1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline
1,148 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Georgia
Disputes
maritime boundary dispute with Libya
Environment
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land boundaries
1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use
20% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 47% other; includes 1% irrigated
Natural resources
crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Note
strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east
Terrain
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
163,610 km2; land area: 155,360 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
28 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
98% Arab, 1% European, less than 1% Jewish
Infant mortality rate
40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
2,250,000; 32% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor
Language
Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)
Life expectancy at birth
68 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Literacy
62% (est.)
Nationality
noun--Tunisian(s); adjective--Tunisian
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party
Population
8,095,492 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Religion
98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less than 1% Jewish
Total fertility rate
4.0 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
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
Tunis
Communists
a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students
Constitution
1 June 1959
Diplomatic representation
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
Elections
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
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
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
20 March 1956 (from France)
Judicial branch
Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders
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
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Tunisia; note--may be changed to Tunisian Republic
Member of
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
National Day, 20 March (1956)
Political parties and leaders
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
universal at age 20
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
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
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
revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.8 billion (1989 est.)
Currency
Tunisian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Electricity
1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
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
$3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals; partners--EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR
External debt
$7.6 billion (December 1989)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$8.7 billion, per capita $1,105; real growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.)
Imports
$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 3.5% (1988)
Industries
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10% (1989)
Overview
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
25% (1989)
Communications
Airports
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
13 major transport aircraft
Highways
17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth
Merchant marine
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
797 km crude oil; 86 km refined products; 742 km natural gas
Ports
Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Railroads
2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge
Telecommunications
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
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
2.7% of GDP, or $235 million (1989 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,997,197; 1,149,141 fit for military service; 88,368 reach military age (20) annually