1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 163,610 km2 land area: 155,360 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia
Climate
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline
1,148 km
Environment
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
International disputes
maritime boundary dispute with Libya; land boundary disputes with Algeria under discussion
Irrigated land
2,750 km2 (1989)
Land boundaries
total 1,424 km, Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 19% forest and woodland: 4% other: 47%
Location
Northern Africa, 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily, between Algeria and Libya
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Note
strategic location in central Mediterranean
Terrain
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
People and Society
Birth rate
24.24 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.04 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%
Infant mortality rate
35.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
2.25 million by occupation: agriculture 32% note: shortage of skilled labor
Languages
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.54 years male: 70.55 years female: 74.62 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 65% male: 74% female: 56%
Nationality
noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Net migration rate
-0.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
8,570,868 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.84% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%
Total fertility rate
3.02 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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
Digraph
TS
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ismail KHELIL chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: (202) 862-1850
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Cabinet
FAX
[216] (1) 789-719
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)
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, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis
National holiday
National Day, 20 March (1956)
Other political or pressure groups
the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
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 March 1994); results - Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
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
Economy
Agriculture
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
revenues $4.3 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Currency
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
1,545,000 kW capacity; 5,096 million kWh produced, 600 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
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
$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
External debt
$7.7 billion (1992 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$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 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)
6% (1992 est.)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $13.6 billion (1992 est.)
National product per capita
$1,650 (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate
8% (1992 est.)
Overview
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
15.7% (1992)
Communications
Airports
total: 29 usable: 26 with permanent-surface runways: 13 with runways over 3,659 m: 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
Highways
17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth
Merchant marine
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
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 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
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $618 million, 3.7% of GDP (1993 est.)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 2,164,686; fit for military service 1,244,683; reach military age (20) annually 90,349 (1993 est.)