Tunisia

Republic of TunisiaAl Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

republicIndependence 20 March 1956 (from France)

Tunisia as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 105 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalTunis
Position34 00 N, 9 00 E
Area163,610 sq km
LocationNorthern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea,
1999

Every edition of Tunisia

Populationas each edition published it
9.51 million July 1999 est. · 8.1m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.39% 1999 est. · 1.84% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 26.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
73.35 years 1999 est. · 72.54 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.38 children per woman 1999 est. · 4 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
31.38 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 40 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$5,200 1998 est. · $1,650 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5% 1998 est. · 8% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 163,610 sq km

arable land 19%permanent crops 13%permanent pastures 20%forests and woodland 4%other 44% (1993 est.)irrigated 3,850 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
163,610sq km
land: 155,360 sq kmwater: 8,250 sq kmslightly larger than Georgia
Coastline
1,148km
contiguous zone: 24 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
1,544m
Jabal ash Shanabilowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
Land boundaries
1,424km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

34 00 N, 9 00 E

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

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

Geography--note

strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

15 fields
Population
9,513,603
(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.39% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth
19.72Death
5.05Net migration
-0.74

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)73.35
71.95 · 74.86
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)66.7%
78.6% · 54.6%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

Arab 98%European 1%Jewish and other 1%

Religions

Muslim 98%Christian 1%Jewish and other 1%

Age structure

0-14 years:
31% (male 1,513,296; female 1,417,166)
15-64 years:
63% (male 3,006,029; female 3,018,411)
65 years and over:
6% (male 283,026; female 275,675) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.03 male(s)/female
total population:
1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

31.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.38 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Tunisian(s)
adjective:
Tunisian

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

97.7%
-RCD 97.7%MDS 1.0%others 1.3%last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)

Legislature, 163 seats, elected 20 March 1994one dot, one seat

-RCD 144MDS 10others 9

Percent of vote

-RCD 97.7%MDS 1.0%others 1.3%

Country name

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

Capital

Tunis

Administrative divisions

23 governorates; Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn, Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin 'Arus, Jundubah, Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis, Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis, Zaghwan

Independence

20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday

National Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution

1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

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 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--Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 99%

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

Judicial branch

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)

Political parties and leaders

Constitutional Democratic Rally parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

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, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Noureddine MEJDOUB
chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Robin L. RAPHEL
embassy:
144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address:
use embassy street address

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

31 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$5,200
purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)
Real growth rate
5%
(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 4.2% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate
15.6%
(1998 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 14%industry 28%services 58% (1996 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

80%
EU
EU countries
80%
6%
North African countries
5.5%
4%
Asia
5.5%
1%
US
5%
Exports $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)Imports $7.9 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)(1996)

Budget

Revenues
$5.8 billionExpenditures
$6.5 billion (1998 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures to $1.4 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 99.54%hydro 0.46%nuclear 0% · other 0%
Electricity production
7.535 billion (1996)Electricity consumption
7.616 billion (1996)Electricity imports
81 million (1996)

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.

Real growth averaged 4.0% in 1993-97 and reached 5.0% in 1998. Inflation has been moderate. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements in this steady growth. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and Mediterranean countries to be activated.

Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$49 billion (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
2.3%
highest 10%:
30.7% (1990)

Labor force

3.3 million (1995 est.) note: shortage of skilled labor

Labor force--by occupation

services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

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

Exports

$5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)

Exports--commodities

hydrocarbons, textiles, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals

Imports

$7.9 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.)

Imports--commodities

industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods

Debt--external

$12.1 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid--recipient

$933.2 million (1995); note?ODA, $90 million (1998 est.)

Currency

1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Exchange rates

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1--1.1027 (December 1998), 1.1393 (1998), 1.1059 (1997), 0.9734 (1996), 0.9458 (1995), 1.0116 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields
Fixed lines
560,000
(1996 est.); 3,185 cellular telephone subscribers (1998 est.)

Telephone system

  • the system is above the African average and is continuing to be upgraded;
  • key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis;
  • Internet access is available through two private service providers licensed by the government
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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 8, shortwave 1 (1998 est.)

Radios

1.7 million (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations

19 (these are network stations; there are some additional stations of low power) (1997)

Televisions

650,000 (1998 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 20 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

bulk 4cargo 5chemical tanker 3liquefied gas tanker 1oil tanker 3short-sea passenger 3specialized tanker 1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m
7
total: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8

Networkskm

Highways
23,100Railways
2,260
Highways: paved: 18,226 km · unpaved: 4,874 km (1996 est.) · Railways: 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 (three rails) (1993 est.)

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 (three rails) (1993 est.)

Highways

total:
23,100 km
paved:
18,226 km
unpaved:
4,874 km (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

Airports

32 (1998 est.)

Airports--with paved runways

total:
14
over 3,047 m:
3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1998 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, | National Guard

7 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 2,601,928 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,486,964 (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes--international

maritime boundary dispute with Libya; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

Central Intelligence Agency. “Tunisia.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/tunisia/1999.

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