Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. Tunisia has long taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political society.

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya

34 00 N, 9 00 E

total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km

slightly larger than Georgia

total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

1,148 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

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

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

lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

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

arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)

3,940 sq km (2003)

NA

toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)

total: 27.8 years
male: 27.3 years
female: 28.3 years (2006 est.)

0.99% (2006 est.)

15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 75.12 years
male: 73.4 years
female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)

1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

1,000 (2003 est.)

less than 200 (2003 est.)

degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in some locations during the transmission season (typically April through November) (2005)

noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

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

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 est.)

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

republic

name: Tunis
geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)

20 March 1956 (from France)

Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

20 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011)
election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA]; Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]

the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [216] 71 107-000
FAX: [216] 71 107-090

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

Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Progressive social policies also have helped raise living conditions in Tunisia relative to the region. Real growth slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of the trade deficit are among the challenges ahead.

$82.85 billion (2005 est.)

$30.94 billion (2005 est.)

4.2% (2005 est.)

$8,200 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 13.2%
industry: 31.8%
services: 55% (2005 est.)

3.41 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)

agriculture: 55%
industry: 23%
services: 22% (1995 est.)

14.2% (2005 est.)

7.4% (2005 est.)

lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

40 (2005 est.)

2.1% (2005 est.)

22.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

revenues: $7.322 billion
expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)

59.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products

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

0.9% (2005 est.)

11.56 billion kWh (2003)

10.76 billion kWh (2003)

10 million kWh (2003)

5 million kWh (2003)

76,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

90,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

NA bbl/day

NA bbl/day

1.7 billion bbl (2005 est.)

2.15 billion cu m (2003 est.)

3.84 billion cu m (2003 est.)

0 cu m (2001 est.)

1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

77.87 billion cu m (2005)

$-359.2 million (2005 est.)

$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5% (2005)

$12.86 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

France 25.5%, Italy 22.9%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 5.5% (2005)

$4.375 billion (2005 est.)

$16.09 billion (2005 est.)

$114.6 million (2002)

Tunisian dinar (TND)

Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)

calendar year

1,257,500 (2005)

5.681 million (2005)

general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

.tn

428 (2006)

953,800 (2005)

30 (2006)

total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)

total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2006)

gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)

total: 2,153 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)
dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)

total: 18,997 km
paved: 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,573 km (2001)

total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4 (2006)

Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira

Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)

20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

males age 20-49: 2,441,741
females age 20-49: 2,406,362 (2005 est.)

males age 20-49: 2,035,431
females age 20-49: 2,000,757 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 108,817
females age 20-49: 103,087 (2005 est.)

1.5% (FY99)

none