1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (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; land boundary disputes with Algeria under discussion
Environment
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land area
155,360 km2
Land boundaries
1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use
arable land 20%; permanent crops 10%; meadows and pastures 19%; forest and woodland 4%; other 47%; includes irrigated 1%
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
People and Society
Birth rate
25 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Infant mortality rate
38 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
2,250,000; agriculture 32%; shortage of skilled labor
Languages
Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Literacy
65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Tunisian(s); adjective - Tunisian
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
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
8,445,656 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Religions
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Total fertility rate
3.2 children born/woman (1992)
Government
Administrative divisions
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
Tunis
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
Chief of State
President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
Constitution
1 June 1959
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Ismail KHELIL; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850 US: Ambassador John T. McCARTHY; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone [216] (1) 782-566; FAX [216] (1) 789-719
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
Independence
20 March 1956 (from France)
Judicial branch
Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
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 Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)
Long-form name
Republic of Tunisia; note - may be changed to Tunisian Republic
Member of
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
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), Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party
President
last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA April 1994); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
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 (1987)
Budget
revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $5.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $970 million (1992 est.)
Currency
Tunisian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes
Economic aid
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
1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1 - 0.9272 (March 1992), 0.9246 (1991), 0.8783 (1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987)
Exports
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals partners: EC 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, USSR
External debt
$8.6 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $10.9 billion, per capita $1,320; real growth rate 3.5% (1991)
Imports
$4.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods partners: EC 67%, US 6%, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, Algeria
Industrial production
growth rate 5% (1989); accounts for about 25% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8.2% (1991)
Overview
The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports of light manufactures. 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
15% (1991)
Communications
Airports
29 total, 26 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
19 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 160,069 GRT/218,791 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Pipelines
crude oil 797 km, petroleum products 86 km, natural gas 742 km
Ports
Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis
Railroads
2,115 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge; 1,650 km 1.000-meter gauge
Telecommunications
the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and radio relay; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; 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 to Algeria and Libya; radio relay to Algeria, and Libya
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $520 million, 5% of GDP (1992 budget)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 2,117,864; 1,217,819 fit for military service; 88,619 reach military age (20) annually