Compare Bahamas, The (2005) - Tunisia (2003)

Compare Bahamas, The (2005) z Tunisia (2003)

	Bahamas, The (2005)	Tunisia (2003)

Administrative divisions	21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay	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)
Age structure	0-14 years: 27.9% (male 42,142/female 42,096) 15-64 years: 65.9% (male 97,865/female 101,047) 65 years and over: 6.2% (male 7,616/female 11,024) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 27% (male 1,388,839; female 1,297,313) 15-64 years: 66.6% (male 3,306,782; female 3,299,883) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 309,103; female 322,822) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	citrus, vegetables; poultry	olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
Airports	63 (2004 est.)	30 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 29 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)	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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 21 (2004 est.)	total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Area	total: 13,940 sq km land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km	total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly larger than Georgia
Background	Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US.	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.
Birth rate	17.87 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	16.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $1 billion expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $106.7 million (FY03/04)	revenues: $5.2 billion expenditures: $5.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2002 est.)
Capital	Nassau	Tunis
Climate	tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream	temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline	3,542 km	1,148 km
Constitution	10 July 1973	1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Country name	conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas conventional short form: The Bahamas	conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis
Currency	-	Tunisian dinar (TND)
Death rate	8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$308.5 million (2002)	$13.6 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador John D. ROOD embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 328-2206 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222	chief of mission: Ambassador Rust M. DEMING embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 782-566 FAX: [216] 71 789-719
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Joshua SEARS chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Disputes - international	have not been able to agree on the alignment of a maritime boundary with the US; continues to monitor and interdict Haitian refugees fleeing economic privation and political instability	none
Economic aid - recipient	$9.8 million (1995)	$222.7 million (2000)
Economy - overview	The Bahamas is a stable, developing nation with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone accounts for more than 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but the slowdown in the US economy and the attacks of 11 September 2001 held back growth in these sectors in 2001-03. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy, accounting for about 15% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture together contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector, which depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. In addition to tourism and banking, the government supports the development of a "third pillar," e-commerce.	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% in 1997-2001 but slowed to 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Increased rainfall portends higher growth levels for 2003, but continued regional tension from the war in Iraq will most likely continue to suppress tourism earnings. Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the European Union over the next decade. 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 for the future.
Electricity - consumption	1.596 billion kWh (2002)	9.748 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	1.716 billion kWh (2002)	10.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 99.5% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m	lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Environment - current issues	coral reef decay; solid waste disposal	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
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3%	Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Exchange rates	Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2004), 1 (2003), 1 (2002), 1 (2001), 1 (2000)	Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.42 (2002), 1.44 (2001), 1.37 (2000), 1.19 (1999), 1.14 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Dame Ivy DUMONT (since NA May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Perry CHRISTIE (since 3 May 2002) and Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia PRATT (since 7 May 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister	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; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100%
Exports	transhipments of 29,000 bbl/day (2003)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals; fruit and vegetables	textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners	US 40.2%, Poland 13.3%, Spain 11.6%, Germany 5.9%, France 4.3% (2004)	France 31.3%, Italy 21.6%, Germany 11.5%, Spain 4.8%, Libya 4.7%, Belgium 4.3% (2002)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	calendar year
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side	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
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $67.13 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 3% industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 12% industry: 32% services: 56% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2004 est.)	4.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 15 N, 76 00 W	34 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note	strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited	strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Heliports	1 (2004 est.)	-
Highways	total: 2,693 km paved: 1,546 km unpaved: 1,147 km (1999 est.)	total: 18,997 km paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: 27% (2000)	lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center	-
Imports	NA	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals	textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners	US 22.4%, South Korea 18.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Japan 7.9%, Italy 7.8%, Venezuela 6.6% (2004)	France 25.6%, Italy 19.5%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5% (2002)
Independence	10 July 1973 (from UK)	20 March 1956 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	3.5% (2002 est.)
Industries	tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe	petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Infant mortality rate	total: 25.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.02 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 26.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.89 deaths/1,000 live births female: 23.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	1.2% (year ending September 2004)	2.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOM, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA	3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; magistrates courts	Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Labor force	156,000 (1999)	2.69 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (1999 est.)	services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use	arable land: 0.8% permanent crops: 0.4% other: 98.8% (2001)	arable land: 18.67% permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.)
Languages	English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants)	Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Legal system	based on English common law	based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16-member body appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader for five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the parliament and call elections at any time elections: last held 1 May 2002 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 50.8%, FNM 41.1%, independents 5.2%; seats by party - PLP 29, FNM 7, independents 4	unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 65.54 years male: 62.11 years female: 69.04 years (2005 est.)	total population: 74.4 years male: 72.77 years female: 76.15 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.2% male: 84% female: 64.4% (2003 est.)
Location	Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	total: 1,119 by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 183, cargo 259, chemical tanker 54, combination ore/oil 17, container 74, liquefied gas 28, livestock carrier 2, passenger 116, passenger/cargo 40, petroleum tanker 168, refrigerated cargo 130, roll on/roll off 20, specialized tanker 2, vehicle carrier 24 foreign-owned: 968 (Angola 4, Australia 4, Belgium 17, Canada 9, China 3, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 13, Denmark 18, Estonia 1, Finland 7, France 28, Germany 15, Greece 194, Hong Kong 11, Indonesia 2, Ireland 1, Israel 1, Italy 7, Japan 49, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Latvia 1, Malaysia 12, Monaco 15, Netherlands 24, New Zealand 1, Nigeria 2, Norway 229, Poland 13, Reunion 1, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 12, Serbia & Montenegro 2, Singapore 11, Slovenia 1, South Korea 1, Spain 6, Sweden 9, Switzerland 4, Thailand 1, Trinidad & Tobago 2, Turkey 7, UAE 12, United Kingdom 55, United States 154, Uruguay 2) registered in other countries: 35 (2005)	total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 139,990 GRT/148,394 DWT ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches	Royal Bahamaian Defense Force (naval forces) (2004)	Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	$356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	1.5% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 2,866,984 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 1,629,241 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	-	20 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 106,513 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 10 July (1973)	Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
Nationality	noun: Bahamian(s) adjective: Bahamian	noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Natural hazards	hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage	NA
Natural resources	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land	petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Net migration rate	-2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders	Free National Movement or FNM [Tommy TURNQUEST]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE]	Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; 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 Democratic Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
Population	301,790 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)	9,924,742 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	6% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate	0.67% (2005 est.)	1.09% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Freeport, Nassau, South Riding Point	Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
Radio broadcast stations	AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)	AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	-	total: 2,152 km standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2002)
Religions	Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census)	Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)	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: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	20 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: modern facilities domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed international: country code - 1-242; tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (1997)	general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 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
Telephones - main lines in use	131,700 (2003)	654,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	121,800 (2002)	50,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2004)	26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills	mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Total fertility rate	2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.)	1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	10.2% (2004 est.)	15.4% (2002 est.)
Waterways	-	none

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