TUNISIA
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LAND
164,206 km2; 28% arable land and tree crops, 23% range and esparto grass, 6% forest, 43% desert, waste, or urban
Land boundaries: 1,408 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm (fishing 12 nm exclusive fisheries zone follows the 50-meter isobath for part of the coast, maximum 65 nm)
Coastline: 1,143 km (includes offshore islands)
PEOPLE
Population: 6,842,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.7%
Nationality: noun—Tunisian(s); adjective—Tunisian
Ethnic divisions: 98% Arab, 1% European, less than 1% Jewish
Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, 1% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official), Arabic and French (commerce)
Literacy: about 50%
Labor force: 4 million, 40% agriculture; 15%-25% unemployed; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor: 25% of labor force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of Destourian Socialist Party
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Republic of Tunisia
Type: republic
Capital: Tunis
Political subdivisions: 17 governorates (provinces)
Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law; constitution patterned on Turkish and US constitutions adopted 1959; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session; legal education at Institute of Higher Studies and Superior School of Law of the University of Tunis
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 June
Branches: executive dominant; unicameral legislative largely advisory; judicial, patterned on French and Koranic systems Government leaders: President Habib BOURGUIBA; Prime Minister Mohamed MZALI
Suffrage: universal over age 21
Elections: national elections held every five years; last elections 1 November 1981
Political party and leader: Destourian Socialist Party, led by Habib Bourguiba, is official ruling party
Voting strength (1981 election): over 95% Destourian Socialist Party; 3.23% Social Democrats, under 1% Popular United Movement, under 1% Communist Party
Communists: a small number of nominal Communists, mostly students; Tunisian Communist Party legalized in July 1981
Member of: AFDB, Arab League, AIOEC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, International Lead and Zinc Study Group, IMCO, IMF, IOOC, ISCON, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
ECONOMY
GDP: $8.5 billion (1980 prelim.), $980 per capita; 60% private consumption, 15.3% government consumption, 27.6% investment; average annual growth (1975-80), 7.1%
Agriculture: main crops—cereals (barley and wheat), olives, grapes, citrus fruits, and vegetables
Major sectors: agriculture; industry—mining (phosphate), energy (petroleum, natural gas), manufacturing (food processing and textiles), services (transport, telecommunications, tourism, government)
Electric power: 814,900 kW capacity (1980); 2.428 billion kWh produced (1980), 371 kWh per capita
Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1980); 51% crude petroleum, 14% phosphates, 8% textiles
Imports: $1.1 billion (c.i.f., 1980)
