Official name

Republic of Tunisia (Aj-jamhouryya At-tonisyya)

Multiparty republic

President

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Capital

Tunis

Major cities

Tunis (capital), Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte.

Area

163,610 sq. km

Population

9.4 million (1999)

1.12% (1999)

Languages

Arabic (official), French is widely spoken, some English and Italian

Religion

Sunni Islam (with the existence of Christian and Jewish communities)

Monetary Unit

Tunisian Dinar (TD1.34=US$1)

Natural resources

Crude oil, phosphate, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Electricity

The voltage is 220V, except for some places in the extreme south where it is 110

Weights and measures

Metric

Business hours

Banks: 8:00-11:00am/2:00-5:00pm Mon. to Thurs.; 8:00am-11: 00am/1:00pm-3: 00pm Fri
Many banks close in the afternoons in summer. In Tunis, some banks have extended hours, and in most tourist resorts money can be changed in hotels and bureau de change establishments.
Hours of business vary in summer, winter and Ramadan.

International dialing code

+216

Time zone

GMT + 1 hour

March 20 (Independence Day)