Tunisia

Republic of TunisiaAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 86 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
Position34 00 N, 9 00 E
Area163,610 sq km
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea,
1996

Every edition of Tunisia

Populationas each edition published it
9.02 million July 1996 est. · 8.1m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.81% 1996 est. · 1.84% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
72.6 years 1996 est. · 72.54 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.92 children per woman 1996 est. · 4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
35.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$4,250 1994 est. · $1,650 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.4% 1994 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, | between Algeria and Libya

15 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 sq km

arable land 20%permanent crops 10%meadows and pastures 19%forest and woodland 4%other 47%irrigated 2,750 sq km (1989)
Area
163,610sq km
land area: 155,360 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Coastline
1,148km
contiguous zone: 24 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
1,424km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Geographic coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

International disputes

  • maritime boundary dispute with Libya;
  • land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993;
  • Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

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
lowest point:
Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point:
Jabal ash Shanabi 1,544 m

Natural resources

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

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
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
  • party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation

Geographic note

strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

15 fields
Population
9,019,687
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.81% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
24.03Death
5.18Net migration
-0.74

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.6
71.27 · 74.03
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy66.7%
78.6% · 54.6%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish 1%

Age structure

0-14 years:
34% (male 1,583,636; female 1,489,784)
15-64 years:
61% (male 2,738,013; female 2,719,998)
65 years and over:
5% (male 254,403; female 233,853) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.09 male(s)/female
all ages:
1.03 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

35.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.92 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Tunisian(s)
adjective:
Tunisian

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) was reelected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) was appointed by the president

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

97.7%
RCD 97.7%MDS 1.0%others 1.3%

Legislature, 163 seatsone dot, one seat

RCD 144MDS 10others 9

Name of country

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

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

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) was reelected for a five-year term by universal suffrage;
  • election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
  • results - President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
head of government:
Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) was appointed by the president
cabinet:
Council of Ministers was appointed by the president

Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

  • elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
  • results - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%;
  • seats - (163 total) RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9;
  • note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats

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

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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNAMIR, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mohamed Azzouz ENNAIFER
chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
[1] (202) 862-1850

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY
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

20 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$4,250
(1994 est.)
Real growth rate
4.4%
(1994 est.)industrial production growth: 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate
16.2%
(1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 15%industry 30%services 55% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$4.3 billionExpenditures
$5.5 billion (1993 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures to $NA

Installed generating capacity, 1,410,000 kW

Electricity production
5.4 billionElectricity consumption per capita
595 (1993)

Economic overview

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade, including increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt.

Real growth has averaged 4.2% in 1991-95, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and IMF support have been key elements in this solid record. Drought, especially in the south, held back GDP growth in 1995. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1994 est.)

Labor force

2.917 million (1993 est.); by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) note: shortage of skilled labor

Industries

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

Agriculture

olives, dates, oranges, almonds, grain, sugar beets, grapes; poultry, beef, dairy products

Exports

$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1994)

commodities:
hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners:
EU countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports

$6.6 billion (c.i.f., 1994)

commodities:
industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
partners:
EU countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1%

External debt

$7.7 billion (1993 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $221 million (1993)

Currency

1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9635 (January 1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 29 in all

3
over 3 047 m
6
2 438 to 3 047 m
3
1 524 to 2 437 m
2
3
914 to 1 523 m
6
6
under 914 m
PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways
29,183Railways
2,260
Highways: paved: 17,510 km (including 52 km of expressways) · unpaved: 11,673 km (1989 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 492 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 1,758 km 1.000-m gauge · dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (1993 est.)

Railways

total:
2,260 km
standard gauge:
492 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:
1,758 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge:
10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (1993 est.)

Highways

total:
29,183 km
paved:
17,510 km (including 52 km of expressways)
unpaved:
11,673 km (1989 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports

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

Merchant marine

total:
19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 125,840 GRT/164,277 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 6, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)

Communications

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

9 fields
Fixed lines
233,000
(1987 est.)

Telephone system

the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis

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 with back-up control station;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya;
  • participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 0

Radios

1,693,527 (1991 est.)

Televisions

670,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Branches

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49:
2,354,513
males fit for military service:
1,349,728
males reach military age (20) annually:
91,866 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $535 million, 2.8% of GDP (1995)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tunisia.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tunisia/1996.

How to cite ← 1995 edition 1997 edition →