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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 29 usable: 26 with permanent-surface runways: 13 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 7 note: a new airport opened 6 May 1993, length and type of surface NA

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 161,661 GRT/221,959 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 oil tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 6 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 797 km, petroleum products 86 km, natural gas 742 km

Ports [time series]

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

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

2,115 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650 km 1.000-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones (28 telephones per 1,000 persons); broadcast stations - 7 AM, 8 FM, 19 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $618 million, 3.7% of GDP (1993 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 2,164,686; fit for military service 1,244,683; reach military age (20) annually 90,349 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 15% 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 $4.3 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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 (1970-89), $5.2 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $410 million

Electricity [time series]

1,545,000 kW capacity; 5,096 million kWh produced, 600 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9931 (February 1993), 0.8844 (1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals partners: EC countries 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, former USSR republics

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$7.7 billion (1992 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$6.1 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods partners: EC countries 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria

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

growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6% (1992 est.)

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

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $13.6 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$1,650 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

8% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures. Following two years of drought-induced economic decline, the economy came back strongly in 1990-92 as a result of good harvests, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment. High unemployment has 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]

15.7% (1992)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 163,610 km2 land area: 155,360 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

1,148 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary disputes with Algeria under discussion

Irrigated land [time series]

2,750 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 1,424 km, 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%

Location [time series]

Northern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily, between Algeria and Libya

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Note [time series]

strategic location in central Mediterranean

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

23 governorates; Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba, Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine, Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine, Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan

Capital [time series]

Tunis

Constitution [time series]

1 June 1959

Digraph [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Ismail KHELIL chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 862-1850

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition Chamber of Deputies: last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other 2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141

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)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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 Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)

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, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 20 March (1956)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed

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

Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY embassy: 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] (1) 782-566 FAX: [216] (1) 789-719

People

Birth rate [time series]

24.24 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.25 million by occupation: agriculture 32% note: shortage of skilled labor

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 72.54 years male: 70.55 years female: 74.62 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 65% male: 74% female: 56%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

8,570,868 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.84% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.02 children born/woman (1993 est.)