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.
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
17.05%
permanent crops
13.08%
other
69.87% (2005)
Irrigated land
3,940 sq km (2003)
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
Population
10,276,158 (July 2007 est.)
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) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
28.3 years
male
27.7 years
female
28.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
0.989% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
15.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.066 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.009 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.9 male(s)/female
total population
1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
22.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male
25.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female
19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
75.34 years
male
73.6 years
female
77.21 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.73 children born/woman (2007 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) (2007)
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
74.3%
male
83.4%
female
65.3% (2004 census)
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
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal except for active duty military
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 on 24 October 2004 (next to be held in 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
bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held on 24 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 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 (official ruling party) [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders
18 October Group [collective leadership]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]; note - the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone
[1] (202) 862-1850
FAX
[1] (202) 862-1858
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Robert F. GODEC
embassy
Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
mailing address
use embassy street address
telephone
[216] 71 107-000
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. Increased rain helped to push GDP growth to an average rate of 5% in 2003-05. However, a recession in agriculture, weak expansion in the tourism and textile sectors, and increasing import costs due to rising world energy prices cut growth to 4% in 2006. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$89.74 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$33.29 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$8,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
12.8%
industry
31%
services
56.2% (2006 est.)
Labor force
3.502 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
55%
industry
23%
services
22% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate
13.9% (2006 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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.6% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
22.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$7.728 billion
expenditures
$8.734 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2006 est.)
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Industrial production growth rate
4.7% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production
11.81 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
99.5%
hydro
0.5%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
10.97 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
15 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
5 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production
81,530 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
89,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves
1.7 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
2.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
3.7 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports
1.3 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
77.87 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
-$760 million (2006 est.)
Exports
$11.61 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners
France 28.9%, Italy 20.4%, Germany 8.6%, Spain 6.1%, Libya 4.9%, US 4% (2006)
Imports
$13.89 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
France 24.9%, Italy 21.8%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 4.7% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$6.646 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$18.37 billion (30 June 2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$328 million (2004)
Currency (code)
Tunisian dinar (TND)
Currency code
TND
Exchange rates
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
1.258 million (2005)
Telephones - 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; 2 international gateway digital switches
Radio broadcast stations
AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios
2.06 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions
920,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.tn
Internet hosts
428 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
953,800 (2005)
Airports
30 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
14
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
6
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
16
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
7
under 914 m
7 (2006)
Pipelines
gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 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
19,232 km
paved
12,655 km (includes 262 km of expressways)
unpaved
6,577 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
