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.

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 163,610 km²
Land: 155,360 km²

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

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims: 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 20%
Permanent crops: 10%
Meadows and pastures: 19%
Forest and woodland: 4%
Other: 47%

Irrigated land: 2,750 km² (1989)

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean

Population: 8,726,562 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.76% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Tunisian(s)

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%

Population growth rate: 1.76% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 23.4 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 4.95 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.85 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Environment
Current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from untreated sewage; water scarcity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Infant mortality rate: 34.1 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.89 years
Male: 70.85 years
Female: 75.03 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.88 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 65%
Male: 74%
Female: 56%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
Conventional short form:

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

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

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
Head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Chamber of Deputies Majlis alNuwaab: elections last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994); results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY
From the us chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,005
From the us telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
From the us embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
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

Economy overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism and manufacturing sectors. The economy grew rapidly in the mid-1980s, GDP growth averaging 5.4% in 1983-85. Following a foreign exchange crisis caused by a sharp drop in agricultural output and tourism, combined with the oil price collapse in 1986, Tunisia inaugurated an IMF-sponsored economic rehabilitation scheme. Subsequent government structural reforms have helped liberalize and open the economy, and GDP growth has been positive since the start of the program. A sharp rebound in tourism from the downturn caused by the Gulf war and strong agricultural performance boosted real GDP growth to more than 8% in 1992; growth fell back to 2.6% in 1993. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $4,000 (1993 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1989; accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum

Labor force: 2.25 million
By occupation: agriculture 32%
By occupation note: shortage of skilled labor

Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)

Budget: revenues:$4.3 billion

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $4.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
Partners: EC countries 75%, Middle East 10%, Algeria 2%, India 2%, US 1%

Imports: $6.4 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods
Partners: EC countries 70%, US 5%, Middle East 2%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%, Algeria 1%

Debt external: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0514 (January 1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,545,000 kW
Production: 5,096 kWh
Consumption per capita: 600 kWh (1992)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $618 million, 3.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

Airports: 31
Usable: 27
With permanentsurface runways: 14
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 9
With runways 1220-2439 m: 5
Note: a new airport opened 6 May 1993, length and type of surface NA

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

Merchant marine: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 152,683 GRT/199,273 DWT, bulk 6, cargo 6, chemical tanker 6, liquefied gas 1, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1

Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary dispute with Algeria settled in 1993