Airports [time series]

30 total, 28 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

13 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth

Merchant marine [time series]

21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

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

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and radio relay; key centers are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; stations--18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable to Algeria; radio relay to Algeria, Libya, and Italy

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

2.7% of GDP, or $235 million (1989 est.)

Military manpower [time series]

males 15-49, 1,997,197; 1,149,141 fit for military service; 88,368 reach military age (20) annually

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops--olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products--grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200 metric tons (1986)

Aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $694 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $410 million

Budget [time series]

revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.8 billion (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Tunisian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes

Electricity [time series]

1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1--0.9055 (January 1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals; partners--EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$7.6 billion (December 1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$8.7 billion, per capita $1,105; real growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods; partners--EC 68%, US 7%, Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.5% (1988)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

10% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for continued growth. Two successive drought-induced crop failures have strained the government's budget and increased unemployment. The current account fell from a $23 million surplus in 1988 to a $390 million deficit in 1989. Despite its foreign payments problems, Tunis appears committed to its IMF-supported structural adjustment program. Nonetheless, the government may have to slow its implementation to head off labor unrest. The increasing foreign debt--$7.6 billion at yearend 1989--is also a key problem. Tunis probably will seek debt relief in 1990.

Unemployment rate [time series]

25% (1989)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,148 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly larger than Georgia

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary dispute with Libya

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Land use [time series]

20% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 47% other; includes 1% irrigated

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Note [time series]

strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east

Terrain [time series]

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

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

163,610 km2; land area: 155,360 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

23 governorates (wilayat, singular--wilayah); 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

Capital [time series]

Tunis

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students

Constitution [time series]

1 June 1959

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Abdelaziz HAMZAOUI; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850; US--Ambassador Robert H. PELLETREAU, Jr.; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone [216] (1) 782-566

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

20 March 1956 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation) Chief of State--President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Tunisia; note--may be changed to Tunisian Republic

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AfDB, Arab League, AIOEC, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 20 March (1956)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President Ben Ali (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 20 President--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, others 2.4% seats--(141 total) RCD 141

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

28 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

2,250,000; 32% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor

Languages (Language) [time series]

Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

68 years male, 70 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

62% (est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Tunisian(s); adjective--Tunisian

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party

Population [time series]

8,095,492 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less than 1% Jewish

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.0 children born/woman (1990)