.9055 (January 1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 21 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 1cargo 4roll-on/roll-off cargo 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 2chemical tanker 6liquefied gas 1bulk 521 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT

Airports, 30 total, 28 usable

permanent-surface runways

13runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

7runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

17,700Railroads

2,154Pipelines

797

Highways: ; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge · Pipelines: ; 86 km refined products; 742 km natural gas

Railroads

2,154 km total;
465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge

Highways

17,700 km total;
9,100 km bituminous;
8,600 km improved and unimproved earth

Pipelines

797 km crude oil;
86 km refined products;
742 km natural gas

the system is above the African average;
facilities consist of open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and radio relay;
key centers are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis;
233,000 telephones;
stations--18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV;
4 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station;
coaxial cable to Algeria;
radio relay to Algeria, Libya, and Italy

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

1,997,197fit for military service

1,149,141reach military age (20) annually

88,368

Defense expenditures

2.7%of GDP

or $235 million (1989 est.)

Branches