Tunisia (2003) | Switzerland (2005) | |
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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) | 26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular - cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau, Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura, Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen, Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 16.6% (male 643,497/female 597,565)
15-64 years: 68% (male 2,570,544/female 2,522,365) 65 years and over: 15.4% (male 472,769/female 682,630) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds | grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs |
Airports | 30 (2002) | 65 (2004 est.) |
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: 42
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) |
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: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km |
total: 41,290 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km water: 1,520 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Georgia | slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey |
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 defuse rising pressure for a more open political society. | The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. Switzerland's sovreignty and neutrality have long been honored by the major European powers, and the country was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality. |
Birth rate | 16.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 9.77 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5.2 billion
expenditures: $5.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2002 est.) |
revenues: $131.5 billion
expenditures: $140.4 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Tunis | Bern |
Climate | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south | temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers |
Coastline | 1,148 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 | revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament 18 December 1998, adopted by referendum 18 April 1999, officially entered into force 1 January 2000 |
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: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German), Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian) local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera (Italian) |
Currency | Tunisian dinar (TND) | - |
Death rate | 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 8.48 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $13.6 billion (2003 est.) | $NA (2000) |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela P. WILLEFORD
embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [41] (031) 357 70 11 FAX: [41] (031) 357 73 44 |
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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-7900 FAX: [1] (202) 387-2564 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco consulate(s): Boston |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.1 billion (1995) |
Economic aid - recipient | $222.7 million (2000) | - |
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 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. | Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and stable modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in recent years have brought their economic practices largely into conformity with the EU's to enhance their international competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors, because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to 0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003, with a small rise to 1.8% in 2004. Even so, unemployment has remained at less than half the EU average. |
Electricity - consumption | 9.748 billion kWh (2001) | 54.53 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 32.3 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 1 million kWh (2001) | 27.8 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 10.48 billion kWh (2001) | 63.47 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99.5%
hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 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 | air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural fertilizers; loss of biodiversity |
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 |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% | German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% |
Exchange rates | Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.42 (2002), 1.44 (2001), 1.37 (2000), 1.19 (1999), 1.14 (1998) | Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.2435 (2004), 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876 (2001), 1.6888 (2000) |
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 Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005); Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005); Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal (in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year terms that run concurrently; election last held 8 December 2004 (next to be held December 2005) election results: Samuel SCHMID elected president; percent of Federal Assembly vote - 70.7%; Moritz LEUENBERGER elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 64.8% |
Exports | NA (2001) | 10,420 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons | machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products |
Exports - partners | France 31.3%, Italy 21.6%, Germany 11.5%, Spain 4.8%, Libya 4.7%, Belgium 4.3% (2002) | Germany 20.2%, US 10.5%, France 8.7%, Italy 8.3%, UK 5.1%, Spain 4% (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 | red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that does not extend to the edges of the flag |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $67.13 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 12%
industry: 32% services: 56% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 1.5%
industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $33,800 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2002 est.) | 1.8% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 34 00 N, 9 00 E | 47 00 N, 8 00 E |
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 | landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has the highest elevations in the Alps |
Heliports | - | 2 (2004 est.) |
Highways | total: 18,997 km
paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,687 km (2000) |
total: 71,212 km
paved: 71,212 km (including 1,706 of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.8% (1995) |
lowest 10%: 2.6%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1992) |
Illicit drugs | - | a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin |
Imports | NA (2001) | 289,500 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food | machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles |
Imports - partners | France 25.6%, Italy 19.5%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5% (2002) | Germany 32.8%, Italy 11.3%, France 9.9%, US 5.2%, Netherlands 5%, Austria 4.3% (2004) |
Independence | 20 March 1956 (from France) | 1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.5% (2002 est.) | 4.7% (2004 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages | machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
total: 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2002 est.) | 0.9% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | 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 | ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) | 250 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation | Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the Federal Assembly) |
Labor force | 2.69 million
note: shortage of skilled labor (2001 est.) |
3.77 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) | agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km, Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km |
Land use | arable land: 18.67%
permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 10.42%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 88.97% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) | German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 20.4%, Italian (official) 6.5%, Serbo-Croatian 1.5%, Albanian 1.3%, Portuguese 1.2%, Spanish 1.1%, English 1%, Romansch 0.5%, other 2.8% (2000 census)
note: German, French, Italian, and Romansch are all national languages, but only the first three are official languages |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session | civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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 |
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German), Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian) consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats - members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October 2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held); National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held October 2007) election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3; National Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%, FDP 17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%; seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13, other small parties 14 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.4 years
male: 72.77 years female: 76.15 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 80.39 years
male: 77.58 years female: 83.36 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.2% male: 84% female: 64.4% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya | Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | 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.) |
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 604,843 GRT/1,050,914 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, container 3 foreign-owned: 6 (United Kingdom 6) registered in other countries: 291 (2005) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard | Land Forces, Swiss Air Force (Schweizer Luftwaffe) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $356 million (FY99) | $2.548 billion (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (FY99) | 1% (FY01) |
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, 20 March (1956) | Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291) |
Nationality | noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss |
Natural hazards | NA | avalanches, landslides, flash floods |
Natural resources | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt | hydropower potential, timber, salt |
Net migration rate | -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2003) | gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2004) |
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] | Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD, president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD, Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president]; Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC, Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and other minor parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed | NA |
Population | 9,924,742 (July 2003 est.) | 7,489,370 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 6% (2000 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.09% (2003 est.) | 0.49% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis | Basel |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), 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) |
total: 4,527 km
standard gauge: 3,232 km 1.435-m gauge (3,211 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,285 km 1.000-m gauge (1,273 km electrified); 10 km 0.800-m gauge (10 km electrified) (2004) |
Religions | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% | Roman Catholic 41.8%, Protestant 35.3%, Orthodox 1.8%, other Christian 0.4%, Muslim 4.3%, other 1%, unspecified 4.3%, none 11.1% (2000 census) |
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: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 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: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 654,000 (1997) | 5.419 million (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,000 (1998) | 6.172 million (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) | 115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara | mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes |
Total fertility rate | 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.42 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15.4% (2002 est.) | 3.4% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | 65 km
note: Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and Schaffhausen-Bodensee, some canals, and 12 navigable lakes (2003) |