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

_#_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: 8,276,096 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 26 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 38 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 74 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Tunisian(s); adjective--Tunisian

_#_Ethnic divisions: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish less than 1%

_#_Religion: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish less than 1%

_#_Language: Arabic (official); Arabic and French (commerce)

_#_Literacy: 65% (male 74%, female 56%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 2,250,000; agriculture 32%; 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

_#_Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)

_#_Constitution: 1 June 1959

_#_Legal system: based on French civil law system and Islamic law;
some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint
session

_#_National holiday: National Day, 20 March (1956)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of De