Map of Tunisia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Following independence from France in 1956 President Habib BOURGIUBA 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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 163,610 km²
Land: 155,360 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary disputes with Algeria under discussion

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

Elevation

Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use: arable land: 20%; permanent crops: 10%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 4%; other 47%; includes irrigated 1%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 8,445,656 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Tunisian(s; adjective - Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%

Languages: Arabic (official; Arabic and French (commerce)

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 25 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form:

Government type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 20
President: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
Chamber of Deputies: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation:
US: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone 216 (1) 782-566; FAX 216 (1) 789-719

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures. Following two years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy made a strong recovery in 1990 as a result of a bountiful harvest, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment. Continued high inflation and unemployment have eroded popular support for the government, however, and forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform. Nonetheless, the government appears committed to implementing its IMF-supported structural adjustment program and to servicing its foreign debt.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $10.9 billion, per capita $1,320; real growth rate 3.5% (1991)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops - olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products - grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200 metric tons (1987)

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

Industrial production growth rate:

Labor force: 2,250,000; agriculture 32%; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor:

Unemployment rate: 15% (1991)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $970 million (1992 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
Partners: EC 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, USSR

Imports: $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
Partners: EC 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9272 (March 1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987)


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Electricity
Production: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $520 million, 5% of GDP (1992 budget)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 797 km, petroleum products 86 km, natural gas 742 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:
Civil air: 19 major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs