Tunisia (2002) | Benin (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | 23 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), El Kef (Al Kaf), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan) | 12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 1,412,625; female 1,320,729)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,234,770; female 3,233,149) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 303,093; female 311,278) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463)
15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit, beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds | cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) |
Airports | 30 (2001) | 5 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2002) |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002) |
Area | total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km |
total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Georgia | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Background | Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse rising pressure for a more open political society. | Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991. |
Birth rate | 16.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5.7 billion
expenditures: $6.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.5 billion (2001 est.) |
revenues: $377.4 million
expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
Capital | Tunis | Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government |
Climate | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
Coastline | 1,148 km | 121 km |
Constitution | 1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988 | December 1990 |
Country name | conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis |
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey |
Currency | Tunisian dinar (TND) | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
Death rate | 5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $11.5 billion (2001 est.) | $1.18 billion (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Rust M. DEMING
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La Goulette, Tunisia mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [216] 71 782-566 FAX: [216] 71 789-719 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50 FAX: [229] 30-06-70 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Hatem ATALLAH
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850 FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN
chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996 |
Disputes - international | none | Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso |
Economic aid - recipient | $933.2 million (1995) | $342.6 million (2000) |
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. | The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output averaged a stable 5% in the past five years, but rapid population rise offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation. |
Electricity - consumption | 9.562 billion kWh (2000) | 523.2 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 19 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 2 million kWh (2000) | 300 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 10.3 billion kWh (2000) | 240 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 99%
hydro: 1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 17%
hydro: 83% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
Environment - current issues | toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; 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 |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1% | African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
Exchange rates | Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.44 (January 2002), 1.3753 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999), 1.1387 (1998), 1.1059 (1997) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17 November 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a third term without opposition; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI nearly 100% |
chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9% note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match" |
Exports | $6.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | $35.3 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural products, hydrocarbons | cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
Exports - partners | France 28%, Italy 21%, Germany 14%, Belgium 6%, Libya (2000) | Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
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 | two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $64.5 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 13%
industry: 33% services: 54% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 36%
industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,600 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2001 est.) | 5.4% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 34 00 N, 9 00 E | 9 30 N, 2 15 E |
Geography - note | strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
Highways | total: 23,100 km
paved: 18,226 km unpaved: 4,874 km (1996) |
total: 6,787 km
paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1997 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 32% (1995) (1995) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure |
Imports | $8.9 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | $437.6 million c.i.f. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food | foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | France 30%, Italy 21%, Germany 11%, Spain 4%, Belgium (2000) | France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001) |
Independence | 20 March 1956 (from France) | 1 August 1960 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.2% (2001 est.) | 8.3% (2001 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages | textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001) |
Infant mortality rate | 27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.7% (2001 est.) | 3% (2001 est.) |
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 | ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | 4 (2002) |
Irrigated land | 3,800 sq km (1998 est.) | 120 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation | Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice |
Labor force | 2.69 million
note: shortage of skilled labor |
NA |
Labor force - by occupation | services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.) | - |
Land boundaries | total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
Land use | arable land: 18.67%
permanent crops: 12.87% other: 68.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 15.28%
permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce) | French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session | based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (182 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - RCD 92%; seats by party - RCD 148, MDS 13, UDU 7, PUP 7, Al-Tajdid 5, PSL 2; note - reforms enabled opposition parties to win up to 20% of seats, increasing the number of seats they hold from 19 in the last election to 34 now |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held 30 March 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, Alliance E'toile 4, IPD 4, other 12 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.16 years
male: 72.56 years female: 75.89 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 49.69 years
male: 48.81 years female: 50.61 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.7% male: 78.6% female: 54.6% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo |
Map references | Africa | Africa |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 200 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 150,710 GRT/162,616 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1 (2002 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, National Guard | Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $356 million (FY99) | $27 million (FY96) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.5% (FY99) | 1.2% (FY96) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,806,881 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 1,509,760
females age 15-49: 1,536,036 note: both sexes are liable for military service (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,597,565 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 771,373
females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age (2002 est.) | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 105,146 (2002 est.) | males: 71,278
females: 70,088 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 20 March (1956) | National Day, 1 August (1960) |
Nationality | noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian |
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
Natural hazards | NA | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
Natural resources | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
Net migration rate | -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 797 km; petroleum products 86 km; natural gas 742 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Al-Tajdid Movement [Adel CHAOUCH]; Constitutional Democratic Rally Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) 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] | African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Saka SALEY]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties; the Coalition of Democratic Forces, [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI], an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU |
Political pressure groups and leaders | the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is outlawed | NA |
Population | 9,815,644 (July 2002 est.) | 6,787,625
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 6% (2000 est.) | 37% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.12% (2002 est.) | 2.91% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis | Cotonou, Porto-Novo |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) |
Radios | 2.06 million (1997) | 660,000 (2000) |
Railways | total: 2,168 km
standard gauge: 471 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 1,687 km 1.000-m gauge dual gauge: 10 km 1.000-m and 1.435-m gauges (three rails) (2001) |
total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.) |
Religions | Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1% | indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% |
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: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial cable, and microwave radio relay international: 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable |
Telephones - main lines in use | 654,000 (1997) | 51,000 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,000 (1998) | 55,500 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (2001) |
Terrain | mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
Total fertility rate | 1.94 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 15.6% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | none | streams navigable along small sections, important only locally |