Beja, Ben Arous, Bizerte, Gabes, Gafsa, Jendouba,
Kairouan, Kasserine, Kebili, L'Ariana, Le Kef, Mahdia, Medenine,
Monastir, Nabeul, Sfax, Sidi Bou Zid, Siliana, Sousse, Tataouine,
Tozeur, Tunis, Zaghouan
Independence:
20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday:
National Day, 20 March (1956)
Constitution:
1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review
of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987);
election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - Gen.
Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without opposition
head of government:
Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Chamber of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab):
elections last held 2 April 1989 (next to be held NA March 1994);
results - RCD 80.7%, independents/Islamists 13.7%, MDS 3.2%, other
2.4%; seats - (141 total) RCD 141
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leaders:
Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (RCD), President BEN ALI
(official ruling party); Movement of Democratic Socialists (MDS),
Mohammed MOUAADA; five other political parties are legal, including
the Communist Party
Other political or pressure groups:
the Islamic fundamentalist party, An Nahda (Rebirth), is outlawed
Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM,
OAPEC (withdrew from active membership in 1986), OAS (observer), OAU,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ismail KHALIL
chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
(202) 862-1850
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John T. McCARTHY
embassy:
144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[216] (1) 782-566
FAX:
[216] (1) 789-719
Flag:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly