Tunisia

Communications - note

Internet access is permitted but is licensed through a government agency

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 0

Radios

1,693,527 (1991 est.)

Telephone system

the system is above the African average; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis domestic : trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel

Telephones

560,000 (1996 est.)

Television broadcast stations

19

Televisions

670,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

olives, dates, oranges, almonds, grain, sugar beets, grapes; poultry, beef, dairy products

Budget

revenues : $5.2 billion expenditures: $7.2 billion, including capital expenditures to $1.4 billion (1996 est.)

Currency

1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Debt - external

$9.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $221 million (1993)

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 with increasing privatization of trade and commerce, simplification of the tax structure, and a cautious approach to debt. Real growth has averaged 4.5% in 1991-96, and inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this solid record. Agricultural production accounted for a major portion of growth in GDP in 1996, growth having been adversely affected by drought in 1995. Further privatization, the attraction of increased foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

Electricity - capacity

1.7 million kW (1995 est.)

Electricity - consumption per capita

678 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

6.5 billion kWh (1995 est.)

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 1.0075 (January 1997), 0.9985 (December 1996), 0.9733 (1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994), 1.0037 (1993), 0.8844 (1992)

Exports

total value: $5.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: hydrocarbons, textiles, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals partners: EU 75%, North African countries 7%, India 2%, US 1%

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $43.3 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 13.5% industry: 33.8% services: 52.7% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $4,800 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.1% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $7.7 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.) commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods partners: EU countries 70%, North African countries 6%, US 5%, Japan 2%, Switzerland 1%

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

6% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 2.917 million (1993 est.) by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) note : shortage of skilled labor

Unemployment rate

16% (1995 est.)

Area

total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Georgia

Climate

temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south

Coastline

1,148 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point : Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jabal ash Shanabi 1,544 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Marine Life Conservation

Geographic coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location in central Mediterranean

Irrigated land

3,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Land use

arable land: 19% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 20% forests and woodland: 4% other : 44% (1993 est.)

Location

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm territorial sea : 12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Terrain

mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara

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

Constitution

1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis

Data code

TS

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed Azouz ENNIFAR chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850

Executive branch

chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) head of government : Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results : President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected without opposition; percent of vote - NA

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

Government type

republic

Independence

20 March 1956 (from France)

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

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (163 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 97.7%, MDS 1.0%, others 1.3%; seats by party - RCD 144, MDS 10, others 9; note - the government changed the electoral code to guarantee that the opposition won seats

National capital

Tunis

National holiday

National Day, 20 March (1956)

Political parties and leaders

Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ismail BOULAHIA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Political pressure groups and leaders

the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$535 million (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.8% (1995)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 2,464,973 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 1,411,804 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 94,868 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years : 32% (male 1,541,853; female 1,451,035) 15-64 years: 62% (male 2,858,987; female 2,873,748) 65 years and over: 6% (male 267,261; female 252,400) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

20.56 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%

Infant mortality rate

33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 72.85 years male : 71.5 years female: 74.3 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 66.7% male: 78.6% female : 54.6% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun : Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

Net migration rate

-0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

9,245,284 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.48% (1997 est.)

Religions

Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.52 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

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 TURKEY

Airports

29 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 21 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m : 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 6 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 20,830 km paved: 15,831 km unpaved: 4,999 km (1993 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 138,113 GRT/179,906 DWT ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 5, chemical tanker 3, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1 (1996 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis

Railways

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 (1993 est.)