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. Tunisia has long taken a moderate non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

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: 1148 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 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 1,544 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: 3,940 km² (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

Population: 10,276,158 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 0.989% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 7.4% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Tunisian
Adjective: Tunisian

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

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

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 1,270,208/female 1,191,619)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,571,228/female 3,538,458)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 333,801/female 370,844) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.3 years
Male: 27.7 years
Female: 28.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.989% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 15.54 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 5.17 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.47 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Environment
Current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.066 male/female
15-64 years: 1.009 male/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male/female
Total population: 1.015 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 22.94 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 25.75 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.92 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.34 years
Male: 73.6 years
Female: 77.21 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2005 est.)
People living with hivaids: 1000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2006)

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

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)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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)

Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 20 March (1956)

Constitution: 1 June 1959; amended 1988 2002

Legal system: based on French civil law system and Shari'a 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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch
Elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011)
Election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
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 designate Robert F. GODEC
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] 71 107-090

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. 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 slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003 through 2005 however helped push GDP growth to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader privatization further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment improvements in government efficiency and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $82.85 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4.2% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $8,200 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 13.2%
Industry: 31.8%
Services: 55% (2005 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: 0.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force
Note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 55%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate: 14.2% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 7.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40 (2005 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $7.322 billion
Expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)

Public debt: 59.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $-359.2 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: textiles mechanical goods phosphates and chemicals agricultural products hydrocarbons
Partners: France 30.9% Italy 21.1% Germany 9.4% Spain 5.5% Libya 4.5% (2005)

Imports: $12.86 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: textiles machinery and equipment hydrocarbons chemicals food
Partners: France 25.5% Italy 22.9% Germany 9.5% Spain 5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.375 billion (2005 est.)

Debt external: $16.09 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005) 1.2455 (2004) 1.2885 (2003) 1.4217 (2002) 1.4387 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 11.56 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 10.76 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 10 million kWh (2003)
Imports: 5 million kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 2.15 billion m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 3.84 billion m³ (2003 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 1.58 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 77.87 billion m³ (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1,257,500 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 5.681 million (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
Domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
International: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Internet
Country code: .tn
Hosts: 428 (2006)
Users: 953,800 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.5% (FY99)

Military service age and obligation: 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Airports: 30 (2006)
With paved runways total: 14
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: 3 (2006)
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 (2006)

Pipelines: gas 2,945 km; oil 1227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 2,153 km
Standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
Dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

Roadways
Total: 18,997 km
Paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

Merchant marine
Total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4 (2006)

Ports and terminals: Bizerte Gabes La Goulette Skhira

Disputes international: none