Introduction

 

Background: Following independence from France in 1956, 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. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

 

Geography

 

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

 

Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E

 

Map references: Africa

 

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

 

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia

 

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

 

Coastline: 1,148 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;highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

 

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

 

Land use: arable land: 17.86%;permanent crops: 13.74%;other: 68.4% (2001)

 

Irrigated land: 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

 

Natural hazards: NA

 

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

 

Environment - 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;signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

 

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

 

People

 

Population: 10,074,951 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.3% (male 1,316,308/female 1,234,309);15-64 years: 68.1% (male 3,437,880/female 3,418,591);65 years and over: 6.6% (male 321,287/female 346,576) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 27.29 years;male: 26.78 years;female: 27.82 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 0.99% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 15.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 5.09 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: -0.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female;under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female;15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female;65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female;total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 24.77 deaths/1,000 live births;male: 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births;female: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.89 years;male: 73.2 years;female: 76.71 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 1.75 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 1,000 (2003 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - 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) (2004)

 

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s);adjective: Tunisian

 

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

 

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

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

 

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write;total population: 74.2%;male: 84%;female: 64.4% (2003 est.)

 

Government

 

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: Tunis

 

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 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);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; 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: unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms);elections: last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009);election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2

 

Judicial branch: Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

 

Economy

 

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 and 2004, however, helped push GDP growth above 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the European Union. 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.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $70.88 billion (2004 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 5.1% (2004 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,100 (2004 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.8%;industry: 31.8%;services: 54.4% (2004 est.)

 

Labor force: 3.55 million;note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.)

 

Labor force - by occupation: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 13.8% (2004 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: 7.6% (2001 est.)

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3%;highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

 

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 41.7 (1995)

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (2004 est.)

 

Investment (gross fixed): 24.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $6.799 billion;expenditures: $7.573 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2004 est.)

 

Public debt: 59.2% of GDP (2004 est.)

 

Agriculture - products: olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds

 

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

 

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 10.72 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - consumption: 10.05 billion kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - exports: 10 million kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - imports: 90 million kWh (2002)

 

Oil - production: 72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - exports: NA

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Oil - proved reserves: 1.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)

 

Natural gas - production: 2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - consumption: 3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - imports: 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

 

Natural gas - proved reserves: 77.16 billion cu m (2004)

 

Current account balance: $71.85 million (2004 est.)

 

Exports: $9.926 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Exports - commodities: textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

 

Exports - partners: France 30%, Italy 23.3%, Germany 9.3%, Spain 5.3%, Belgium 4.3%, Libya 4.2% (2004)

 

Imports: $11.52 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

 

Imports - commodities: textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

 

Imports - partners: France 27.5%, Italy 20.8%, Germany 9.2%, Spain 5.7% (2004)

 

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.509 billion (2004 est.)

 

Debt - external: $14.71 billion (2004 est.)

 

Economic aid - recipient: $114.6 million (2002)

 

Currency (code): Tunisian dinar (TND)

 

Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000)

 

Fiscal year: calendar year

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 1,163,800 (2003)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,899,900 (2003)

 

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

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

 

Television broadcast stations: 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

 

Internet country code: .tn

 

Internet hosts: 281 (2004)

 

Internet users: 630,000 (2003)

 

Transportation

 

Railways: total: 2,152 km;standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge;narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified);dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2004)

 

Highways: total: 18,997 km;paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways);unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

 

Pipelines: gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004)

 

Ports and harbors: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis

 

Merchant marine: total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT