dustrial/agricultural):

total: 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)
per capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

NA

Environment - current issues:

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

Environment - international agreements:

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

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

People
Tunisia

Population:

10,383,577 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 23.2% (male 1,246,105/female 1,167,379)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 3,638,062/female 3,595,254)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 345,590/female 391,187) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 28.8 years
male: 28.2 years
female: 29.3 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.989% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

15.5 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

5.17 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-0.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

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: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 23.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 25.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.56 years
male: 73.79 years
female: 77.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.73 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

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