]! ^! Following independence from France in 1956, 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 recent years, Tunisia has 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 ^% `! 163,610 sq km `" 155,360 sq km `# 8,250 sq km ^& slightly larger than Georgia ^' `! 1,424 km `U Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km ^( 1,148 km ^) `$ 12 nm `H 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 ^, `% Shatt al Gharsah -17 m `& Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m ^- petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt ^. `' 17.86% `( 13.74% `) 68.4% (2001) ^/ 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 NA ^1 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 _J `K 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 `L Marine Life Conservation ^2 strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration 
]# ^3 10,074,951 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 25.3% (male 1,316,308/female 1,234,309) `+ 68.1% (male 3,437,880/female 3,418,591) `, 6.6% (male 321,287/female 346,576) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 27.29 years `- 26.78 years `. 27.82 years (2005 est.) ^6 0.99% (2005 est.) ^7 15.5 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 5.09 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -0.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.07 male(s)/female `0 1.07 male(s)/female `+ 1.01 male(s)/female `, 0.93 male(s)/female `1 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 24.77 deaths/1,000 live births `- 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births `. 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 74.89 years `- 73.2 years `. 76.71 years (2005 est.) ^= 1.75 children born/woman (2005 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) (2004) ^A `2 Tunisian(s) `3 Tunisian ^B Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% ^C Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% ^D Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 74.3% `- 83.4% `. 65.3% (2004 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Tunisian Republic `5 Tunisia `V Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah `W Tunis ^H republic ^I Tunis ^J 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) ^K 20 March 1956 (from France) ^L Independence Day, 20 March (1956) ^M 1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002 ^N based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session ^O 20 years of age; universal ^P `6 President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987) `7 Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) `8 Council of Ministers appointed by the president `9 president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president `: 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% ^Q unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `9 last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009) `: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2 ^R Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation ^S 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 [Abderrahmane TLILI] ^T the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed ^U 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, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO ^V `N Ambassador Mohamed Nejib HACHANA `O 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 `P [1] (202) 862-1850 `Q [1] (202) 862-1858 ^W `N Ambassador William J. HUDSON `Z Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia `[ use embassy street address `P [216] 71 107-000 `Q [216] 71 962-115 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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 and 2004, however, helped push GDP growth above 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the European Union. 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. ^Z $70.88 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 5.1% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $7,100 (2004 est.) ^] `; 13.8% `< 31.8% `= 54.4% (2004 est.) ^^ 3.55 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2004 est.) ^_ services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) ^` 13.8% (2004 est.) ^a 7.6% (2001 est.) _! `> 2.3% `? 31.8% (1995) _d 41.7 (1995) _" 4.1% (2004 est.) _P 24.5% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $6.799 billion `A $7.573 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2004 est.) _Q 59.2% of GDP (2004 est.) _$ olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds _% petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages _& 4.4% (2004 est.) _' 10.72 billion kWh (2002) _( 10.05 billion kWh (2002) _) 10 million kWh (2002) _* 90 million kWh (2002) _+ 72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.) _, 87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- NA _. NA _R 1.7 billion bbl (2004 est.) _S 2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.) _T 3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.) _U 0 cu m (2001 est.) _V 1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.) _W 77.16 billion cu m (2004) _X $71.85 million (2004 est.) _/ $9.926 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons _1 France 33.1%, Italy 25.3%, Germany 9.2%, Spain 6.1% (2004) _2 $11.52 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food _4 France 25.1%, Italy 19%, Germany 8.5%, Spain 5.3% (2004) _Y $3.509 billion (2004 est.) _5 $14.71 billion (2004 est.) _6 $114.6 million (2002) _7 Tunisian dinar (TND) _8 Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 1,163,800 (2003) _; 1,899,900 (2003) _< `B above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available `C trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay `D 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 _@ 281 (2004) _A 630,000 (2003) 
]' _e `! 2,152 km `b 468 km 1.435-m gauge `c 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) `f 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2004) _B `! 18,997 km `E 12,424 km (including 142 km of expressways) `F 6,573 km (2001) _[ gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004) _C Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira _K `! 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 5, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1 `\ 3 (2005) _D 30 (2004 est.) _E `! 14 `] 3 `G 6 `^ 2 `_ 3 (2004 est.) _L `! 16 `^ 2 `_ 7 `T 7 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Army, Navy, Air Force (2003) _M 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 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 20-49: 2,035,431 (2005 est.) _^ `` 108,817 (2005 est.) _N $356 million (FY99) _O 1.5% (FY99) 
]) _H none 