ess than 1,220 m

Ports: none; offshore anchorage only

Telecommunications: important meteorological station

- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
----------------------------------------------------
Country: Tunisia
- Geography
Total area: 163,610 km2; land area: 155,360 km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: 1,424 km total; Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims:

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Libya

Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry
summers; desert in south

Terrain: mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south
merges into the Sahara

Natural resources: crude oil, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc,
salt

Land use: 20% arable land; 10% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures;
4% forest and woodland; 47% other; includes 1% irrigated

Environment: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; only
144 km from Italy across the Strait of Sicily; borders Libya on east

- People
Population: 8,095,492 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)

Birth rate: 28 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 40 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 70 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Tunisian(s); adjective--Tunisian

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

Religion: 98% Muslim, 1% Christian, less than 1% Jewish

Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)

Literacy: 62% (est.)

Labor force: 2,250,000; 32% agriculture; shortage of skilled labor

Organized labor: about 360,000 members claimed, roughly 20% of labor
force; General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT), quasi-independent of
Constitutional Democratic Party

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Tunisia; note--may be changed to Tunisian
Republic

Type: republic

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates (wilayat,
singular--wilayah); Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah, Al Munastir, Al Qasrayn,
Al Qayrawan, Aryanah, Bajah, Banzart, Bin Arus, Jundubah,
Madanin, Nabul, Qabis, Qafsah, Qibili, Safaqis,
Sidi Bu Zayd, Silyanah, Susah, Tatawin, Tawzar, Tunis,
Zaghwan