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Tunisia
Muslim World Study:
Tunisia
Tunisia Unit Study by Talibiddeen Jr. (.doc)
For upper elementary/junior high.
Geography, History, Culture, and Current Events activities
Includes CIA World Fact Book Entry page for Tunisia
Partial CIA World Fact Book Entry
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Background:
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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.
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya |
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Geographic coordinates:
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34 00 N, 9 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Georgia
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
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Coastline:
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1,148 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm |
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Climate:
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temperate in north with mild,
rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
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Terrain:
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mountains in north; hot, dry
central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Shatt al
Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, phosphates, iron ore,
lead, zinc, salt |
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Land use:
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arable land: 17.86%
permanent crops: 13.74%
other: 68.4% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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3,800 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current
issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international
agreements:
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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
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Geography - note:
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strategic location in central
Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the
commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between
their countries, particularly for oil exploration
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Population:
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10,074,951 (July 2005 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 25.3% (male
1,316,308/female 1,234,309)
15-64 years: 68.1% (male 3,437,880/female 3,418,591)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 321,287/female 346,576)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 27.29 years
male: 26.78 years
female: 27.82 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.99% (2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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15.5 births/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.09 deaths/1,000 population
(2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.54 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 24.77 deaths/1,000
live births
male: 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 21.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 74.89
years
male: 73.2 years
female: 76.71 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.75 children born/woman (2005
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence
rate:
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less than 0.1% (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:
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1,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 200 (2003 est.)
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk:
intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, and
hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: may be a significant risk in
some locations during the transmission season (typically
April through November) (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish
and other 1% |
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Religions:
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Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish
and other 1% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official and one of the
languages of commerce), French (commerce) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 74.3%
male: 83.4%
female: 65.3% (2004 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form:
Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Tunis |
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Administrative divisions:
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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)
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Independence:
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20 March 1956 (from France)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 20 March
(1956) |
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Constitution:
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1 June 1959; amended 1988, 2002
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law system
and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court in joint session |
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of Cassation or Cour de
Cassation |
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Political parties and
leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups
and leaders:
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the Islamic fundamentalist
party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed |
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International organization
participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in
the US:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador Mohamed Nejib HACHANA
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850
FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 |
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Diplomatic representation
from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
See Muslim World Study
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