TUNISIA
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TUNISIA
@Tunisia:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Algeria and Libya
Map references: Africa
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TUNISIA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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TUNIS 597,000 36.50N, 10.13E 216-1 GMT+1
Sfax 232,000 34.45N, 10.43E 216-4 GMT+1
Ariana 99,000 36.52N, 10.12E 216- GMT+1
Bizerte 95,000 37.18N, 9.52E 216-2 GMT+1
Djerba 92,000 33.52N, 10.51E 216- GMT+1
Gabes 92,000 33.52N, 10.06E 216-5 GMT+1
Sousse 84,000 35.50N, 10.38E 216-3 GMT+1
Kairouan 72,000 35.42N, 10.07E 216-7 GMT+1
La Goulette 62,000 36.52N, 10.18E 216- GMT+1
Gafsa 61,000 34.25N, 8.48E 216-6 GMT+1
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Area:
total area: 163,610 sq km
land area: 155,360 sq km
comparative area: 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
International disputes: 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
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 sq km (1989)
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
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean
@Tunisia:People
Population: 8,879,845 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,507,866; male 1,563,411)
15-64 years: 60% (female 2,665,586; male 2,672,712)
65 years and over: 5% (female 226,201; male 244,069) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.69% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 22.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.25 years
male: 71.16 years
female: 75.44 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce),
French (commerce)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 57%
male: 69%
female: 45%
Labor force: 2.25 million
by occupation: agriculture 32%
note: shortage of skilled labor
@Tunisia:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis
Digraph: TS
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)
Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party
(RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of
Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political
parties are legal, including the Communist Party
Other political or pressure groups: the Islamic fundamentalist party,
An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
Member of: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU,
MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS
(observer), OAU, OIC, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMIH, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azzouz ENNAIFER
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY
embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] (1) 782-566
FAX: [216] (1) 789-719
Flag: 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 roughly 5% in 1991-94, and inflation
has been moderate. Growth in tourism and IMF support have been key
elements in this solid record. Further privatization and further
improvements in government administrative efficiency are among the
challenges for the future.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $37.1 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.4% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,250 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate: 16.2% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.3 billion
expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures to $NA
(1993 est.)
Exports: $4.6 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: $6.5 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%
External debt: $7.7 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for 22% of GDP,
including petroleum
Electricity:
capacity: 1,410,000 kW
production: 5.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 595 kWh (1993)
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore),
tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Agriculture: 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
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89) $52 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million
Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9849 (January 1995),
1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783
(1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Tunisia:Transportation
Railroads:
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
Highways:
total: 29,183 km
paved: bituminous 17,510 km
unpaved: improved, unimproved earth 11,673 km
Pipelines: crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742
km
Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
Merchant marine:
total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 129,035 GRT/168,032 DWT
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 5, chemical tanker 4, oil tanker 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total: 31
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 8
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
@Tunisia:Communications
Telephone system: 233,000 telephones; 28 telephones/1,000 persons; 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
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 19
televisions: NA
@Tunisia:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,294,912; males fit for
military service 1,317,642; males reach military age (20) annually
93,601 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $549 million, 3% of
GDP (1994)
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