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| Capital city: |
Tunis |
| Surface area: |
164,000 sq km |
| Population: |
10.3 million |
| Official language(s): |
Arabic |
| Head of State: |
President HE Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali |
| Head of Government: |
Prime Minister HE Mr Mohamed Ghannouchi |
| Australian exports to Tunisia: |
$A7,394,000 |
| Australian imports from Tunisia: |
$A49,902,000 |
| Tunisia's principal export destinations: |
France, Italy, Germany |
| Tunisia's principal import sources: |
France, Italy, Russia | (Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Country economic fact sheet) |
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Key economic indicators and statistics for 2008:
- GDP – US$39.8 billion
- GDP per capita – US$3,813
- Real GDP growth – 3.3 per cent
- Inflation rate – 3.2 per cent
(Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Country economic fact sheet)
Tunisia has important phosphate reserves but limited reserves of natural gas, oil, and minerals such as iron ore, zinc and lead. |
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Tunisia is a republic, with a legislature elected by a system of proportional representation. It gained its independence from France in 1956. Tunisia has a 163-member parliament to which members are elected for five-year terms. Political parties based on race, religion, region or language are forbidden in Tunisia.
The President, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, has been elected for three five-year terms since gaining power in a coup in 1987. He is a member of the ruling party, the Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique. Under the previous constitution, he was expected to stand down in 2004. However, following a referendum in May 2002, accepted by a vote of 99 per cent, President Ben Ali was authorised to stand for a fourth term in the presidential elections held in October 2004 and consequently won re-election. |
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Trade relations and statistics
Major Australian exports to Tunisia (2007-08):
- Zinc – A$2,581,000
- Meat (excluding beef) – A$2,049,000
- MIlk and cream – A$1,017,000
- Specialised machinery and parts – A$452,000
Major Australian imports from Tunisia (2007-08):
- Fertilisers – A$32,681,000
- Clothing – A$8,934,000
- Vehicle parts and accessories – A$817,000
- Footwear – A$391,000
(Source: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Country economic fact sheet)
The 1995 trade and Cupertino agreement with the European Union (EU) provides for the gradual creation of a free trade zone over a 12-year period. The EU is Tunisia’s major market: approximately 75-80 per cent of Tunisia’s exports go to the EU, and more than 60 per cent of imports originate from France, Italy, Germany and Spain. In May 2001, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia agreed to set up a free trade zone. In addition, the United States–North African Economic Partnership encourages increased two-way trade between USA, Tunisia and other Maghreb states. |
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