13%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 44% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,850 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment--current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is
ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution from
raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography--note: strategic location in central Mediterranean

People

Population: 9,513,603 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 1,513,296; female 1,417,166)
15-64 years: 63% (male 3,006,029; female 3,018,411)
65 years and over: 6% (male 283,026; female 275,675) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.39% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 19.72 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.05 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 31.38 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.35 years
male: 71.95 years
female: 74.86 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.38 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions: Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 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.)

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

Capital: Tunis

Administrative divisions: 23 governorates; Al Kaf, Al Mahdiyah,
Al Munastir, Al Qasr