Tunisia (2002) | French Guiana (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), 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) | none (overseas department of France) |
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 est.) |
0-14 years: 28.9% (male 29,540/female 28,210)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 69,302/female 59,980) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,350/female 6,127) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry |
Airports | 30 (2001) | 11 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | 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) |
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2006) |
Area | total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km |
total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Georgia | slightly smaller than Indiana |
Background | 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 diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society. | First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. |
Birth rate | 16.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 20.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5.7 billion
expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (2001 est.) |
revenues: $135.5 million
expenditures: $135.5 million; including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) |
Capital | Tunis | name: Cayenne
geographic coordinates: 4 56 N, 52 20 W time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 1,148 km | 378 km |
Constitution | 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis |
conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
Currency | Tunisian dinar (TND) | - |
Death rate | 5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $11.5 billion (2001 est.) | $800.3 million (2003) |
Dependency status | - | overseas department of France |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
none (overseas department of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 |
none (overseas department of France) |
Disputes - international | none | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) in French Guiana |
Economic aid - recipient | $933.2 million (1995) | $NA |
Economy - overview | 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 the past five years, and inflation is slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been 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 EU and a Mediterranean country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to trade with the EU 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. | The economy is tied closely to the much larger French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou (which accounts for 25% of GDP), fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. |
Electricity - consumption | 9.562 billion kWh (2000) | 432.6 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 19 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 2 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 10.3 billion kWh (2000) | 465.2 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
Environment - current issues | 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 | NA |
Environment - international 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 |
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Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% |
Exchange rates | Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997) | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) |
Executive branch | 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% |
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Jean-Pierre LAFLAQUIERE (since 19 July 2006)
head of government: President of the General Council Pierre DESERT (since 26 March 2004); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils |
Exports | $6.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing |
Exports - partners | France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000) | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 | the flag of France is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 13%
industry: 33% services: 54% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: NA% 6.6%
industry: NA% 15.6% services: NA% 77.8% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 34 00 N, 9 00 E | 4 00 N, 53 00 W |
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 | mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent |
Highways | total: 23,100 km
paved: 18,226 km unpaved: 4,874 km (1996) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32% (1995) (1995) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe |
Imports | $8.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals |
Imports - partners | France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000) | France 63%, US, Trinidad and Tobago, Italy (2004) |
Independence | 20 March 1956 (from France) | none (overseas department of France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.2% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Industries | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining |
Infant mortality rate | 27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 11.76 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.7% (2001 est.) | 1% (2003) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, 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, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | UPU, WCL, WFTU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) | 20 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) |
Labor force | 2.69 million
note: shortage of skilled labor |
62,630 (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) | agriculture: 18.2%
industry: 21.2% services: 60.6% (1980) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
total: 1,240.4 km
border countries: Brazil 730.4 km, Suriname 510 km |
Land use | arable land: 18.67%
permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.13%
permanent crops: 0.04% other: 99.83% (90% forest, 10% other) (2005) |
Languages | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) | French |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session | French legal system |
Legislative branch | 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 |
unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held in March 2000 (next to be held March 2006); Regional Council - last held 21 and 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2010) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; Regional Council - (second election results) percent of vote by party - PS 37.24%, UMP 31.58%, FDG/Walwari 31.18%; seats by party - PS 17, UMP 7, FDG/Walwari 7 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.16 years
male: 72.56 years female: 75.89 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 77.27 years
male: 73.95 years female: 80.75 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.7% male: 78.6% female: 54.6% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname |
Map references | Africa | South America |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,710 GRT/162,616 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $356 million (FY99) | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (FY99) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,806,881 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,597,565 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 105,146 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 20 March (1956) | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
Natural hazards | NA | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding |
Natural resources | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay |
Net migration rate | -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | 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] | Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Socialist Party or PS [Alix LABBE]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Georges HABRAN-MERY]; Union for a Popular Movement or UMP (includes RPR) [Remi Louis DUBOC]; Walwari Committee (aligned with the PRG in France) [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed | NA |
Population | 9,815,644 (July 2002 est.) | 199,509 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 6% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.12% (2002 est.) | 1.96% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) |
Radios | 2.06 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total: 2,168 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001) |
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Religions | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% | Roman Catholic |
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 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female total population: 1.12 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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 |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open-wire and microwave radio relay system international: country code - 594; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 654,000 (1997) | 51,000 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,000 (1998) | 98,000 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) | 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.94 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.98 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15.6% (2000 est.) | 19.2% (December 2003) |
Waterways | none | 3,760 km
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers, 3,300 km by native craft (2003) |