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Basic Facts |
Country name |
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah local short form: Tunis |
Gevernment type | republic |
Capital |
name: Tunis
geographic coordinates: 36 48 N, 10 11 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
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 |
Currency | Tunisian dinar (TND) |
Internet country code | .tn |
Ports and terminals | Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Skhira |
Agriculture products | olives, olive oil, grain, tomatoes, citrus fruit, sugar beets, dates, almonds; beef, dairy products |
Industries | petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages |
Geography |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya |
Coordinates | 34 00 N, 9 00 E |
Continent | Africa |
Area |
total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km water: 8,250 sq km |
Boundaries |
total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km |
Coastline | 1,148 km |
Climate | temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south |
Terrain | mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges into the Sahara |
Natural resources | petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt |
Natural hazards | NA |
People |
Population | 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.) |
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) |