Tunisia

Republic of TunisiaAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 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, between

Populationas each edition published it

9.25 million July 1997 est. · 8.1m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.48% 1997 est. · 1.84% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.85 years 1997 est. · 72.54 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.52 children per woman 1997 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

33.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,800 1996 est. · $1,650 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.1% 1996 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 sq km

arable land 19%permanent crops 13%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 4%other 44% (1993 est.)irrigated 3,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

163,610sq km

land: 155,360 sq kmwater: 8,250 sq kmslightly larger than Georgia

Coastline

1,148km

contiguous zone: 24 nmterritorial sea : 12 nm

Highest point

1,544m

Jabal ash Shanabilowest point : Shatt al Gharsah -17 m

Land boundaries

1,424km

border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Location

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

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 - 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

People

15 fields

Population

9,245,284

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 1.48% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

20.56Death

5.08Net migration

-0.73

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish 1%

Literacy

66.7%

definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: 78.6%female : 54.6% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years : 32% (male 1,541,853; female 1,451,035)

15-64 years:: 62% (male 2,858,987; female 2,873,748)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 267,261; female 252,400) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 72.85 years
male :: 71.5 years
female:: 74.3 years (1997 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)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

97.7%

RCD 97.7%MDS 1.0%others 1.3%last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)

Legislature, 163 seats, elected 20 March 1994one dot, one seat

RCD 144MDS 10others 9

Percent of vote

RCD 97.7%MDS 1.0%others 1.3%

Country name

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)

National holiday

National 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 Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results :: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected without opposition; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results:: percent of vote by party - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%;
seats by party - 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), Ismail BOULAHIA;
five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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 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

22 fields

Real growth rate

7.1%

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 3.5% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1996 est.)

Unemployment rate

16%

(1995 est.)

Labor force

2.917million

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

GDP - composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 13.5%industry 33.8%services 52.7% (1996 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$5.2 billionExpenditures

$7.2 billion (1996 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures to $1.4 billion

Economy - 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 with increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt.

Real growth has averaged 4.5% in 1991-96, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this solid record. Agricultural production accounted for a major portion of growth in GDP in 1996, growth having been adversely affected by drought in 1995.

Further privatization, the attraction of increased foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $43.3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

1.7 million kW (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

6.5 billion kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - consumption per capita

678 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value:: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:: hydrocarbons, textiles, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners:: EU 75%, North African countries 7%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports

total value:: $7.7 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities:: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
partners:: EU countries 70%, North African countries 6%, US 5%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%

Debt - external

$9.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $221 million (1993)

Currency

1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0075 (January 1997), 0.9985 (December 1996), 0.9733 (1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Fixed lines

560,000

(1996 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.)

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

670,000 (1992 est.)

Communications - note

Internet access is permitted but is licensed through a government agency

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 21 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)

bulk 6cargo 5chemical tanker 3oil tanker 2roll-on/roll-off cargo 3short-sea passenger 1specialized tanker 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

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

Networkskm

Highways

20,830Railways

2,260

Highways: paved: 15,831 km · unpaved: 4,999 km (1993 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:: 20,830 km
paved:: 15,831 km
unpaved:: 4,999 km (1993 est.)

Pipelines

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

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.8%

(1995)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes - international

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 TURKEY

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tunisia.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tunisia/1997.

How to cite ← 1996 edition 1998 edition →