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Compare Tunisia (2004) - Iran (2003)

Compare Tunisia (2004) z Iran (2003)

 Tunisia (2004)Iran (2003)
 TunisiaIran
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) 28 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Kermanshah, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Age structure 0-14 years: 26% (male 1,337,546; female 1,253,814)


15-64 years: 67.5% (male 3,373,199; female 3,360,402)


65 years and over: 6.5% (male 315,151; female 334,610) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 29.3% (male 10,279,588; female 9,727,668)


15-64 years: 65.9% (male 22,916,431; female 22,095,124)


65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,625,113; female 1,634,902) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Airports 30 (2003 est.) 309 (2002)
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 (2004 est.)
total: 122


over 3,047 m: 39


2,438 to 3,047 m: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 27


914 to 1,523 m: 27


under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 16


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
total: 187


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 9


914 to 1,523 m: 138


under 914 m: 39 (2002)
Area total: 163,610 sq km


land: 155,360 sq km


water: 8,250 sq km
total: 1.648 million sq km


land: 1.636 million sq km


water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Georgia slightly larger than Alaska
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. Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority vested in a learned religious scholar. A group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. Over the past decade, popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor economic conditions, has created a powerful and enduring pressure for political reform.
Birth rate 15.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 17.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $6.101 billion


expenditures: $6.855 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2003 est.)
revenues: $29.5 billion


expenditures: $31.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)
Capital Tunis Tehran
Climate temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Coastline 1,148 km 2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Constitution 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and eliminate the prime ministership
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: Islamic Republic of Iran


conventional short form: Iran


local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran


local short form: Iran


former: Persia
Currency Tunisian dinar (TND) Iranian rial (IRR)
Death rate 5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $14.39 billion (2003 est.) $8.7 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador William J. HUDSON


embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia


mailing address: use embassy street address


telephone: [216] 71 107-000


FAX: [216] 71 962-115
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Tarek Azouz


chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850


FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: [1] (202) 965-4990
Disputes - international none Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters
Economic aid - recipient $378 million (2001) $408 million (2002 est.)
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, averaging 5% for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of 1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after the end of combat operations in Iraq. GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004. 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. Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress toward that goal. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $15 billion in foreign exchange reserves, but have not solved Iran's structural economic problems, including high unemployment and inflation.
Electricity - consumption 9.748 billion kWh (2001) 115.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 1 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 10.48 billion kWh (2001) 124.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 97.1%


hydro: 2.9%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m


highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m


highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 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, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions, refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination); inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw sewage and industrial waste; urbanization
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002), 1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999) rials per US dollar 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43 (2000), 1,752.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998)


note: from 1997 to 2001, Iran had a multi-exchange-rate system; one of these rates, the official floating exchange rate, by which most essential goods were imported, averaged 1,750 rials per US dollar; in March 2002, the multi-exchange-rate system was converged into one rate at about 7,900 rials per US dollar
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 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%
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June 1989)


head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since 3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI (since 26 August 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over appointments to the more sensitive ministries


elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held June 2005)


election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals
Exports - partners France 32.6%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 4.7%, Libya 4.4% (2003) Japan 17.4%, China 8.6%, UAE 7.6%, Italy 6.6%, South Korea 4.9%, South Africa 4.4% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year 21 March - 20 March
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 three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band
GDP purchasing power parity - $68.23 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $458.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.9%


industry: 32.2%


services: 53.9% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 19%


industry: 26%


services: 55% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.1% (2003 est.) 7.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 34 00 N, 9 00 E 32 00 N, 53 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 strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
Heliports - 13 (2002)
Highways total: 18,997 km


paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)
total: 167,157 km


paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)


unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.3%


highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and Iranian press reports estimate at least 2 million drug users in the country
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods, foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military supplies
Imports - partners France 26.1%, Italy 19.8%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5.2% (2003) Germany 10.9%, Italy 9%, France 7.9%, China 7.4%, South Korea 6.5%, UAE 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Russia 4% (2002)
Independence 20 March 1956 (from France) 1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
Industrial production growth rate -0.1% (2003 est.) 5.5% excluding oil (2001 est.)
Industries petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Infant mortality rate total: 25.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 44.17 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 44.31 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.7% (2003 est.) 15.3% (2002 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, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 100 (2002)
Irrigated land 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) 75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation Supreme Court
Labor force 3.461 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)
21 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (1998)
Labor force - by occupation services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,424 km


border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
total: 5,440 km


border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Land use arable land: 17.86%


permanent crops: 13.74%


other: 68.4% (2001)
arable land: 10.17%


permanent crops: 1.16%


other: 88.67% (1998 est.)
Languages Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Legal system based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Legislative branch unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 18 February 2000 with a runoff held 5 May 2000 (next to be held February 2004)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers 189, conservatives 54, independents 42, seats reserved for religious minorities 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.66 years


male: 73 years


female: 76.44 years (2004 est.)
total population: 69.35 years


male: 68.04 years


female: 70.73 years (2003 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: 79.4%


male: 85.6%


female: 73% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: natural prolongation


exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the Persian Gulf


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT


by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, short-sea/passenger 3


registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
total: 139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,190,576 GRT/7,276,700 DWT


ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 10, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods [special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army] forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Military expenditures - dollar figure $356 million (FY99) $9.7 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.5% (FY99) 3.1% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 2,918,524 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 20,343,063 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,655,910 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 12,094,551 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 21 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 106,565 (2004 est.) males: 870,711 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 20 March (1956) Republic Day, 1 April (1979)


note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21 March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)
Nationality noun: Tunisian(s)


adjective: Tunisian
noun: Iranian(s)


adjective: Iranian
Natural hazards NA periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes along western border and in the northeast
Natural resources petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur
Net migration rate -0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) -0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004) condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2003)
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 [Abderrahmane TLILI] a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front achieved considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000, and groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran); Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization (MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); a new apparently conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the local level in early 2003
Political pressure groups and leaders the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed active pro-reform student groups include the "Organization for Strengthening Unity"; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic Coalition Association, and Islamic Engineers Society; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala
Population 9,974,722 (July 2004 est.) 68,278,826 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 7.6% (2001 est.) 40% (2002 est.)
Population growth rate 1.01% (2004 est.) 1.08% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz, Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni, Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar (Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now Shahr
Radio broadcast stations AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (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) (2003)
total: 7,201 km


broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge


standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2002)
Religions Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female


total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female


total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 20 years of age; universal 15 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: 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
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently connected


domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches


international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and 4 Inmarsat
Telephones - main lines in use 1,163,800 (2003) 6.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,899,900 (2003) 265,000 (August 1998)
Television broadcast stations 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) 28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Total fertility rate 1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 14.3% (2003 est.) 16.3% (2003 est.)
Waterways - 904 km


note: the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use
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