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Compare Tunisia (2006) - European Union (2006)

Compare Tunisia (2006) z European Union (2006)

 Tunisia (2006)European Union (2006)
 TunisiaEuropean Union
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.)
0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)


15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)


65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes; dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; fish
Airports 30 (2006) 3,115 (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 (2006)
1,863 (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)
1,252 (2006)
Area total: 163,610 sq km


land: 155,360 sq km


water: 8,250 sq km
total: 3,976,372 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Georgia less than one-half the size of the US
Background 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. Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.

The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, raising the membership total to 15.

A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using the euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gave member states two years to ratify the document before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006. Referenda held in France and the Netherlands in May-June 2005 rejected the proposed constitution. This development suspended the ratification effort and left the longer-term political integration of the EU in limbo.
Birth rate 15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $7.322 billion


expenditures: $8.304 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2005 est.)
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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
name: Brussels (Belgium)


geographic coordinates: 50 50 N, 4 20 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


note: the Council of the European Union meets in Brussels, the European Parliament meets in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of Justice of the European Communities meets in Luxembourg
Climate temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Coastline 1,148 km 65,413.9 km
Constitution 1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002 based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gave member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it was scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006; defeat in French and Dutch referenda in May-June 2005 caused a suspension of the ratification process
Country name 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.) 10.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $16.09 billion (2005 est.) -
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador C. Boyden GRAY


embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat/Rue Zinner, B-1000 Brussels


mailing address: same as above


telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222


FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Nejib HACHANA


chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850


FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON


chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500


FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
Disputes - international none as a political union, the EU has no border disputes with neighboring countries, but Estonia and Latvia have no land boundary agreements with Russia, Slovenia disputes its land and maritime boundaries with Croatia, and Spain has territorial and maritime disputes with Morocco; the EU has set up a Schengen area - consisting of 13 EU member states that have signed the convention implementing the Schengen agreements (1985 and 1990) on the free movement of persons and the harmonization of border controls in Europe; the Schengen agreements ("acquis") became incorporated into EU law with the implementation of the 1997 Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999; member states are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden; in addition, non-EU states Iceland and Norway (as part of the Nordic Union) have been included in the Schengen area since 1996 (full members in 2001), bringing the total current membership to 15; the UK (since 2000) and Ireland (since 2002) take part in some aspects of the Schengen area, especially with respect to police and criminal matters; the 10 new member states that joined the EU in 2004 eventually are expected to participate in Schengen, following a transition period to upgrade their border controls and procedures
Economic aid - recipient $114.6 million (2002) -
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. 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. Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $15,000 to $56,000) and historic national animosities, the European Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, since 2003 Germany and France have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the other 15. Twelve EU member states introduced the euro as their common currency on 1 January 1999, but the UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not participate. The 10 new member states may choose to adopt the euro when they meet the EU's fiscal and monetary criteria and the other euro states so agree.
Electricity - consumption 10.76 billion kWh (2003) 2.711 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - exports 10 million kWh (2003) 282.6 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 5 million kWh (2003) 281.2 billion kWh (2002 est.)
Electricity - production 11.56 billion kWh (2003) 2.925 trillion kWh (2002 est.)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m


highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m


highest point: Mont Blanc 4,807 m; note - situated on the border between France and Italy
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, 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: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94


signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
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) 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 (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%
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose Manuel DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)


cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas)


elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009)


election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449 to 149 with 82 abstentions


note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines
Exports NA bbl/day 5.322 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.
Exports - partners France 30.9%, Italy 21.1%, Germany 9.4%, Spain 5.5%, Libya 4.5% (2005) US 24.2%, Switzerland 7.7%, China 5%, Russia 4.7% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year NA
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 on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.2%


industry: 31.8%


services: 55% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 27.3%


services: 70.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.2% (2005 est.) 1.7% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 34 00 N, 9 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 -
Heliports - 93 (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.3%


highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.5% (1995 est.)
Imports NA bbl/day 15.69 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners France 25.5%, Italy 22.9%, Germany 9.5%, Spain 5.5% (2005) US 15.3%, China 12.4%, Russia 7.8%, Japan 7.2% (2004)
Independence 20 March 1956 (from France) 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Industrial production growth rate 0.9% (2005 est.) 1.3% (2005 est.)
Industries petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages among the world's largest and most technologically advanced, the European Union industrial base includes: ferrous and non-ferrous metal production and processing, metal products, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, construction equipment, industrial equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools and automated manufacturing systems, electronics and telecommunications equipment, fishing, food and beverage processing, furniture, paper, textiles, tourism
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.)
total: 5.1 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2.1% (2005 est.) 2.2% (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 European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member), IDA, OAS (observer), UN (observer), WTO


European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, EBRD, G-10, NSG (observer), OECD, UNRWA, ZC (observer)


European Central Bank: BIS


European Investment Bank: EBRD, WADB (nonregional member)
Irrigated land 3,940 sq km (2003) 131,250 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation Court of Justice of the European Communities (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed for a six-year term
Labor force 3.41 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
218.5 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 55%


industry: 23%


services: 22% (1995 est.)
agriculture: 4.4%


industry: 27.2%


services: 67.2%


note: the remainder is in miscellaneous public and private sector industries and services (2005 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,424 km


border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
total: 11,214.8 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania 443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia 151 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km


note: data for European Continent only
Land use arable land: 17.05%


permanent crops: 13.08%


other: 69.87% (2005)
arable land: NA


permanent crops: NA


other: NA
Languages Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed; Irish (Gaelic) will become the 21st language on 1 January 2007
Legal system 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))
Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term


elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.12 years


male: 73.4 years


female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)
total population: 78.3 years


male: 75.1 years


female: 81.6 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 Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya Europe between Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, southeastern Europe, and the North Atlantic Ocean
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm
NA
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 - In November 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade, the Multinational Command Support Brigade, and EUFOR, which took over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - commitments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. In November 2004, the EU Council of Ministers formally committed to creating thirteen 1,500-man "battle groups" by the end of 2007, to respond to international crises on a rotating basis. Twenty-two of the EU's 25 nations have agreed to supply troops. France, Italy, and the UK are to form the first three battle groups in 2005, with Spain to follow. In May 2005, Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish one of the battle groups, possibly to include Estonian forces. The remaining groups are to be formed by 2007.
(2005)
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) Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert SCHUMAN proposed the creation of an organized Europe
Nationality noun: Tunisian(s)


adjective: Tunisian
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Natural hazards NA flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Natural resources petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish
Net migration rate -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 1.5 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] Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed -
Population 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.) 456,953,258 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 7.4% (2005 est.) see individual country listings
Population growth rate 0.99% (2006 est.) 0.15% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)
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)
total: 222,293 km


broad gauge: 28,438 km


standard gauge: 186,405 km


narrow gauge: 7,427 km


other: 23 km (2003)
Religions Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish
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.)
at birth: NA


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
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: 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
note - see individual country entries of member states
Telephones - main lines in use 1,257,500 (2005) 238,763,162 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 5.681 million (2005) 314,644,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) 2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of individual country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)
Terrain mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Total fertility rate 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.47 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 14.2% (2005 est.) 9.4% (2005 est.)
Waterways - 53,512 km
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