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Official Name: Known as The Tunisian Republic (locally known as Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah or Tunis).
Capital city: The capital of Tunisia is Tunis. Tunis is only 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the great ancient city of Carthage, which dates back to the 9th century B.C.
Location: Tunisia is located in the North East point of Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya. This area was known as The Maghreb (place of sunset) during the Arab rule (early 8th century A.D.).
Size: The total land and water area of Tunisia is 163,610 sq km. The total land area is 155,360 sq km and the total water area is 8,250 sq km. Tunisia is slightly larger than Nepal and smaller than Suriname.
Climate: The climate of Tunisia is very diverse; mountains and beaches in the North are temperate with a sunny and hot summer and a mild and rainy winter. The South is dry, hot, and semi-arid where it merges into the Sahara Desert (during the winter it will get cold at night).
Population: Tunisia has a gross population of approximately 10,486,339 million people and the country ranks 77th worldwide in gross population. This is comparable to the population of Rwanda or Portugal.
Life expectancy at birth: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Tunisia is less than 0.1%, putting Tunisia at a low ranking of 135 globally, between Fiji and Uzbekistan. There are 3,700 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
Prevalence of HIV/AIDS: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Tunisia is less than 0.1%, ranking Tunisia at 113th globally. There are 43,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
Major Illnesses: Tunisia has a public and private health care system which has been functioning relatively well. Life expectancy has increased, the infant mortality rate has dropped, and vaccine programs have treated over 94% of the children. In general, insect-borne and Water/Food borne diseases are not a problem. In some areas the following diseases can occur: Filariasis, Relapsing Fever, Rift Valley Fever, West Nile Fever, Amoebiasis, Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever, Brucellosis, Echinococcosis, Cholera, and Schistosomiasis.
Ethnic Groups: The major ethnic groups in Tunisia are; Arab 98% (Arab and Berber descent), European 1% (mostly French and Italian), and Jewish and other 1%. The Berbers were the first known people who inhabited North Africa some 4,000 years ago.
Languages: Arabic is the official language of Tunisia. French is used mainly for commerce. English and German are spoken in the major cities.
Religion: The Tunisian Republic is a majority Muslim country, with 98% of the population following Sunni Islam. Islam is the official religion of the Country. There are 1% of the population following Christianity and 1% follow Judaism.
Government: Tunisia is a Republic. The government is governed under the constitution of 1959. The President, who is the head of state, is popularly elected for a five-year term, with no term limits. The President appoints a Prime Minister and cabinet. Regional governors and local administrators are also appointed by the central government. Tunisia has a strong presidential system which is dominated by a single political party. Progress towards a full democracy has been slow. The only two Presidents Tunisia has had, Bourguiba and later Ben Ali, have both been able to run unopposed for re-election during their tenures. There have been concerns about elections being rigged and problems affecting the human rights of the Tunisian citizens.
Head of State: The Head of State in Tunisia is The President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. The President is elected by popular vote for a five-year term with no term limits.
Head of Government: The Head of Government in Tunisia is The Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi.
Military: The Tunisian Armed Forces consist of: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Tunisia's military spending as of 2006 was 1.6% of GDP. There are about 35,000 soldiers, 139 tanks, 18 combat aircraft, 15 combat vessels, and 83 missile launchers. Tunisia has become more focused on Islamic fundamentalism within the country and North Africa. For this reason The United States has conducted exercises with The Tunisian defense forces. Tunisia has received over USD$10 million in aid, most of it for military or counter-terrorism from The United States.
Economy: Tunisia has a strong and stable economy (highest ranked in Africa and 36th globally), which has continued to grow at 4.4% to 5.6% over the past decade. This is because the government has changed its policies and has reduced its control over the economy. By increasing privatization (since 1987 over 160 state owned enterprises have become privately owned), reducing its debt by liberalizing prices and reducing tariffs (barriers) on international trade (mostly with the European Union). The government’s structural adjustment programs and the good economic relations with both Europe and the Arab world have brought additional lending from the World Bank and other Western creditors. In 1990, Tunisia acceded to the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Tunisia has also entered into a trade agreement with the European Union (EU), which removes all tariffs and other trade barriers on most goods. The main concern in Tunisia is unemployment which has continued to be an issue over the years, currently over 14% of the work force are unemployed.
GDP: The purchasing power parity of Tunisia is USD$87.71 billion; this ranks Tunisia 74th worldwide, putting the country above Serbia and just below Croatia. Tunisia has a diverse economy with important agricultural resources (olives, dates, grains, and almonds), natural resources (gas, oil, phosphate), tourism (20% of the GDP), and manufacturing sectors (textiles, car parts, footwear).
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