or RCD [President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling
party)]; Liberal Social Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Democratic
Socialists or MDS [Khamis CHAMMARI]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed
Belhaj AMOR]; Unionist Democratic Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: the Islamic fundamentalist party,
Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AL,
AMF, AMU, BSEC (observer), CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPCW,
OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem
ATALLAH FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 chancery:
1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Rust
M. DEMING 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 description: 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

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with
important agricultural, mining, energy, tourism, and manufacturing
sectors. Governmental control of economic affairs while still heavy has
gradually lessened over the past decade with increasing privatization,
simplification of the tax structure, and a prudent approach to
debt. Real growth averaged 5.4% in the past five years, and inflation is
slowing. Growth in tourism and increased trade have been key elements
in this steady growth, although tourism revenues have slowed since 11
September 2001 and may take a year or more to fully recover. Tunisia's
association agreement with the European Union entered into force on 1
March 1998, the first such accord between the EU and a Mediterranean
country. Under the agreement Tunisia will gradually remove barriers to
trade with the EU over the next decade. Broader privatization, further
liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign investment,
and improvements in government efficiency are among the challenges for
the future.