n;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international 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

Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta
and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration

Tunisia People

Population: 9,705,102 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.74% (male 1,440,636; female 1,348,133)

15-64 years: 65.12% (male 3,157,988; female 3,161,596)

65 years and over: 6.14% (male 296,930; female 299,819) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 17.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 4.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: 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: 0.99 male(s)/female

total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 29.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.92 years

male: 72.35 years

female: 75.62 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s)

adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

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

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 66.7%

male: 78.6%

female: 54.6% (1995 est.)

Tunisia Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia

conventional short form: Tunisia

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form: Tunis

Government type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja
(Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf),
Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Je