Economy overview: Tunisia has a diverse economy, with the agricultural, mining, energy, tourism and industrial sectors almost equally important. Government control over the economy, while remaining quite tight, has gradually loosened over the past ten years, allowing for further privatization and a simplified tax structure; the country repays its debts on time. Real GDP growth in the 1990s averaged 5.5%; inflation rates are steadily decreasing. Tourism and trade played a major role in these achievements. On March 1, 1998, an agreement on cooperation between Tunisia and the EU came into force; this is the first such agreement between the EU and Mediterranean countries. Following it, in the next decade, Tunisia will gradually remove obstacles to trade with the EU. On the agenda is further privatization, liberalization of investment laws. See topb2bwebsites.com to know more about Tunisia in 2004. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $62.8 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 5% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $6,500 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 12%; industry: 32%; services: 54% (1999 est.). Proportion of population below the poverty line: 6% (2000 est.). Percentage distribution of family income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 2.3%; by the top 10% of families: 3.0.7% (1990). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 3% (2000 est.). Work force: 2.65 million people (2000 est.); note: there is a shortage of skilled workers. Employment structure: services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.). Unemployment rate: 15.6% (2000 est.). Budget: revenues: $7.5 billion; expenses: $8.1 billion, including capital investments – $1.6 billion (2000 est.). Economic sectors: oil production, mining (especially phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textile industry, shoe industry, food industry, beverage industry. Growth in industrial production: 4.1% (2000 est.). Electricity generation: 9.173 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuel: 99.2%; hydropower: 0.8%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 0% (1999). Electricity consumption: 8.677 billion kWh (1999) Electricity export: 19 million kWh (1999). Electricity import: 165 million kWh (1999). Agricultural products: olives, olive oil, cereals, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruits, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds. ‘what :tb? Exports: $6.1 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Export items: textiles, machinery, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons. Export partners: Germany 28%, France 22%, Italy 17%, Belgium 5%, Libya 4% (1999) Imports: $8.4 billion (free on board, 2000 est.). Import articles: machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, foodstuffs. Import partners: France 23%, Germany 23%, Italy 15%, Belgium 3% (1999). External debt: $13 billion (2000 est.) Economic aid recipient: $933.2 million (1995); note – official development support – $90 million (1998 est.). Economic aid donor: Currency: Tunisian dinar. Currency code: TND. Exchange rate: TND/USD – 1.3753 (January 2001), 1.4667 (November 2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997), 0.9734 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 654,000 (1997). Mobile cell phones: 50,000 (1998). Telephone system: quality of service is above average for Africa; the main communication centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte and Tunisia; there is access to the Internet; domestic: trunk system consists of landlines, coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; international: 5 submarine cables; satellite ground stations – 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; communication via microwave radio relay and coaxial cables with Algeria and Libya; participant of the project “Medarabtel”; two digital switches for international communication. Broadcast stations: AM – 7, FM -20, shortwave -2 (1998). Radio receivers: 2.06 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 26 (and 76 repeaters) (1995). TVs: 920,000 (1997). Internet country code: tn Internet service providers: 1 (2000). Number of users: 110,000 (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total length: 2,168 km; with standard gauge: 471 km (1.435 m gauge); narrow gauge: 1,687 km (1,000 m gauge); dual gauge: 10 km (1.000 and 1.435 m gauge) (three rails). Roads: total length: 23,100 km; coated: 18,226 km; unpaved: 4,874 km (1996 est.). Pipelines: for crude oil – 797 km; for oil products – 86 km; for natural gas – 742 km. Ports and harbours: Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulet, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Jarjis. Merchant navy: in total: 15 ships (of 1,000 tons displacement or more) with a total displacement of 149,554 gross register tons/156,861 long tons of gross tonnage; ships of various types: bulk carriers – 2, cargo ships – 4, chemical tankers – 3, liquefied gas tankers – 1, oil tankers – 1, coastal passenger ships – 3, specialized tankers – 1 (2000 est.). Airports: 32 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 15; over 3,047 m: 3; from 2438 to 3047 m: 6; from 1524 to 2437 m:3; 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 17; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2; from 914 to 1523 m:8; less than 914 m: 7 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the armed forces: army, navy, air force, paramilitary units, national guard. Enlistment age: 20 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 2,739,566 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: males aged 15 to 49: 1,561,484 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: men: 105,146 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $356 million (1999) Military spending as part of GDP: 1.5% (1999).
