Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
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Geographic coordinates:
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34 00 N, 9 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Georgia
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
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Coastline:
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1,148 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 12 nm
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Climate:
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temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
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Terrain:
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mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
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Land use:
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arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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3,940 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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4.6 cu km (2003)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)
per capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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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
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
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Population:
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10,486,339 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure:
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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) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 29.2 years
male: 28.7 years
female: 29.8 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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0.98% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate:
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15.42 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate:
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5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-0.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 67% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.7% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 22.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 24.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.78 years
male: 73.98 years
female: 77.7 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.72 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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3,700 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 200 (2007 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
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Religions:
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Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
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Languages:
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Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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7.3% of GDP (2005)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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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
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Administrative divisions:
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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)
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Independence:
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20 March 1956 (from France)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 20 March (1956); also the anniversary of BEN ALI's assumption of the presidency, 7 November (1987)
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Constitution:
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1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
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Legal system:
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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
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Suffrage:
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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
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Executive branch:
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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%
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Legislative branch:
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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))
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
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Political parties and leaders:
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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
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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18 October Group [collective leadership]; Tunisian League for Human Rights or LTDH [Mokhtar TRIFI]
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International organization participation:
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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
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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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
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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 4.7% in 2008 and probably will decline further 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.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$81.88 billion (2008 est.)
$78.21 billion (2007)
$73.56 billion (2006)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$41.77 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.7% (2008 est.)
6.3% (2007 est.)
5.4% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$7,900 (2008 est.)
$7,600 (2007 est.)
$7,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 10.8%
industry: 28.3%
services: 61% (2008 est.)
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Labor force:
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3.676 million (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 55%
industry: 23%
services: 22% (1995 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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14% (2008 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.5% (2000)
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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40 (2005 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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24.4% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $9.652 billion
expenditures: $11.03 billion (2008 est.)
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Public debt:
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53.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5% (2008 est.)
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Stock of money:
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$9.491 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money:
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$13.56 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit:
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$25.23 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$5.355 billion (31 December 2007)
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Agriculture - products:
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olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products
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Industries:
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petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.5% (2008 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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12.65 billion kWh (2006 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
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10.75 billion kWh (2006 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
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135 million kWh (2006 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2007 est.)
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Oil - production:
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86,210 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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91,110 bbl/day (2006 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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73,790 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - imports:
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89,130 bbl/day (2005)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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400 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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2.55 billion cu m (2006 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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3.85 billion cu m (2006 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2007 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
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Current account balance:
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-$993 million (2008 est.)
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Exports:
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$19.7 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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clothing, semi-finished goods and textiles, agricultural products, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, hydrocarbons, electrical equipment
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Exports - partners:
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France 31.3%, Italy 21%, Germany 8.5%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 5.5% (2007)
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Imports:
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$23 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs
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Imports - partners:
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France 23.8%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 9.7%, Spain 5%, Libya 4.4% (2007)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$8.875 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$19.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$28.51 billion (2008 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$130 million (2008 est.)
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Exchange rates:
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Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar - 1.211 (2008 est.), 1.2776 (2007), 1.331 (2006), 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004)
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Airports:
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30 (2008)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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 (2008)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 7 (2008)
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Pipelines:
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gas 2,102 km; oil 1,195 km; refined products 372 km (2008)
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Railways:
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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)
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Roadways:
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total: 19,232 km
paved: 12,655 km (includes 262 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,577 km (2004)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 7
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
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Ports and terminals:
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Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Rades, Sfax, Skhira
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2008)
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Military service age and obligation:
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20 years of age for compulsory military service, 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 1-year conscript service obligation (2007)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 2,992,249
females age 16-49: 2,912,819 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 2,569,403
females age 16-49: 2,489,651 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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male: 100,478
female: 94,055 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures:
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1.4% of GDP (2006)
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Disputes - international:
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none
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This page was last updated on 14 May 2009
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