CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Tunisia


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!| 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 8,250 sq km land: 155,360 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 13.74% other: 68.4% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation !| Geography - note:
 * Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
 * 34 00 N, 9 00 E
 * Africa
 * total: 163,610 sq km
 * slightly larger than Georgia
 * total: 1,424 km
 * 1,148 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
 * mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
 * lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
 * petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
 * arable land: 17.86%
 * 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
 * NA
 * 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
 * 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
 * strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 3,373,199; female 3,360,402) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 315,151; female 334,610) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 26.3 years female: 27.3 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 73 years female: 76.44 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Tunisian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 74.2% male: 84% female: 64.4% (2003 est.)
 * 9,974,722 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 26% (male 1,337,546; female 1,253,814)
 * total: 26.8 years
 * 1.01% (2004 est.)
 * 15.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
 * total: 25.76 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 74.66 years
 * 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * less than 0.1% (2005 est.)
 * 1,000 (2003 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Tunisian(s)
 * Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
 * Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
 * Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Tunisia local short form: Tunis local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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: 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: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 962-115 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
 * republic
 * Tunis
 * 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)
 * 20 March 1956 (from France)
 * Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
 * 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
 * based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
 * 20 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
 * unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
 * Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; 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 [Abderrahmane TLILI]
 * the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
 * ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Tarek Azouz
 * chief of mission: Ambassador William J. HUDSON
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 32.2% services: 53.9% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 31.8% (1995) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.) !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $6.855 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2003 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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, averaging 5% for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004. Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. 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 for the future.
 * purchasing power parity - $68.23 billion (2003 est.)
 * 5.1% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 13.9%
 * 24.2% of GDP (2003)
 * 7.6% (2001 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 2.3%
 * 41.7 (1995)
 * 2.7% (2003 est.)
 * 3.461 million
 * services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
 * 14.3% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $6.101 billion
 * 59.5% of GDP (2003)
 * olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
 * petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
 * -0.1% (2003 est.)
 * 10.48 billion kWh (2001)
 * 9.748 billion kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 1 million kWh (2001)
 * 72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 417 million bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 0 cu m (2001 est.)
 * 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 77.16 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $-738.6 million (2003)
 * $8.035 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
 * France 32.6%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 4.7%, Libya 4.4% (2003)
 * $10.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
 * France 26.1%, Italy 19.8%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5.2% (2003)
 * $2.949 billion (2003)
 * $14.39 billion (2003 est.)
 * $378 million (2001)
 * Tunisian dinar (TND)
 * TND
 * Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: 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: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 1,163,800 (2003)
 * 1,899,900 (2003)
 * general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
 * AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
 * 2.06 million (1997)
 * 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
 * 920,000 (1997)
 * .tn
 * 281 (2004)
 * 1 (2000)
 * 630,000 (2003)
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!| Railways: standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2003) narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) !| Highways: paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,687 km (2000) !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, short-sea/passenger 3 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 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 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
 * total: 2,152 km
 * total: 18,997 km
 * gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004)
 * Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
 * total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT
 * 30 (2003 est.)
 * total: 14
 * total: 16
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army, Navy, Air Force
 * 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)
 * males age 15-49: 2,918,524 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 1,655,910 (2004 est.)
 * males: 106,565 (2004 est.)
 * $356 million (FY99)
 * 1.5% (FY99)
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