Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) - Tunisia (2006)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2008) z Tunisia (2006)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)	Tunisia (2006)

Administrative divisions	-	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: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products
Airports	1 (2007)	30 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)	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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Area	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands	total: 163,610 sq km land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than Georgia
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first 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. Tunisia has long 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	-	15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $7.322 billion expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)
Capital	-	name: Tunis geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline	698 km	1,148 km
Constitution	-	1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	conventional long form: Tunisian Republic conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis
Death rate	-	5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	-	$16.09 billion (2005 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador designate Robert F. GODEC embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis 1053 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 107-000 FAX: [216] 71 107-090
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK)	chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Disputes - international	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$114.6 million (2002)
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.	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 through 2005, however, helped push GDP growth to about 5% for these years. Tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. Tunisia is gradually removing barriers to trade with the EU. 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.
Electricity - consumption	NA kWh	10.76 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	-	10 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	-	5 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	11.56 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	-	Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Exchange rates	-	Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2974 (2005), 1.2455 (2004), 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	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 (no term limits); election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: 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%
Exports	-	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	-	textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners	-	France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5% (2005)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the 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
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 13.2% industry: 31.8% services: 55% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	4.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E	34 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
Imports	-	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	-	textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners	-	France 25.5%, Italy 22.9%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 5.5% (2005)
Independence	-	20 March 1956 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	-	0.9% (2005 est.)
Industries	-	petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 26.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2.1% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	-	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, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC (suspended), OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	0 sq km	3,940 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	-	Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Labor force	-	3.41 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 55% industry: 23% services: 22% (1995 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 17.05% permanent crops: 13.08% other: 69.87% (2005)
Languages	-	Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	based on French civil law system and Shari'a law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Legislative branch	-	bicameral system consists of the Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Advisors (126 seats; 85 members elected by municipal counselors, deputies, mayors, and professional associations and trade unions; 41 members are presidential appointees; members serve six-year terms) elections: Chamber of Deputies - last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009); Chamber of Advisors - last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held July 2011) election results: Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2; Chamber of Advisors - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 71 (14 trade union seats vacant (boycotted))
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 75.12 years male: 73.4 years female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.3% male: 83.4% female: 65.3% (2004 est.)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Map references	Political Map of the World	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 146,759 GRT/115,118 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 4 (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Army, Navy, Republic of Tunisia Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Jamahiriyah At'tunisia) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.5% (FY99)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 20 March (1956)
Nationality	-	noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Natural hazards	NA	NA
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Net migration rate	-	-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 2,945 km; oil 1,227 km; refined products 351 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	-	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 [Ahmed INOUBLI]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia	10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	7.4% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate	-	0.99% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)
Railways	-	total: 2,153 km standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified) dual gauge: 8 km 1.435 m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2005)
Religions	-	Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	-	20 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	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: 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
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	1,257,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	5.681 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)	mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Total fertility rate	-	1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	14.2% (2005 est.)

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