Country Facts - Tunisia

The People

Nationality

Tunisian(s)

Ethnic Composition

Arab-Berber	98%
European	1%
Other	1%

Religious Composition

Muslim	98%
Christian	1%
Judaism and other	1%

Languages Spoken

Arabic (official) and French (trade)

Education and Literacy

Tunisia has nine years of compulsory education with Arabic the language of instruction in early grades but replaced by French in higher grades. Tunisia's literacy rate is 66.7 percent.

Labor Force

Total: 2.69 million (2001)
By occupation:

Agriculture	22%
Industry	23%
Services	55%

Note: shortage of skilled labor

Geography

Land Mass Total

63,170 sq mi (163,610 sq km)

Land

59,984 sq mi (155,360 sq km)

Water

3,185 sq mi (8,250 sq km)

Land Boundaries

Total: 884 mi (1,424 km)

Border countries: Algeria 599 mi (965 km), Libya 285 mi (459 km)

Coastline

713 mi (1,148 km)

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

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.

Elevation extremes

Lowest: Shatt al Gharsah 55 ft (17 m)
Highest: Jabal ash Shanabi 5,065 ft (1,544 m)

Natural Resources

Petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt, arable land

Land use

Arable land	19%
Permanent crops	13%
Other	68%

(1998)

Natural hazards

N/A

Environment - current issues

Toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification.

Geography Note

Strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration.

Demographics

Population

9,815,644 (July 2002)

Age structure

0-14 years:	27.8%	Male: 1,412,625	Female: 1,320,729
15-64 years:	65.9%	Male: 3,234,770	Female: 3,233,149)
65 years and over:	6.3 %	Male: 303,093	Female: 311,278

(2002)))

Growth Rate

1.12% (2002)

Life Expectancy

74.16 years (2002)
Female: 75.89 years
Male: 72.56 years

GDP Per Capita

Purchasing power parity
US$64.5 billion (2001)

Infant Mortality

27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.08 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	0.97 male(s)/female
Total population:	1.02 male(s)/female

(2002)

Net migration rate

-0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002)

Economy & Trade

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. Real growth averaged 5.4 percent in the period 1995 to 2000, and inflation slowed. Growth in tourism and increased trade were key elements in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11 September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1 March 1998, the first such accord between the E.U. and a North African country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the E.U. over the next decade. Broader privatization, further liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment, and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for the future. GDP growth in 2002 was only 2 percent, but is expected to be 5 percent in 2003. The government has proposed a draft budget for 2003 that provides for a reduction in the deficit of 0.3 percent of GDP. The government is continuing its slow process of privatization. Tunisia's future is still greatly tied to other nations in the Middle East and events that are beyond Tunisian control.

Unemployment

15.6% (2000)

Inflation Rate

2.7% (2001)

Industries

Petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, food, beverages

Exports

US$6.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Imports

US$8.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Total Trade

Purchasing power parity
GDP US$64.5 billion (2001)

Top Export Partners

France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000)

Top Import Partners

France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000)

Top Exports

Textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons

Top Imports

Machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Debt - external

US$11.5 billion (2001)

Economic aid

US$933.2 million (1995)
Note: ODA, $90 million (1998)

Fiscal Year:

Calendar year

Business Workweek

	Monday - Friday	Saturday - Sunday
Offices	8a.m. to 12:30p.m., and 2:30p.m. to 6p.m.	Closed
Retail	9a.m. to 7p.m.	Slightly shorter hours on weekends and during the summer.
Banks	Summer: 7:30a.m. to 11a.m. Winter: Monday through Thursday 8a.m. to 11a.m., and 2p.m. to 4:15p.m. Fri. 8a.m. to 11a.m., and 1p.m. to 3:15p.m.	Closed
Government	9a.m. to 11:30a.m. and 2p.m. to 5p.m.	Closed

Note: Islamic nations make allowances for prayer throughout the business day and some offices may be closed briefly.

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
New Year's Day	January 1	January 1	January 1
Revolution Day	January 18	January 18	January 18
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)¹	February 12	February 2	January 21
Islamic New Year²	March 5	February 22	February 10
Independence Day	March 20	March 20	March 20
Youth Day	March 21	March 21	March 21
Martyr's Day	April 9	April 9	April 9
Labor Day	May 1	May 1	May 1
Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)³	May 14	May 2	April 21
Republic Day	July 25	July 25	July 25
Women's Day	August 13	August 13	August 13
Independence Movement Day	September 3	September 3	September 3
Evacuation Day	October 15	October 15	October 15
Start of Ramadan*¹	October 27	October 15	October 4
End of Ramadan (Eid Al Fitr)*²	November 26	November 14	November 3

¹	Culmination of the Hajj or Holy Pilgrimage.
²	The lunar Islamic Hijra calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days per year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and annually moves 11 days backward through the seasons.
³	The Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twelfth day in the month of Rabi'l of the Islamic calendar.
*¹	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*²	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for three days.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press