Tunisia

• mountains in north;
• hot, dry central plain;
• semiarid south merges into the Sahara

total:

2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)

per capita:

261 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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

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

• strategic location in central Mediterranean;
• Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

at birth:

1.073 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.86 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

noun:

Tunisian(s)

adjective:

Tunisian

conventional long form:

Tunisian Republic

conventional short form:

Tunisia

local long form:

Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form:

Tunis

name:

Tunis

geographic coordinates:

36 48 N, 10 11 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• based on French civil law system and Islamic law;
• some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session;
• has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

• President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fifth term;
• percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 89.6%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 5%, Ahmed INOUBLI 3.8%, Ahmed BRAHIM 1.6%;
• voter turnout 89.4%

• bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms);
• and the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (214 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:

• Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in July 2011);
• Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014);

election results:

• Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - RCD 84.6%, MDS 4.6%, PUP 3.4%, UDU 2.6%, PSL 2.2%, PVP 1.7%, Al-Tajdid 0.5%;
• seats by party - RCD 161, MDS 16, PUP 12, UDU 9, PSL 8, PVP 6, Al-Tajdid 2;
• voter turnout 89.4%

• Al-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM];
• Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD;
• Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR];
• Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI];
• Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET];
• Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA];
• Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
• Progressive Democratic Party [Maya JERIBI];
• Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI];
• note - the Islamist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mohamed Salah TEKAYA

chancery:

1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

telephone:

[1] (202) 862-1850

FAX:

[1] (202) 862-1858

chief of mission:

Ambassador Gordon GRAY

embassy:

Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[216] 71 107-000

FAX:

[216] 71 963-263

• red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star;
• resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire;
• red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace;
• the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

note: the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire

name:

"Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland)

lyrics/music:

Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

note: adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates

agriculture:

18.3%

industry:

31.9%

services:

49.8% (2009 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

31.5% (2000)

general assessment:

• above the African average and continuing to be upgraded;
• key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
• telephone network is completely digitized;
• Internet access available throughout the country

domestic:

• in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government has awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity;
• rural areas are served by wireless local loops;
• competition between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership;
• a third mobile, fixed, and ISP operator was licensed in 2009 and will begin offering services in 2010;
• expansion of mobile-cellular services to include multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone services also leading to a surge in subscribership;
• overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 100 telephones per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 216;
• a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia;
• satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat;
• coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya;
• participant in Medarabtel;
• 2 international gateway digital switches

• broadcast media is mainly government-controlled;
• the state-run Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment (ERTT) operates 2 national television networks, several national radio networks, and a number of regional radio stations;
• 1 TV and 3 radio stations are privately-owned and report domestic news stories directly from the official Tunisian news agency;
• the state retains control of broadcast facilities and transmitters through L'Office National de la Telediffusion;
• Tunisians also have access to Egyptian, pan-Arab, and European satellite TV channels (2007)

total:

2,167 km

country comparison to the world: 70

standard gauge:

471 km 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge:

1,688 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)

dual gauge:

8 km (2008)

total:

19,232 km

country comparison to the world: 111

paved:

12,655 km (includes 262 km of expressways)

unpaved:

6,577 km (2006)

males age 16-49:

3,065,431

females age 16-49:

2,974,060 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

2,594,602

females age 16-49:

2,510,159 (2010 est.)

male:

96,697

female:

90,599 (2010 est.)