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Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Tunisia (2003)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Tunisia (2003)

 Western Sahara (2005)Tunisia (2003)
 Western SaharaTunisia
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 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: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
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.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds
Airports 11 (2004 est.) 30 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
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)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 16


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 163,610 sq km


land: 155,360 sq km


water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly larger than Georgia
Background Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. 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.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 16.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $5.2 billion


expenditures: $5.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (2002 est.)
Capital none Tunis
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Coastline 1,110 km 1,148 km
Constitution - 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic


conventional short form: Tunisia


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah


local short form: Tunis
Currency - Tunisian dinar (TND)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external NA $13.6 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none 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
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH


chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850


FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals none
Economic aid - recipient NA $222.7 million (2000)
Economy - overview Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. 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.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2002) 9.748 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 1 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2002) 10.48 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 99.5%


hydro: 0.5%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m


highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000) Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.42 (2002), 1.44 (2001), 1.37 (2000), 1.19 (1999), 1.14 (1998)
Executive branch none 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%
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts France 31.3%, Italy 21.6%, Germany 11.5%, Spain 4.8%, Libya 4.7%, Belgium 4.3% (2002)
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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $67.13 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 12%


industry: 32%


services: 56% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA 4.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Highways total: 6,200 km


paved: 1,350 km


unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
total: 18,997 km


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


unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 2.3%


highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts France 25.6%, Italy 19.5%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5% (2002)
Independence - 20 March 1956 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA 3.5% (2002 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA 2.5% (2002 est.)
International organization participation none 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation
Labor force 12,000 2.69 million


note: shortage of skilled labor (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 1,424 km


border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 18.67%


permanent crops: 12.87%


other: 68.46% (1998 est.)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
Legal system - based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 74.4 years


male: 72.77 years


female: 76.15 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 74.2%


male: 84%


female: 64.4% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue contiguous zone: 24 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
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.)
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $356 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.5% (FY99)
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)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Tunisian(s)


adjective: Tunisian
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility NA
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Net migration rate - -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines - gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2003)
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]
Political pressure groups and leaders none the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed
Population 273,008 (July 2005 est.) 9,924,742 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 6% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate NA 1.09% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 7, FM 20, 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)
Religions Muslim Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Sex ratio NA 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.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
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
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 654,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 50,000 (1998)
Television broadcast stations NA 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 15.4% (2002 est.)
Waterways - none
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