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.

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

Land boundaries: Total 1,424 km, 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:

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

Irrigated land: 2,750 km² (1989)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Tunisian(s)
Adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified_Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation
International agreements note: Strategic location in central Mediterranean

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.6 years (1996 est.), 73.25 years (1995 est.)
Male: 71.27 years (1996 est.), 71.16 years (1995 est.)
Female: 74.03 years 91,996 est.), 75.44 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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

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

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 Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results_President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
Head of government: Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral Chamber of Deputies (Majlis Al-Nuwaab):Elections last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999; results_RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats_(163 total) 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)

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

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. Detailed governmental control of economic affairs has gradually lessened over the past decade, including increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt. Real growth has averaged 4.2% in 1991-95, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and IMF support have been key elements in this solid record. Drought, especially in the south, held back GDP growth in 1995. Further privatization and further improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.4% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity_ $4,250 (1994 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:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate 5% (1989; accounts for 22% of GDP, including petroleum

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

Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $4.3 billion
Expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to NA (1993 est.)

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1_0.9635 (January 1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990)

Electricity
Capacity: 1,410,000 kW
Production: 5.4 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 595 kWh (1993)

Telephone system: 233,000 telephones (1987 est.); the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis
Local: NA
Intercity: facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
International: 5 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $535 million, 2.8% of GDP (1995), $549 million, 3% of GDP (1994)

Airports: 29
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (1995 est.)
With paved runways under 914 m: 6

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

Merchant marine
Total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 125,840 GRT/164,277 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 4, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)