Map of Tunisia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 163,610 km²
Land: 155,360 km²
Water: 8,250 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,424 km
Border countries: (2) Algeria 965 km; , Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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
Extremes lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
Extremes highest point: Jabal ash Shanabi 1,544 m

Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use
Arable land: 19%
Permanent crops: 13%
Permanent pastures: 20%
Forests and woodland: 4%
Other: 44% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,850 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean


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Population: 9,245,284 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.48% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tunisian(s)
Adjective: Tunisian

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

Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 32% (male 1,541,853; female 1,451,035)
15-64 years: 62% (male 2,858,987; female 2,873,748)
65 years and over: 6% (male 267,261; female 252,400) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.48% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 20.56 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.08 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.73 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 33.9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.85 years
Male: 71.5 years
Female: 74.3 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 66.7%
Male: 78.6%
Female: 54.6% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
Conventional short form: Tunisia
Local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
Local short form: Tunis

Government type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: National 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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 Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected without opposition; percent of vote - NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats by party - RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders

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 (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNTAES, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azouz ENNIFAR
In the us chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY
From the us embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
From the us FAX: [216] (1) 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt. Real growth has averaged 4.5% in 1991-96, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this solid record. Agricultural production accounted for a major portion of growth in GDP in 1996, growth having been adversely affected by drought in 1995. Further privatization, the attraction of increased foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 7.1% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 13.5%
Industry: 33.8%
Services: 52.7% (1996 est.)

Agriculture products: olives, dates, oranges, almonds, grain, sugar beets, grapes; poultry, beef, dairy products

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (1995)

Labor force
Total: 2.917 million (1993 est.)
By occupation services: 55%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation agriculture: 22% (1995 est.)
Note: shortage of skilled labor

Unemployment rate: 16% (1995 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $5.2 billion
Expenditures: $7.2 billion, including capital expenditures to $1.4 billion (1996 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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
Total value: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: hydrocarbons, textiles, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
Partners: EU 75%, North African countries 7%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports
Total value: $7.7 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
Partners: EU countries 70%, North African countries 6%, US 5%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $9.6 billion (1996 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0075 (January 1997), 0.9985 (December 1996), 0.9733 (1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 6.5 billion kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 678 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis
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 with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $535 million (1995)
Percent of gdp: 2.8% (1995)

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: 29 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 21
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 8
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 21
Over 3047 m: 3
2438 to 3047 m: 6
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 3
Under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 8
15-24 to 2437 m: 2
914 to 1523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Heliports

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

Railways
Total: 2,260 km
Standard gauge: 492 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1,758 km 1.000-m gauge
Dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (1993 est.)

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 138,113 GRT/179,906 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs