Tunisia

C

Education

Education in Tunisia is free and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. Virtually all children attend six years of primary school. Instruction is conducted mainly in Arabic, although French is also used, especially at the college and university levels. In the 2000 school year primary schools had a total enrollment of 1.4 million pupils, and secondary, technical, and vocational schools, 1.1 million. In 2001–2002 some 226,100 students were enrolled in institutions of higher education, primarily the three divisions of the University of Tunis (founded in 1958), arts and letters, sciences, and economics and business. Universities at Monastir and Sfax opened in 1986.

D

Cultural Institutions

Tunisia has three major libraries, all headquartered in Tunis. The National Library has a collection of more than 700,000 volumes. The Musée National du Bardo, founded in 1888 in Tunis, has collections of Punic, Greek, Roman, and Islamic art. Tunis also has a state-supported municipal theater, but much theater activity takes place at the International Cultural Center at Al Ḩammāmāt. The Musée National de Carthage is located near the ruins of ancient Carthage and has archaeological finds from the Punic and Roman periods. The Carthage Festival, an international arts festival, is held annually at the site of the ancient city.

E

Communications

The constitution of Tunisia guarantees freedom of the press and of expression. However, the government closely controls the media, and journalists who violate the press regulations are subject to punishment. Tunisian press includes 8 dailies with a combined daily circulation of 219,475 and more than three dozen other periodicals. Both radio and television broadcasting are under government operation.

IV

Economy

The Tunisian economy is dominated by petroleum production, manufacturing, and tourism. Tunisia generally imports more than it exports. This trade deficit is offset by revenues from tourism. Economic development has been concentrated in the northern half of Tunisia.

---

---

Following independence in 1956, the government played a major role in directing Tunisia’s economic life, owning important industries, setting priorities for development, and regulating economic activities. Since the late 1980s the government has been privatizing state-owned industries and introducing other market reforms. This has exacerbated unemployment. In 1996 Tunisia entered an association agreement with the European Union (EU), which was to reduce tariffs and encourage European investment over a 12 year period.

In 2005 the government’s budget showed $8.4 billion in revenue and $8.5 billion in spending. The gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of the total value of all goods and services produced in the country, was $28.7 billion in 2005.

A

Labor

Of the economically active Tunisian population, 22 percent work in agriculture and fishing, 34 percent in industry, and 43 percent in services. Unemployment and underemployment are chronic national problems.

	More from Encarta
	•  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain