Tunisia

Republic of TunisiaAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 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

LocationNorthern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily, between

Populationas each edition published it

8.57 million July 1993 est. · 8.1m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.84% 1993 est. · 0.38% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.54 years 1993 est. · 77.3 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.02 children per woman 1993 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

35.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,650 1992 est. · $12,700 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

8% 1992 est. · 1.4% in 2025

Geography

Northern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily, between | Algeria and Libya

14 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 km2

arable land 20%permanent crops 10%meadows and pastures 19%forest and woodland 4%other 47%irrigated 2,750 km2 (1989)

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

Location

Northern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily, between Algeria and Libya

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary disputes with Algeria under discussion

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

Environment

deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

14 fields

Population

8,570,868

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1.84% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

24.24Death

5.04Net migration

-0.79

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.54

70.55 · 74.62

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy65%

74% · 56%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

Arab-Berber 98%European 1%Jewish less than 1%

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish 1%

Labor force

2.25million

by occupation: agriculture 32%note: shortage of skilled labor

Infant mortality rate

35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Tunisian(s)
adjective:: Tunisian

Languages

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

Government

Republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

80.7%

RCD 80.7%independents/Islamists 13.7%MDS 3.2%other 2.4%

Names

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

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)

Constitution

1 June 1959

Legal system

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

National holiday

National Day, 20 March (1956)

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
Chamber of Deputies:: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994);
results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%;
seats - (141 total) RCD 141

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Leaders

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)

Member of

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

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Ismail KHELIL
chancery:: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:: (202) 862-1850

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY
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

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports | of light manufactures.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$1,650

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum

Inflation, consumer prices

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

15.7%

(1992)

Budget

Revenues

$4.3 billionExpenditures

$5.5 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Overview

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures. Following two years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy came back strongly in 1990-92 as a result of good harvests, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment.

High unemployment has eroded popular support for the government, however, and forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform. Nonetheless, the government appears committed to implementing its IMF-supported structural adjustment program and to servicing its foreign debt.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $13.6 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners:: EC countries 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, former USSR republics

Imports

$6.1 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
partners:: EC countries 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria

External debt

$7.7 billion (1992 est.)

Electricity

1,545,000 kW capacity; 5,096 million kWh produced, 600 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 15% 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 (1987)

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $5.2 billion;
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 - 0.9931 (February 1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 22 ships by typeone square, one ship

short-sea passenger 1cargo 4roll-on/roll-off cargo 2oil tanker 2chemical tanker 6liquefied gas 1bulk 622 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 161,661 GRT/221,959 DWT

Networkskm

Highways

17,700Railroads

2,115

Highways: ; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650 km 1.000-meter gauge

Railroads

2,115 km total;
465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge;
1,650 km 1.000-meter gauge

Highways

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

total:: 29
usable:: 26
with permanent-surface runways:: 13
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 7
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 7

note: a new airport opened 6 May 1993, length and type of surface NA

Telecommunications

the system is above the African average;
facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay;
key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
233,000 telephones (28 telephones per 1,000 persons);
broadcast stations - 7 AM, 8 FM, 19 TV;
5 submarine cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station;
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya