Tunisia

Republic of Tunisia

GEOGRAPHY:
Location:----------------- Northern Africa
Area:
Total area:--- 163,610 sq. km
Land area:--- 155,360 sq. km
Capital city:------------- Tunis
Natural Resources:---------------- Petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead,
zinc, salt.

PEOPLE:
Population:---------------- 9,380,404
Literacy rate:-------------- 66.7% of total population, (Males:78.6%,
Females:54.6%).
Languages:------------------ Arabic (offical and one of the languages of
commerce), French (commerce).
Religious:----------------- 98%-Muslim, 1% Christian, 1%-Jewish.

VITAL STATISTICS:
Birth rate:------------- 20.56 (per 1,000 population)
Death rate:------------- 5.08 (per 1,000 population)
Infant Mortality rate:------------ 33.9 (deaths per 1,000 live births)
Fertility rate:--------------- 2.52 (per woman)
Life Expectancy at birth:
Total population:--- 72.85 (Males:71.5, Females:74.3).

GOVERNMENT:
Type of Government:-------------- Republic.
Independence:-------------- March 20, 1956 (from France).
President:-------------- Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Prime Minister:------------ Hamed Karoui.

ECONOMY:
GDP:--------------- purchasing power parity - $43.3 billion (1996)
GDP real growth rate:--- 7.1%
GDP per capita:--- $4,800
Inflation rate (consumer prices):------------- 6%
National budget:
Revenues:--- $5.2 billion
Expenditures:--- $7.2 billion
External Debt:-------------- $9.6 billion
Currency:--------------- 1 Tunisian dinar = 100 millimes.
Labor force:--------------- 2.917 million (1995)
Unemployment rate:---------------- 16% (1995)
Agriculture:---------------- Olives, dates, oranges, almonds, grain, sugar
beets, grapes; poultry, beef, dairy products.
Industries:--------------- Petroleum, mining(particularly phosphate and iron
ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages.
Exports:---------------- $5.7 billion
Commodities:--- Hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and
chemicals.
Imports:---------------- $7.7 billion
Commodities:--- Industrial goods and equipment, hydrocarbons, food,
consumer goods.

DEFENCE:
Defence Expenditures:--------------- Exchange rate conversion - $535
million, 2.8% of GDP

Geography:Tunisia is located at the northernmost part of Africa It is bordered on the
west by Algeria and on the south by Libya