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. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. BEN ALI is currently serving his fourth consecutive five-year term as president; the next elections are scheduled for October 2009. 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
Africa
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)
4.6 cu km (2003)
Total: 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%) ; Per capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)
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
10,276,158 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 24% (male 1,270,208/female 1,191,619) ; 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,571,228/female 3,538,458) ; 65 years and over: 6.9% (male 333,801/female 370,844) (2007 est.)
total: 28.3 years ; male: 27.7 years ; female: 28.8 years (2007 est.)
0.989% (2007 est.)
15.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
-0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.066 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.009 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 22.94 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 25.75 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 75.34 years ; male: 73.6 years ; female: 77.21 years (2007 est.)
1.73 children born/woman (2007 est.)
less than 0.1% (2005 est.)
1,000 (2003 est.)
less than 200 (2003 est.)
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 census)
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) (2007)

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); also the anniversary of BEN ALI's takeover, 7 November (1987)
1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
20 years of age; universal except for active duty military
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 on 24 October 2004 (next to be held in 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 on 24 October 2004 (next to be held in October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 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 [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD (official ruling party) [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; 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 [Maya JERIBI]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Ahmed INOUBLI]
18 October Group [collective leadership]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]; note - 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, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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
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 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





Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, 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, which averaged almost 5% over the past decade, reached 6.3% in 2007 because of development in non-textile manufacturing, a recovery in agricultural production, and strong growth in the services sector. However, Tunisia will need to reach even higher growth levels to create sufficient employment opportunities for an already large number of unemployed as well as the growing population of university graduates. 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.
$77.16 billion (2007 est.)
$34.54 billion (2007 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
$7,500 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 11.5% ; industry: 30% ; services: 58.5% (2007 est.)
3.591 million (2007 est.)
agriculture: 55% ; industry: 23% ; services: 22% (1995 est.)
13.9% (2007 est.)
7.4% (2005 est.)
lowest 10%: 2.3% ; highest 10%: 31.5% (2000)
40 (2005 est.)
2.9% (2007 est.)
23.6% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $8.355 billion ; expenditures: $9.476 billion (2007 est.)
54.5% of GDP (2007 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
4.1% (2007 est.)
12.85 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 99.5% ; hydro: 0.5% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
11.17 billion kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
76,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
90,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
75,060 bbl/day (2004)
85,680 bbl/day (2004)
307.6 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
2.398 billion cu m (2005 est.)
4.124 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
1.726 billion cu m (2005)
74.68 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
-$935 million (2007 est.)
$14.81 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment
France 28.9%, Italy 20.4%, Germany 8.6%, Spain 6.1%, Libya 4.9%, US 4% (2006)
$17.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
France 25.1%, Italy 22%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 4.7% (2006)

$7.183 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$18.56 billion (December 2007)
$21.22 billion (2006 est.)
$57 million (2006 est.)
$4.446 billion (2006)
Tunisian dinar (TND)
TND
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003)
calendar year
$376.5 million (2005)
1.268 million (2006)
7.339 million (2006)
general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available ; domestic: in an effort jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government has awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; competition between the two mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a strong surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 85 telephones per 100 persons ; international: country code - 216; a landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable system that provides links to Europe, Middle East, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches
AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
2.06 million (1997)
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
920,000 (1997)
.tn
1,163 (2007)
1 (2000)
1.295 million (2006)

30 (2007)
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 (2007)
total: 16 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 7 ; under 914 m: 7 (2007)

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) (2006)
total: 19,232 km ; paved: 12,655 km (includes 262 km of expressways) ; unpaved: 6,577 km (2004)

total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 130,475 GRT/91,013 DWT ; by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 4 ; foreign-owned: 1 (Libya 1) (2007)
Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2007)
20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)
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.)
1.4% (2006)

none



