Article Outline
Tunisia has a road network of 18,997 km (11,804 mi) connecting important commercial centers. The country is also served by 1,909 km (1,186 mi) of railroad track. Tunisia has four major ports: Tunis, Bizerte, Sūsah, and Sfax. A fifth port, AşŞukhayrah, specializes in petroleum bunkering. The country has five international airports, two of which serve Tunis.
Tunisia’s principal exports include textiles and leather goods, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum and related products, phosphates and fertilizers, and agricultural products. Other important exports include wine, iron, and steel. Among the leading imports are machinery, petroleum products, electric machinery, and food. The principal purchasers of Tunisia’s exports are France, Italy, Germany, and Spain; chief sources of imports are France, Italy, and Germany. In 1995 Tunisia signed a trade agreement with the European Union (EU) that calls for more trade and fewer trade barriers between the EU and Tunisia. The agreement is scheduled to be implemented gradually over 12 years. The annual foreign trade of Tunisia usually shows a deficit. In 2003 exports totaled $7.4 billion and imports totaled $10.1 billion.
Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange in Tunisia, and the government has done much to expand and improve the country’s tourist facilities. In 2005 some 6.4 million visitors spent $2,063 million in Tunisia. Among the country’s attractions are its fine beaches, especially those at Jarbah and Hammamet, and its archaeological sites, including the ancient city of Carthage and Roman ruins at Dougga and El Djem. Inland is Al Qayrawān, the first Arab capital and a Muslim holy site, which has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
According to the constitution of 1959 Tunisia is a free, independent, and sovereign republic.
National executive power in Tunisia is exercised by the president, who is head of state and commander in chief of the army. The president also appoints a council of ministers, headed by a prime minister, which is responsible to the president. The constitution specifies that the president is to be popularly elected to a five-year term; in 1975, however, the National Assembly proclaimed President Habib Bourguiba president for life. Bourguiba held office until his ouster in November 1987. A referendum in May 2002 abolished the three-term limit on the presidency, enabling the incumbent president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, to stand for reelection.
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