lear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation

Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean

@Tunisia:People

Population: 8,879,845 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,507,866; male 1,563,411)
15-64 years: 60% (female 2,665,586; male 2,672,712)
65 years and over: 5% (female 226,201; male 244,069) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.69% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.52 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.25 years
male: 71.16 years
female: 75.44 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.73 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic divisions: Arab-Berber 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish 1%

Languages: Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce),
French (commerce)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 57%
male: 69%
female: 45%

Labor force: 2.25 million
by occupation: agriculture 32%
note: shortage of skilled labor

@Tunisia:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia
conventional short form: Tunisia
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah
local short form: Tunis

Digraph: TS

Type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; 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 Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987); election last held 20 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
results - President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI was reelected without
opposition
head of