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Background:
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 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. |
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Location:
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Northern Africa,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya |
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Geographic coordinates:
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34 00 N, 9 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
163,610 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than Georgia |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
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Coastline:
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1,148 km |
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Climate:
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temperate in
north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in
south |
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Terrain:
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mountains in
north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the
Sahara |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land:
18.67%
permanent crops: 12.87%
other: 68.46% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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3,800 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental
shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration |
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Population:
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9,974,722 (July
2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total:
26.8 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 27.3 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.01% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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15.74
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.05 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
25.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 74.66 years
male: 73 years
female: 76.44 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.04% (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 98%,
European 1%, Jewish and other 1% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 98%,
Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official
and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.2%
male: 84%
female: 64.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local short form: Tunis
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Tunis |
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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20 March 1956
(from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day,
20 March (1956) |
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Constitution:
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1 June 1959;
amended 12 July 1988 |
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Legal system:
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based on French
civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of
legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session |
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of
Cassation or Cour de Cassation |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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the Islamic
fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20005 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 percent 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 is likely to ease to
the 5-5.5 percent range in 2004 as the agricultural sector is
unlikely to continue to expand as rapidly. 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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $68.78 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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6% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $6,900 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
12%
industry: 32%
services: 56% (2003 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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7.6% (2001 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.7% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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3.5 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2001 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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services 55%,
industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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14.3% (2003 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$5.2 billion
expenditures: $5.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $1.6 billion (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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petroleum, mining
(particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles,
footwear, agribusiness, beverages |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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3.1% (2003 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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10.48 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
99.5%
hydro: 0.5%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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9.748 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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72,580 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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87,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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2.25 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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3.83 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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olives, olive
oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef,
sugar beets, dates, almonds |
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Exports:
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$8.035 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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textiles,
mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural
products, hydrocarbons |
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Exports - partners:
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France 31.3%,
Italy 21.6%, Germany 11.5%, Spain 4.8%, Libya 4.7%, Belgium
4.3% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$10.3 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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textiles,
machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food |
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Imports - partners:
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France 25.6%,
Italy 19.5%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$13.8 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$378 million
(2001) |
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Currency:
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Tunisian dinar (TND) |
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Currency code:
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TND |
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Exchange rates:
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Tunisian dinars
per US dollar - 1.29 (2003), 1.42 (2002), 1.44 (2001), 1.37
(2000), 1.19 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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1.148 million
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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503,900 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 7, FM 20,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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26 (plus 76
repeaters) (1995) |
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Internet country code:
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.tn |
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Internet hosts:
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341 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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505,500 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
2,152 km
standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge
dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three
rails) (2002)
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km
electrified) |
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Highways:
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total:
18,997 km
paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,687 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Pipelines:
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gas 3,059 km; oil
1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bizerte, Gabes,
La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 11
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT
registered in other countries: 2 (2003 est.)
by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied
gas 1, short-sea/passenger 3 |
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Airports:
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30 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force |
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Military manpower - military age:
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20
years of age (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males
age 15-49: 2,918,524 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males
age 15-49: 1,655,910 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
106,565 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$356
million (FY99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.5%
(FY99) |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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