Tunisia

Tunisian RepublicAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 115 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 Algeria and Libya
2002

Every edition of Tunisia

Populationas each edition published it
9.82 million July 2002 est. · 8.1m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.12% 2002 est. · 1.84% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
74.16 years 2002 est. · 72.54 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.94 children per woman 2002 est. · 4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
27.97 deaths per 1,000 live births 2002 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$6,600 2001 est. · $1,650 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.8% 2001 est. · 8% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 163,610 sq km

arable land 18.67%permanent crops 12.87%other 68.46% (1998 est.)irrigated 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
163,610sq km
water: 8,250 sq kmland: 155,360 sq kmslightly larger than Georgia
Coastline
1,148km
contiguous zone: 24 NMterritorial sea: 12 NM
Highest point
1,544m
Jebel ech Chambilowest 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

Geographic coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

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 poses 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;
  • Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People

18 fields
Population
9,815,644
(July 2002 est.)growth rate: 1.12% (2002 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2002 est.)

Birth
16.83Death
5Net migration
-0.63

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2002 est.)74.16
72.56 · 75.89
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)66.7%
78.6% · 54.6%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%European 1%Jewish and other 1%

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish and other 1%

Age structure

0-14 years:
27.8% (male 1,412,625; female 1,320,729)
15-64 years:
65.9% (male 3,234,770; female 3,233,149)
65 years and over:
6.3% (male 303,093; female 311,278) (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.97 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.94 children born/woman (2002 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); Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)

18 fields

Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab, 182 seats, elected 24 October 1999one dot, one seat

RCD 148MDS 13UDU 7PUP 7Al-Tajdid 5PSL 2

Country name

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

Capital

Tunis

Administrative divisions

23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

Independence

20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday

Independence 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)
head of government:
Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections:
  • president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  • election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004);
  • prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100%

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results:
  • percent of vote by party - RCD 92%;
  • seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2;
  • note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders

  • Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH];
  • Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)];
  • Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI];
  • Movement of Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI];
  • Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR];
  • Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]

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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
FAX:
[1] (202) 862-1858
telephone:
[1] (202) 862-1850
chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Rust M. DEMING
embassy:
Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[216] 71 782-566
FAX:
[216] 71 789-719

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

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

33 fields
Real growth rate
4.8%
(2001 est.)industrial production growth: 5.2% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
15.6%
(2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2000 est.)

agriculture 13%industry 33%services 54% (2000 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$5.7 billionExpenditures
$6.3 billion (2001 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 99%hydro 1%other 0% · nuclear 0%
Electricity production
10.3 billion (2000)Electricity consumption
9.562 billion (2000)Electricity exports
19 million (2000)Electricity imports
2 million (2000)

Economy - overview

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt.

Real growth averaged 5.4% in the past five years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11 September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and a Mediterranean country.

Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2%
highest 10%:
32% (1995) (1995)

Labor force

2.69 million note: shortage of skilled labor

Labor force - by occupation

services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds

Exports

$6.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Exports - commodities

textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners

France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000)

Imports

$8.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners

France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000)

Debt - external

$11.5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$933.2 million (1995)

Currency

Tunisian dinar (TND)

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields
Mobile cellular
50,000
(1998)
Fixed lines
654,000
(1997) · country code .tn

Telephone system

general assessment:
  • above the African average and continuing to be upgraded;
  • key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
  • Internet access available
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;
  • coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya;
  • participant in Medarabtel;
  • two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios

2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions

920,000 (1997)

Internet users

400,000 (2002)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

3
over 3,047 m
6
2,438 to 3,047 m
2
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
3
914 to 1,523 m
7
under 914 m
7
Paved 14Unpaved 16

Networkskm

Highways
23,100Railways
2,168
Highways: paved: 18,226 km · unpaved: 4,874 km (1996) · Railways: standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge · dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001) · narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge

Railways

total:
2,168 km
standard gauge:
471 km 1.435-m gauge
dual gauge:
10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001)
narrow gauge:
1,687 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways

total:
23,100 km
paved:
18,226 km
unpaved:
4,874 km (1996)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

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

Merchant marine

total:
16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,710 GRT/162,616 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)

Airports

30 (2001)

Military

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

7 fields

Military branches

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

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,806,881 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,597,565 (2002 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tunisia.” The World Factbook 2002. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tunisia/2002.

How to cite ← 2001 edition 2003 edition →