Map of Tunisia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first 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 November 1987 BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment corruption widespread poverty and high food prices escalated in January 2011 culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011 the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government he fled the country and by late January 2011 a 'national unity government' was formed. In late October 2011 elections for a Constituent Assembly were held. The Constituent Assembly is charged with appointing a new interim government drafting a new constitution and preparing for legislative and presidential elections.


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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
Rank: 93
Land: 155,360 km²
Water: 8,250 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries
Total: 1424 km
Border countries: (2) Algeria 965 km; Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1148 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 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: Jebel ech Chambi 1544 m

Natural resources: petroleum phosphates iron ore lead zinc salt

Land use
Arable land: 17.05%
Permanent crops: 13.08%
Other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land: 4,450 km² (2008)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 4.6 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: NA

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


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Population: 10,629,186 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 78
Growth rate: 0.978% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 117
Below poverty line: 3.8% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tunisian
Adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98% European 1% Jewish and other 1%

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

Religions: Muslim 98% Christian 1% Jewish and other 1%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 23.2%
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,638,014/female 3,728,294)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male 390,055/female 405,344) (2011 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 30 years
Male: 29.6 years
Female: 30.4 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.978% (2011 est.)
Rank: 117

Birth rate: 17.4 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 116

Death rate: 5.83 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 170

Net migration rate: -1.79 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 160

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 67% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/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 (2011 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.92 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 79
Male: 29.6 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 21.97 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.01 years
Rank: 91
Male: 73 years
Female: 77.17 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.03 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 124

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.19 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 93

Hospital bed density: 2.1 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 99

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 160
People living with hivaids: 2,400 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 133
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 135

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.3% (2006)
Rank: 102

Education expenditures: 7.1% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 15

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 74.3%
Male: 83.4%
Female: 65.3% (2004 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 15 years (2008)

Youth unemployment


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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
Name: Tunis
Geographic coordinates: 36 48 N 10 11 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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)

Dependent areas

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 1988 2002; note - the newly formed Constituent Assembly is charged with writing a new constitution

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military) people with mental disabilities people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only) and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Moncef MARZOUKI
Head of government: Prime Minister Hamadi JEBALI (since 14 December 2011)
Cabinet: Prime Minister JEBALI was asked to form a new government on 14 December 2011
Elections: president elected by Constituent Assembly; election last held on 12 December 2011(next to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President MARZOUKI elected by Constituent Assembly with 153 of 156 votes

Legislative branch
Elections: note - following the 2010-2011 political revolution in Tunisia a 217-member 'Constituent Assembly' was elected on 23 October 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al-Nahda 89 CPR 29 Popular Petition 26 FDTL 20 PDP 16 PDM 5 The Initiative 5 Afek Tounes 4 PCOT 3 other minor parties each with fewer than three seats 20

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Afek Tounes [Emna MINF]; al-Nahda (The Renaissance) [Rachid GHANNOUCHI]; Congress Party for the Republic or CPR [Moncef MARZOUKI]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL (Ettakatol) [Mustapha Ben JAAFAR]; Democratic Modernist Pole or PDM (a coalition); Democratic Socialist Movement or MDS; Et-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Petition (Aridha Chaabia) [Hachemi HAMDI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party or PDP [Maya JERIBI]; The Initiative [Kamel MORJANE] (formerly the Constitutional Democratic Rally or RCD); Tunisian Workers' Communist Party or PCOT [Hamma HAMMAMI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AMF AMU AU BSEC (observer) FAO G-11 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAS MIGA MONUSCO NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OIF OPCW OSCE (partner) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Salah TEKAYA
In the us chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
In the us fax: [1] (202) 862-1858
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gordon GRAY
From the us embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [216] 71 107-000
From the us fax: [216] 71 963-263

Flag description: 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

National symbols: encircled red star and crescent

National anthem
Name: 'Humat Al Hima'
Lyricsmusic: 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

National heritage


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Economy overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy with important agricultural mining 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. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth which averaged almost 5% over the past decade declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 3-4% in 2009-10 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market. However development of non-textile manufacturing a recovery in agricultural production and strong growth in the services sector somewhat mitigated the economic effect of slowing exports. Tunisia will need to reach even higher growth levels to create sufficient employment opportunities for an already large number of unemployed as well as the growing population of university graduates. The challenges ahead include: privatizing industry liberalizing the investment code to increase foreign investment improving government efficiency reducing the trade deficit and reducing socioeconomic disparities in the impoverished south and west.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 71
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 104

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 113
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.6%
Industry: 34.6%
Services: 54.8% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: olives olive oil grain tomatoes citrus fruit sugar beets dates almonds; beef dairy products

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

Industrial production growth rate: 7.7% (2010 est.)
Rank: 48

Labor force: 3.769 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 90
By occupation agriculture: 18.3%
By occupation industry: 31.9%
By occupation services: 49.8% (2009 est.)

Unemployment rate: 13.3% (2009 est.)
Rank: 136

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 3.8% (2005 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 31.5% (2000)

Distribution of family income gini index: 41.7 (1995 est.)
Rank: 63

Budget
Revenues: $10.29 billion
Expenditures: $12.15 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -4.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 130

Taxes and other revenues: 23.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 132

Public debt: 46.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 55

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.5% (2009 est.)
Rank: 138

Central bank discount rate:

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.305% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 135

Stock of narrow money: $11.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 71

Stock of broad money: $27.56 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 77

Stock of domestic credit: $29.16 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 69

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 69

Current account balance: -$1.234 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 131

Exports: $14.42 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 75
Commodities: clothing semi-finished goods and textiles agricultural products mechanical goods phosphates and chemicals hydrocarbons electrical equipment
Partners: France 26.5% Italy 17.4% Germany 9.6% Libya 6.2% UK 5.6% Spain 4.2% (2010)

Imports: $18.12 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 69
Commodities: textiles machinery and equipment hydrocarbons chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 20.4% Italy 20.2% Germany 9.1% Spain 5.2% China 4.5% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $11.06 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 74

Debt external: $21.47 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 73

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $31.86 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 61

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $233 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 79

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 14.4 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 82
Consumption: 12.49 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 82
Exports: 129 million kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 7 million kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 3.6 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 52
Consumption: 4.85 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 61
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 191
Imports: 1.25 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 56
Proven reserves: 65.13 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 59

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.29 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 68
Mobile cellular: 11.114 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 63

Telephone system
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: 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)

Internet
Country code: .tn
Hosts: 490 (2010)
Hosts rank: 181
Users: 3.5 million (2009)
Users rank: 60

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 109

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for compulsory military service 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service obligation (2007)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 32 (2010)
Rank: 112
With paved runways total: 16
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 16
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 2,386 km; oil 1323 km; refined products 453 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 2,165 km
Rank: 68
Standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1694 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways
Total: 19,232 km
Rank: 111
Paved: 12,655 km (includes 262 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 6,577 km (2008)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 11
Rank: 110
By type: bulk carrier 1 cargo 2 chemical tanker 2 passenger/cargo 4 roll on/roll off 2
Registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Bizerte Gabes Rades Sfax Skhira


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs