About Tunisia
Tunisia
Introduction
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 fifth consecutive five-year term as president. 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.
Geography
Location
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Geographic Coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Area
Total Area: 163,610 sq km Rank: 92
Land Area: 155,360 sq km
Water Area: 8,250 sq km
Comparison: slightly larger than Georgia
Land Boundaries: 1,424 km
Bordering Countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Climate
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Terrain
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Elevations
Lowest Point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
Highest Point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Natural Resources
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land Use
Arable land: 17.05%
Permanent Crops: 13.08%
Other: 69.87% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 3,940 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 4.6 cu km (2003)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: NA
Environmental Issues: 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
Environmental Agreements: 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
Geography Notes
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
People
Population: 10,486,339 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 77
Age Structure
0-14 years: 22.7% (male 1,227,238/female 1,149,796)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 3,701,661/female 3,652,322)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 352,003/female 403,319) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 29.1 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 0.98% (2010 est.) Rank: 129
Birth Rate: 15.42 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 137
Death Rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 181
Net Migration Rate: -0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 104
Urbanization
Urban Population: 67% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 22.57 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 94
Life Expectancy at Birth: 75.78 years Rank: 72
Fertility Rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 169
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: less than 0.1% (2007 est.) Rank: 125
People living with HIV/AIDS: 3,700 (2007 est.) Rank: 128
HIV/AIDS Deaths: fewer than 200 (2007 est.) Rank: 115
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Tunisian(s)
Adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic Groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Religion: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 74.3% Male: 83.4% Female: 65.3% (2004 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 14 years Male: 13 years Female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures: 7.3% of GDP (2005) Rank: 19
Government
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: Tunis Geographic Coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E
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 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014); prime minister appointed by the president
Election Results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a fifth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 89.6%, Mohamed BOUCHIHA 5%, Ahmed INOUBLI 3.8%, Ahmed BRAHIM 1.6%; voter turnout 89.4%
Legislative Branch
bicameral system consists of 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); and the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (214 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Chamber of Advisors - last held on 3 July 2005 (next to be held in July 2011); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 25 October 2009 (next to be held in October 2014);
Election Results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - RCD 84.6%, MDS 4.6%, PUP 3.4%, UDU 2.6%, PSL 2.2%, PVP 1.7%, Al-Tajdid 0.5%; seats by party - RCD 161, MDS 16, PUP 12, UDU 9, PSL 8, PVP 6, Al-Tajdid 2; voter turnout 89.4%
Judicial branch
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: Al-Tajdid Movement [Ahmed IBRAHIM]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI] (official ruling party); 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
Flag Description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam
Note: the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a succesor state to the Ottoman Empire
Economy
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, declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 0.3% in 2009 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market. However, development of non-textile manufacturing, a recovery in agricultural production, and strong growth in the services sector somewhat mitigated the economic effect of slowing exports. 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. The challenges ahead include: privatizing industry, liberalizing the investment code to increase foreign investment, improving government efficiency, reducing the trade deficit, and reducing socioeconomic disparities in the impoverished south and west.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $86.35 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 72
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2009 est.) Rank: 65
GDP - per capita (PPP): $8,200 (2009 est.) Rank: 120
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 11% Industry: 35.3% Services: 53.7% (2009 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 3.74 million (2009 est.) Rank: 89
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 18.3% Industry: 31.9% Services: 49.8% (2009 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 14.7% (2009 est.) Rank: 146
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 3.8% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none
