Tunisia

Tunisian RepublicAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 126 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

Populationas each edition published it

9.97 million July 2004 est. · 8.1m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.01% 2004 est. · 1.84% in 1993

Median ageyears

26.8 years 2004 est. · 26.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.66 years 2004 est. · 72.54 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.79 children per woman 2004 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

25.76 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 40 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,900 2003 est. · $1,650 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5.1% 2003 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 defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 sq km

arable land 17.86%permanent crops 13.74%other 68.4% (2001)irrigated 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Area

163,610sq km

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

Coastline

1,148km

territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 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

Map references

Africa

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

Natural hazards

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 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

19 fields

Population

9,974,722

(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 1.01% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth

15.74Death

5.05Net migration

-0.57

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)74.66

73 · 76.44Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)25.76

28.7 · 22.59

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)74.2%

84% · 64.4%Median age years (2004 est.)26.8

26.3 · 27.3

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:: 26% (male 1,337,546; female 1,253,814)
15-64 years:: 67.5% (male 3,373,199; female 3,360,402)
65 years and over:: 6.5% (male 315,151; female 334,610) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 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

Presidential electionpercent of vote

94.5%

Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)

Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab, 189 seats, elected 24 October 2004one dot, one seat

RCD 152MDS 14PUP 11UDU 7Al-Tajdid 3PSL 2

Country name

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

Government type

republic

Capital

Tunis

Administrative divisions

24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), 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

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 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 2004 (next to be held October 2009);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
election results:: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders

Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI];
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 Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA];
Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI];
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, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Tarek Azouz
chancery:: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX:: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador William J. HUDSON
embassy:: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [216] 71 107-000
FAX:: [216] 71 962-115

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.

46 fields

Real growth rate

5.1%

(2003 est.)industrial production growth: -0.1% (2003 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.7%

(2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

14.3%

(2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

7.6%

(2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 13.9%industry 32.2%services 53.9% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

32.6%

France

26.1%

21.9%

Italy

19.8%

10.7%

Germany

8.9%

4.7%

Spain

5.2%

4.4%

Libya

Exports $8.035 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues

$6.101 billionExpenditures

$6.855 billion (2003 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion

Electricity

Electricity production

10.48 billion (2001)Electricity consumption

9.748 billion (2001)Electricity imports

1 million (2001)

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, averaging 5% for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq.

GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004. Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges for the future.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $68.23 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24.2% of GDP (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

41.7 (1995)

Labor force

3.461 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Public debt

59.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

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

Oil - production

72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

417 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

77.16 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$-738.6 million (2003)

Exports

$8.035 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$2.949 billion (2003)

Debt - external

$14.39 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$378 million (2001)

Currency

Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code

TND

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

1,899,900

(2003)

Internet users

281

(2004)

Fixed lines

1,163,800

(2003) · 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:: country code - 216;
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)

Television broadcast stations

26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Internet users

630,000 (2003)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 14Unpaved 16

Networkskm

Highways

18,997Railways

2,152

Highways: paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways) · unpaved: 6,687 km (2000) · Railways: standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge · narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) · dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2003)

Railways

total:: 2,152 km
standard gauge:: 468 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge:: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge:: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2003)

Highways

total:: 18,997 km
paved:: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 6,687 km (2000)

total:: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT
by type:: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, short-sea/passenger 3
registered in other countries:: 2 (2004 est.)