Country: Tunisia - Geography Total area: 163,610 km2; land area: 155,360 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km Coastline: 1,148 km Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya 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 Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt Land use: 20% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 47% other; includes 1% irrigated Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; only 144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east - People Population: 8,095,492 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990) Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 70 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Tunisian(s); adjective--Tunisian Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% European, less than 1% Jewish Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less than 1% Jewish Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce) Literacy: 62% (est.) Labor force: 2,250,000; 32% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor Organized labor: about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Constitutional Democratic Party - Government Long-form name: Republic of Tunisia; note--may be changed to Tunisian Republic Type: republic Capital: Tunis Administrative divisions: 23 governorates (wilayat, singular--wilayah); Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn, Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin Arus, Jundubah, Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis, Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis, Zaghwan Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France) Constitution: 1 June 1959 Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956) Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) Judicial branch: Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation) Leaders: Chief of State--President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987); Head of Government--Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989) Political parties and leaders: Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President Ben Ali (official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS), Ahmed Mestiri; five other political parties are legal, including the Communist Party Suffrage: universal at age 20 Elections: President--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--Gen. Zine el Abidine Ben Aliwas reelected without opposition; National Assembly--last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held April 1994); results--RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, others 2.4% seats--(141 total) RCD 141 Communists: a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students Member of: AfDB, Arab League, AIOEC, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAPEC, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdelaziz HAMZAOUI; Chancery at 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20005; telephone (202) 862-1850; US--Ambassador Robert H. PELLETREAU, Jr.; Embassy at 144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere; telephone p216o (1) 782-566 Flag: 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 Overview: The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, and tourism for continued growth. Two successive drought-induced crop failures have strained the government's budget and increased unemployment. The current account fell from a $23 million surplus in 1988 to a $390 million deficit in 1989. Despite its foreign payments problems, Tunis appears committed to its IMF-supported structural adjustment program. Nonetheless, the government may have to slow its implementation to head off labor unrest. The increasing foreign debt--$7.6 billion at yearend 1989--is also a key problem. Tunis probably will seek debt relief in 1990. GDP: $8.7 billion, per capita $1,105; real growth rate 3.1% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1989) Unemployment rate: 25% (1989) Budget: revenues $2.9 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.8 billion (1989 est.) Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals; partners--EC 73%, Middle East 9%, US 1%, Turkey, USSR Imports: $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--industrial goods and equipment 57%, hydrocarbons 13%, food 12%, consumer goods; partners--EC 68%, US 7%, Canada, Japan, USSR, China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria External debt: $7.6 billion (December 1989) Industrial production: growth rate 3.5% (1988) Electricity: 1,493,000 kW capacity; 4,210 million kWh produced, 530 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), textiles, footwear, food, beverages Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP and one-third of labor force; output subject to severe fluctuations because of frequent droughts; export crops--olives, dates, oranges, almonds; other products--grain, sugar beets, wine grapes, poultry, beef, dairy; not self-sufficient in food; fish catch of 99,200 metric tons (1986) Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $694 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $4.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $684 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $410 million Currency: Tunisian dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Tunisian dinar (TD) = 1,000 millimes Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TD) per US$1--0.9055 (January 1990), 0.9493 (1989), 0.8578 (1988), 0.8287 (1987), 0.7940 (1986), 0.8345 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Railroads: 2,154 km total; 465 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; 1,689 km 1.000-meter gauge Highways: 17,700 km total; 9,100 km bituminous; 8,600 km improved and unimproved earth Pipelines: 797 km crude oil; 86 km refined products; 742 km natural gas Ports: Bizerte, Gabes, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, La Goulette, Zarzis Merchant marine: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 160,172 GRT/218,970 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 4 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 6 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk Civil air: 13 major transport aircraft Airports: 30 total, 28 usable; 13 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: the system is above the African average; facilities consist of open-wire lines, multiconductor cable, and radio relay; key centers are Safaqis, Susah, Bizerte, and Tunis; 233,000 telephones; stations--18 AM, 4 FM, 14 TV; 4 submarine cables; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT with back-up control station; coaxial cable to Algeria; radio relay to Algeria, Libya, and Italy - Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,997,197; 1,149,141 fit for military service; 88,368 reach military age (20) annually Defense expenditures: 2.7% of GDP, or $235 million (1989 est.)