Tunisia

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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
LocationNorthern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily,
1994

Every edition of Tunisia

Populationas each edition published it
8.73 million July 1994 est. · 8.1m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.76% 1994 est. · 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
2.88 children per woman 1994 est. · 4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
34.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$4,000 1993 est. · $1,650 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.6% 1993 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

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

22 fields
Coastline
1,148km
Land boundaries
1,424km
total · Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Irrigated land
2,750sq km
(1989)

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

total area

163,610 sq km

land area

155,360 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Georgia

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993

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

arable land

20%

permanent crops

10%

meadows and pastures

19%

forest and woodland

4%

other

47%

current issues

  • toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks;
  • water pollution from untreated sewage;
  • water scarcity;
  • 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 - Marine Life Conservation

Note

strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

22 fields
Population
8,726,562
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.76% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
23.4Death
4.95Net migration
-0.85

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish 1%
Labor force
2.25million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

34.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

72.89 years

male

70.85 years

female

75.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Tunisian(s)

adjective

Tunisian

Languages

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

total population

65%

male

74%

female

56%

by occupation

agriculture 32%

note

shortage of skilled labor

Government

Republic

31 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

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

Legislature, 141 seatsone dot, one seat

RCD 141

conventional long form

Republic of Tunisia

conventional short form

Tunisia

local long form

Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form

Tunis

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

chief of state

President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - Gen. 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

Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

  • elections last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994);
  • results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%;
  • seats - (141 total) RCD 141

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, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Ismail KHALIL

chancery

1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

telephone

(202) 862-1850

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

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, | energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors.

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$4,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
2.6%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Unemployment rate
16.2%
(1993 est.)

Overview

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors. The economy grew rapidly in the mid-1980s, GDP growth averaging 5.4% in 1983-85. Following a foreign exchange crisis caused by a sharp drop in agricultural output and tourism, combined with the oil price collapse in 1986, Tunisia inaugurated an IMF-sponsored economic rehabilitation scheme.

Subsequent government structural reforms have helped liberalize and open the economy, and GDP growth has been positive since the start of the program. A sharp rebound in tourism from the downturn caused by the Gulf war and strong agricultural performance boosted real GDP growth to more than 8% in 1992;

growth fell back to 2.6% in 1993. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $34.3 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$4.3 billion

expenditures

$5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$4.1 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

$6.4 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.)

capacity

1,545,000 kW

production

5,096 kWh

consumption per capita

600 kWh (1992)

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

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 - 1.0514 (January 1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

Railroads

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

total

17,700 km

paved

bituminous 9,100 km

unpaved

improved, unimproved earth 8,600 km

Pipelines

  • crude oil 797 km;
  • petroleum products 86 km;
  • natural gas 742 km

Ports

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

Merchant marine

23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 152,683 GRT/199,273 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1

total

31

usable

27

with permanent-surface runways

14

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

9

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

5

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

Defense Forces

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

3 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 2,229,362;
  • fit for military service 1,281,015;
  • reach military age (20) annually 91,941 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $618 million, 3.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tunisia.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tunisia/1994.

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