of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab)
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Gen. Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Hamed KAROUI (since 26 September 1989)

*Tunisia, Government

Member of:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC (withdrew from
active membership in 1986), OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ismail KHELIL
chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
(202) 862-1850
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador John T. McCARTHY
embassy:
144 Avenue de la Liberte, 1002 Tunis-Belvedere
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[216] (1) 782-566
FAX:
[216] (1) 789-719
Flag:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling
a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of
Islam

*Tunisia, Economy

Overview:
The economy depends primarily on petroleum, phosphates, tourism, and exports
of light manufactures. Following two years of drought-induced economic
decline, the economy came back strongly in 1990-92 as a result of good
harvests, continued export growth, and higher domestic investment. High
unemployment has eroded popular support for the government, however, and
forced Tunis to slow the pace of economic reform. Nonetheless, the
government appears committed to implementing its IMF-supported structural
adjustment program and to servicing its foreign debt.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $13.6 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
8% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$1,650 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
15.7% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $4.3 billion; expenditures $5.5 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
hydrocarbons, agricultural products, phosphates and chemicals
partners:
EC countries 74%, Middle East 11%, US 2%, Turkey, former USSR republics
Imports:
$6.1 billion (