nisia:People

Population: 9,245,284 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 32% (male 1,541,853; female 1,451,035)
15-64 years: 62% (male 2,858,987; female 2,873,748)
65 years and over: 6% (male 267,261; female 252,400) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.48% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 20.56 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 5.08 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 33.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.85 years
male : 71.5 years
female: 74.3 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: 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:
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

Data code: TS

Government type: republic

National 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)
head of government : Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September
1989)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 20 March 1994 (n