Airports [time series]

29 total, 28 usable; 14 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; 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, paramilitary forces

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$315 million, 2.6% of GDP (1990 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 2,052,191; 1,180,614 fit for military service; 90,218 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 (1987)

Budget [time series]

revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $4.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $970 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $730 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million

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--0.8408 (January 1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals; partners--EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$7.4 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

$10 billion, per capita $1,235; real growth rate 6.5% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$4.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.); 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 5% (1989); accounts for 38% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

7.4% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures for continued growth. Following two years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy made a strong recovery in 1990 as a result of a bountiful harvest, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment. Continued high inflation and unemployment have eroded popular support for the government, however, and forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform. Nonetheless, the government appears committed to implementing its IMF-supported structural adjustment program and to servicing its foreign debt.

Unemployment rate [time series]

15.4% (1989)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,148 km Territorial sea: 12 nm

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]

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

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

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-designate Habib LAZREG; 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) 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

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 Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

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

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

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 20 March (1956)

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 ALI was reelected without opposition; Chamber of Deputies--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats--(141 total) RCD 141

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Birth rate [time series]

26 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

38 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

70 years male, 74 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

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]

8,276,096 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.3 children born/woman (1991)