The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live births male: 25.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.56 years male: 73.79 years female: 77.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

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

Languages:

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

Literacy:

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 14 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

7.3% of GDP (2005)

Government
Tunisia

Country name:

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

Government type:

republic

Capital:

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

Administrative divisions:

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)

Independence:

20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 20 March (1956); also the anniversary of BEN ALI's assumption of the presidency, 7 November (1987)

Constitution:

1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002

Legal system:

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

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months

Executive branch:

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%

Legislative branch:

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 (due to boycott))

Judicial branch:

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:

Al-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD (official ruling party) [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI]; Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties or FDTL [Mustapha Ben JAFAAR]; Green Party for Progress or PVP [Mongi KHAMASSI]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mondher THABET]; 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]; note - the Islamist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

Political pressure groups and leaders:

18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]

International organization participation:

ABEDA, 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, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge D'Affaires Tarek Ben YOUSSEF chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

Diplomatic representation from the US:

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] 71 963-263

Flag description:

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

Economy
Tunisia

Economy - overview:

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$76.07 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$35.01 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$7,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 11.6% industry: 25.7% services: 62.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

3.593 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

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

Unemployment rate:

14.1% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

7.4% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.5% (2000)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

40 (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

23.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $8.466 billion expenditures: $9.475 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

55.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

3.1% (2007 est.)

Stock of money:

$9.491 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$13.56 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$25.23 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

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

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

7.2% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

12.65 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

10.75 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

135 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

86,210 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

91,110 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

73,790 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

89,130 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

400 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

2.55 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

3.85 billion cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$905 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$15.15 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment

Exports - partners:

France 31.3%, Italy 21%, Germany 8.5%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 5.5% (2007)

Imports:

$18.02 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:

France 23.8%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 9.7%, Spain 5%, Libya 4.4% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$376.5 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$7.854 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$19.27 billion (December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$26.22 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$118 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$4.446 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code:

TND

Exchange rates:

Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003)

Communications
Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use:

1.273 million (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

7.842 million (2007)

Telephone system:

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; expansion of mobile-cellular services to include multimedia messaging and e-mail and Internet to mobile phone services also leading to a surge in subscribership; overall fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 90 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

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 7, FM 38, shortwave 2 (2007)

Radios:

2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

920,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.tn

Internet hosts:

376 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

1 (2000)

Internet users:

1.722 million (2007)

Transportation
Tunisia

Airports:

30 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

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)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

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

Pipelines:

gas 2,665 km; oil 1,235 km; refined products 353 km (2007)

Railways:

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)

Roadways:

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

Merchant marine:

total: 7 by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Military
Tunisia

Military branches:

Army,