Topic: Photos of Tunisia

Topic: Introduction
Background: Tunisia has been the nexus of many different colonizations including those of the Phoenicians (as early as the 12 century B.C.), the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, various Arab and Berber kingdoms, and the Ottomans (16th to late 19th centuries). Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in convincing the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country's new constitution. Following ESSEBSI’s death in office in July 2019, Tunisia moved its scheduled presidential election forward two months and after two rounds of voting, Kais SAIED was sworn in as president in October 2019. Tunisia also held legislative elections on schedule in October 2019. SAIED's term, as well as that of Tunisia's 217-member parliament, expires in 2024. On 25 July 2021, SAIED seized exceptional powers allowed under Tunisia's constitution to fire the prime minister and suspend the legislature.Tunisia has been the nexus of many different colonizations including those of the Phoenicians (as early as the 12 century B.C.), the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, various Arab and Berber kingdoms, and the Ottomans (16th to late 19th centuries). Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate. Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was finally successful in convincing the French to recognize Tunisia as an independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. Street protests that began in Tunis in December 2010 over high unemployment, corruption, widespread poverty, and high food prices escalated in January 2011, culminating in rioting that led to hundreds of deaths. On 14 January 2011, the same day BEN ALI dismissed the government, he fled the country, and by late January 2011, a "national unity government" was formed. Elections for the new Constituent Assembly were held in late October 2011, and in December, it elected human rights activist Moncef MARZOUKI as interim president. The Assembly began drafting a new constitution in February 2012 and, after several iterations and a months-long political crisis that stalled the transition, ratified the document in January 2014. Parliamentary and presidential elections for a permanent government were held at the end of 2014. Beji CAID ESSEBSI was elected as the first president under the country's new constitution. Following ESSEBSI’s death in office in July 2019, Tunisia moved its scheduled presidential election forward two months and after two rounds of voting, Kais SAIED was sworn in as president in October 2019. Tunisia also held legislative elections on schedule in October 2019. SAIED's term, as well as that of Tunisia's 217-member parliament, expires in 2024. On 25 July 2021, SAIED seized exceptional powers allowed under Tunisia's constitution to fire the prime minister and suspend the legislature.Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.

Topic: Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria and Libya
Geographic coordinates: 34 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 163,610 sq km

land: 155,360 sq km

water: 8,250 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Georgia
Land boundaries: total: 1,495 km

border countries (2): Algeria 1,034 km; Libya 461 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 12 nm
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
Elevation: highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m

mean elevation: 246 m
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 6.6% (2018 est.)

other: 28.6% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land: 4,590 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: North Western Sahara Aquifer System
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated as shown in this population distribution map
Natural hazards: flooding; earthquakes; droughts
Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration
Map description: Tunisia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.Tunisia map showing major population centers as well as parts of surrounding countries and the Mediterranean Sea.

Topic: People and Society
Population: 11,896,972 (2022 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s)

adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
Languages: Arabic (official, one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce), Berber (Tamazight); note - despite having no official status, French plays a major role in the country and is spoken by about two thirds of the population

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، أحسن كتاب تتعلم به المعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions: Muslim (official; Sunni) 99%, other (includes Christian, Jewish, Shia Muslim, and Baha'i) <1%
Demographic profile: The Tunisian Government took steps in the 1960s to decrease population growth and gender inequality in order to improve socioeconomic development. Through its introduction of a national family planning program (the first in Africa) and by raising the legal age of marriage, Tunisia rapidly reduced its total fertility rate from about 7 children per woman in 1960 to 2 today. Unlike many of its North African and Middle Eastern neighbors, Tunisia will soon be shifting from being a youth-bulge country to having a transitional age structure, characterized by lower fertility and mortality rates, a slower population growth rate, a rising median age, and a longer average life expectancy.Currently, the sizable young working-age population is straining Tunisia’s labor market and education and health care systems. Persistent high unemployment among Tunisia’s growing workforce, particularly its increasing number of university graduates and women, was a key factor in the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the BEN ALI regime in 2011. In the near term, Tunisia’s large number of jobless young, working-age adults; deficiencies in primary and secondary education; and the ongoing lack of job creation and skills mismatches could contribute to future unrest. In the longer term, a sustained low fertility rate will shrink future youth cohorts and alleviate demographic pressure on Tunisia’s labor market, but employment and education hurdles will still need to be addressed.Tunisia has a history of labor emigration. In the 1960s, workers migrated to European countries to escape poor economic conditions and to fill Europe’s need for low-skilled labor in construction and manufacturing. The Tunisian Government signed bilateral labor agreements with France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands, with the expectation that Tunisian workers would eventually return home. At the same time, growing numbers of Tunisians headed to Libya, often illegally, to work in the expanding oil industry. In the mid-1970s, with European countries beginning to restrict immigration and Tunisian-Libyan tensions brewing, Tunisian economic migrants turned toward the Gulf countries. After mass expulsions from Libya in 1983, Tunisian migrants increasingly sought family reunification in Europe or moved illegally to southern Europe, while Tunisia itself developed into a transit point for Sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe.Following the ousting of BEN ALI in 2011, the illegal migration of unemployed Tunisian youths to Italy and onward to France soared into the tens of thousands. Thousands more Tunisian and foreign workers escaping civil war in Libya flooded into Tunisia and joined the exodus. A readmission agreement signed by Italy and Tunisia in April 2011 helped stem the outflow, leaving Tunisia and international organizations to repatriate, resettle, or accommodate some 1 million Libyans and third-country nationals.The Tunisian Government took steps in the 1960s to decrease population growth and gender inequality in order to improve socioeconomic development. Through its introduction of a national family planning program (the first in Africa) and by raising the legal age of marriage, Tunisia rapidly reduced its total fertility rate from about 7 children per woman in 1960 to 2 today. Unlike many of its North African and Middle Eastern neighbors, Tunisia will soon be shifting from being a youth-bulge country to having a transitional age structure, characterized by lower fertility and mortality rates, a slower population growth rate, a rising median age, and a longer average life expectancy.Currently, the sizable young working-age population is straining Tunisia’s labor market and education and health care systems. Persistent high unemployment among Tunisia’s growing workforce, particularly its increasing number of university graduates and women, was a key factor in the uprisings that led to the overthrow of the BEN ALI regime in 2011. In the near term, Tunisia’s large number of jobless young, working-age adults; deficiencies in primary and secondary education; and the ongoing lack of job creation and skills mismatches could contribute to future unrest. In the longer term, a sustained low fertility rate will shrink future youth cohorts and alleviate demographic pressure on Tunisia’s labor market, but employment and education hurdles will still need to be addressed.Tunisia has a history of labor emigration. In the 1960s, workers migrated to European countries to escape poor economic conditions and to fill Europe’s need for low-skilled labor in construction and manufacturing. The Tunisian Government signed bilateral labor agreements with France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands, with the expectation that Tunisian workers would eventually return home. At the same time, growing numbers of Tunisians headed to Libya, often illegally, to work in the expanding oil industry. In the mid-1970s, with European countries beginning to restrict immigration and Tunisian-Libyan tensions brewing, Tunisian economic migrants turned toward the Gulf countries. After mass expulsions from Libya in 1983, Tunisian migrants increasingly sought family reunification in Europe or moved illegally to southern Europe, while Tunisia itself developed into a transit point for Sub-Saharan migrants heading to Europe.Following the ousting of BEN ALI in 2011, the illegal migration of unemployed Tunisian youths to Italy and onward to France soared into the tens of thousands. Thousands more Tunisian and foreign workers escaping civil war in Libya flooded into Tunisia and joined the exodus. A readmission agreement signed by Italy and Tunisia in April 2011 helped stem the outflow, leaving Tunisia and international organizations to repatriate, resettle, or accommodate some 1 million Libyans and third-country nationals.
Age structure: 0-14 years: 25.28% (male 1,529,834/female 1,433,357)

15-24 years: 12.9% (male 766,331/female 745,888)

25-54 years: 42.85% (male 2,445,751/female 2,576,335)

55-64 years: 10.12% (male 587,481/female 598,140)

65 years and over: 8.86% (2020 est.) (male 491,602/female 546,458)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 49.6

youth dependency ratio: 36.3

elderly dependency ratio: 13.3

potential support ratio: 7.5 (2020 est.)
Median age: total: 32.7 years

male: 32 years

female: 33.3 years (2020 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.69% (2022 est.)
Birth rate: 14.62 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate: 6.36 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Population distribution: the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated as shown in this population distribution map
Urbanization: urban population: 70.2% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population: 2.439 million TUNIS (capital) (2022)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female

15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female

total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 43 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 11.87 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 13.32 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 10.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.82 years

male: 75.14 years

female: 78.6 years (2022 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate: 50.7% (2018)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 97.3% of population

total: 99.2% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 2.7% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2020 est.)
Current Health Expenditure: 7% (2019)
Physicians density: 1.3 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density: 2.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 98.8% of population

rural: 99.4% of population

total: 99% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.2% of population

rural: 0.6% of population

total: 1% of population (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: (2020 est.) <.1%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,500 (2020 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: (2020 est.) <200
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 26.9% (2016)
Tobacco use: total: 24.6% (2020 est.)

male: 47.2% (2020 est.)

female: 2% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.6% (2018)
Education expenditures: 7.3% of GDP (2016)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 81.8%

male: 89.6%

female: 74.2% (2015)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 15 years

male: 14 years

female: 16 years (2016)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 34.9%

male: 33.8%

female: 37.2% (2017 est.)

Topic: Environment
Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited natural freshwater resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Air pollutants: particulate matter emissions: 35.66 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 29.94 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 7.89 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate: temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in south
Land use: agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.3% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 15.4% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 31.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 6.6% (2018 est.)

other: 28.6% (2018 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 70.2% of total population (2022)

rate of urbanization: 1.34% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources: forest revenues: 0.21% of GDP (2018 est.)
Revenue from coal: coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.7 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually: 108,000 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 4% (2014 est.)
Major aquifers: North Western Sahara Aquifer System
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 137 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial: 965 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural: 3.773 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 4.615 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Topic: Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Tunisia

conventional short form: Tunisia

local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

local short form: Tunis

etymology: the country name derives from the capital city of Tunis
Government type: parliamentary 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)

etymology: three possibilities exist for the derivation of the name; originally a Berber settlement (earliest reference 4th century B.C.), the strategic site fell to the Carthaginians (Phoenicians) and the city could be named after the Punic goddess Tanit, since many ancient cities were named after patron deities; alternatively, the Berber root word "ens," which means "to lie down" or "to pass the night," may indicate that the site was originally a camp or rest stop; finally, the name may be the same as the city of Tynes, mentioned in the writings of some ancient authors
Administrative divisions: 24 governorates (wilayat, singular - wilayah); Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin 'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba (Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili (Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), L'Ariana (Aryanah), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah), Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax (Safaqis), Sidi Bouzid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse (Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan (Zaghwan)
Independence: 20 March 1956 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 20 March (1956); Revolution and Youth Day, 14 January (2011)
Constitution: history: history: several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by the president, prime minister, and Constituent Assembly speaker on 27 January 2014; note - in September 2021, President Kais SAIED issued a decree granting him certain executive, legislative, and judiciary powers, and the authority to rule by decree, but allowed continued implementation of the preamble and chapters one and two of the Constitution, which guarantee rights and freedoms; in mid-December 202, SAIED announced that a constitutional referendum would be held on 25 July 2022

amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by one third of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People membership; following review by the Constitutional Court, approval to proceed requires an absolute majority vote by the Assembly and final passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; the president can opt to submit an amendment to a referendum, which requires an absolute majority of votes cast for passagehistory: several previous; latest approved by Constituent Assembly 26 January 2014, signed by the president, prime minister, and Constituent Assembly speaker on 27 January 2014; note - in September 2021, President Kais SAIED issued a decree granting him certain executive, legislative, and judiciary powers, and the authority to rule by decree, but allowed continued implementation of the preamble and chapters one and two of the Constitution, which guarantee rights and freedoms; in mid-December 202, SAIED announced that a constitutional referendum would be held on 25 July 2022
Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law, based on the French civil code and Islamic (sharia) law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Tunisia

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal except for active government security forces (including the police and the military), people with mental disabilities, people who have served more than three months in prison (criminal cases only), and people given a suspended sentence of more than six months
Executive branch: chief of state: President Kais SAIED (elected 13 October, sworn in 23 October 2019)

head of government: Prime Minister Najla BOUDEN Romdhane (since 11 October 2021)

cabinet: selected by the prime minister and approved by the Assembly of the Representatives of the People; note - on 11 October 2021, SAIED and BOUDEN appointed a new cabinet without approval by the suspended parliament

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 15 September 2019 with a runoff on 13 October 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the prime minister is selected by the winning party or winning coalition and appointed by the president

election results: first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 18.4%, Nabil KAROUI (Heart of Tunisia) 15.6%, Abdelfattah MOUROU (Nahda Movement) 12.9%, Abdelkrim ZBIDI(independent) 10.7%,Youssef CHAHED (Long Live Tunisia) 7.4%, Safi SAID (independent) 7.1%, Lotfi MRAIHI (Republican People's Union) 6.6%, other 21.3%; runoff - Kais SAIED elected president; Kais SAIED 72.7%, Nabil KAROUI 27.3%            first round - Kais SAIED (independent) 18.4%, Nabil KAROUI (Heart of Tunisia) 15.6%, Abdelfattah MOUROU (Nahda Movement) 12.9%, Abdelkrim ZBIDI(independent) 10.7%,Youssef CHAHED (Long Live Tunisia) 7.4%, Safi SAID (independent) 7.1%, Lotfi MRAIHI (Republican People's Union) 6.6%, other 21.3%; runoff - Kais SAIED elected president; Kais SAIED 72.7%, Nabil KAROUI 27.3%
Legislative branch: description: note: on 25 July 2021, President SAIED suspended indefinitely the Assembly, and on 30 March 2022 he dissolved the Assembly
unicameral Assembly of the Representatives of the People or Majlis Nuwwab ash-Sha'b (Assemblee des representants du peuple) (217 seats; 199 members directly elected in Tunisian multi-seat constituencies and 18 members in multi-seat constituencies living abroad by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

elections: initial election held on 6 October 2019 (next to be held in December 2022)

election results: percent of vote by party - Ennahda 19.6%, Heart of Tunisia 14.6%, Free Destourian Party 6.6%, Democratic Current 6.4%, Dignity Coalition 5.9%, People's Movement 4.5%, TahyaTounes 4.1%, other 35.4%, independent 2.9%; seats by party -  Ennahda 52, Heart of Tunisia 38, Free Destourian Party 17, Democratic Current 22, Dignity Coalition 21, People's Movement 16, Long Live Tunisia 14, other 25, independent 12; composition (as of October 2021) - men 160, women 57, percent of women 26.3%
Judicial branch: highest courts: Court of Cassation (consists of the first president, chamber presidents, and magistrates and organized into 27 civil and 11 criminal chambers)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council, an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder legal specialists; judge tenure based on terms of appointment; Constitutional Court (established in the constitution but inception has been delayed; note - in mid-February 2022, President SAIED dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and replaced it with an interim council in early March

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; administrative courts; Court of Audit; Housing Court; courts of first instance; lower district courts; military courts

note: the new Tunisian constitution of January 2014 called for the creation of a constitutional court by the end of 2015, but as November 2021, the court had not been appointed; the court to consist of 12 members - 4 each to be appointed by the president, the Supreme Judicial Council (an independent 4-part body consisting mainly of elected judges and the remainder are legal specialists), and the Chamber of the People's Deputies (parliament); members are to serve 9-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years
Political parties and leaders: Afek Tounes [Yassine BRAHIM]Al Badil Al-Tounisi (The Tunisian Alternative) [Mehdi JOMAA]
Amal Party [Ridha BELHAJ]
Call for Tunisia Party (Nidaa Tounes) [Ali HAFSI]
Current of Love [Hachemi HAMDI] (formerly the Popular Petition party)
Democratic Current [Ghazi CHAOUACHI]
Democratic Patriots' Unified Party [Zied LAKHDHAR]
Dignity Coalition or Al Karama Coalition [Seifeddine MAKHIOUF]
Ennahda Movement (The Renaissance) [Rached GHANNOUCHI]
Free Destourian Party or PDL [Abir MOUSSI]
Green Tunisia Party [Abdelkader ZITOUNI]
Heart of Tunisia (Qalb Tounes) [Nabil KAROUI]
Long Live Tunisia (Tahya Tounes) [Youssef CHAHED]
Machrou Tounes (Tunisia Project) [Mohsen MARZOUK]
Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS [Ahmed KHASKHOUSSI]
Party of the Democratic Arab Vanguard [Kheireddine SOUABNI]
People's Movement [Zouheir MAGHZAOUI]
Republican Party (Al Joumhouri) [Issam CHEBBI]
The Movement Party (Hizb Harak) [Moncef MARZOUKI]
Third Republic Party [Olfa Hamdi]
Tunisian Ba'ath Movement [Othmen Bel Haj AMOR]
Workers' Party [Hamma HAMMAMI]
International organization participation: ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, EBRD, FAO, G-11, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Hanene Tajouri BESSASSI (since 4 October 2021)

chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

telephone: [1] (202) 862-1850

FAX: [1] (202) 862-1858

email address and website:
AT.Washington@Tunisiaembassy.org

https://www.tunisianembassy.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Natasha FRANCESCHI (since April 2022)

embassy: Les Berges du Lac, 1053 Tunis

mailing address: 6360 Tunis Place, Washington DC  20521-6360

telephone: [216] 71-107-000

FAX: [216] 71-107-090

email address and website:
tunisacs@state.gov

https://tn.usembassy.gov/
Flag description: red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly encircling a red five-pointed star; resembles the Ottoman flag (red banner with white crescent and star) and recalls Tunisia's history as part of the Ottoman Empire; red represents the blood shed by martyrs in the struggle against oppression, white stands for peace; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam

note: the flag is based on that of Turkey, itself a successor state to the Ottoman Empire
National symbol(s): encircled red crescent moon and five-pointed star; national colors: red, white
National anthem: name: "Humat Al Hima" (Defenders of the Homeland)

lyrics/music: Mustafa Sadik AL-RAFII and Aboul-Qacem ECHEBBI/Mohamad Abdel WAHAB

note: adopted 1957, replaced 1958, restored 1987; Mohamad Abdel WAHAB also composed the music for the anthem of the United Arab Emirates
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 8 (7 cultural, 1 natural)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Amphitheatre of El Jem (c), Archaeological Site of Carthage (c), Medina of Tunis (c), Ichkeul National Park (n), Punic Town of Kerkuane (c), Kairouan (c), Medina of Sousse (c), Dougga / Thugga (c)

Topic: Economy
Economic overview: Tunisia's economy – structurally designed to favor vested interests – faced an array of challenges exposed by the 2008 global financial crisis that helped precipitate the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. After the revolution and a series of terrorist attacks, including on the country’s tourism sector, barriers to economic inclusion continued to add to slow economic growth and high unemployment.   Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism, all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner, the EU. Tunisia's strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improved living standards. Former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) continued these policies, but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance, unemployment rose, and the informal economy grew. Tunisia’s economy became less and less inclusive. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, further depressing Tunisia's economy as tourism and investment declined sharply.   Tunisia’s government remains under pressure to boost economic growth quickly to mitigate chronic socio-economic challenges, especially high levels of youth unemployment, which has persisted since the 2011 revolution. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector, which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP, slowed growth from 2015 to 2017. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with the IMF through an Extended Fund Facility agreement to fix fiscal deficiencies.Tunisia's economy – structurally designed to favor vested interests – faced an array of challenges exposed by the 2008 global financial crisis that helped precipitate the 2011 Arab Spring revolution. After the revolution and a series of terrorist attacks, including on the country’s tourism sector, barriers to economic inclusion continued to add to slow economic growth and high unemployment. Following an ill-fated experiment with socialist economic policies in the 1960s, Tunisia focused on bolstering exports, foreign investment, and tourism, all of which have become central to the country's economy. Key exports now include textiles and apparel, food products, petroleum products, chemicals, and phosphates, with about 80% of exports bound for Tunisia's main economic partner, the EU. Tunisia's strategy, coupled with investments in education and infrastructure, fueled decades of 4-5% annual GDP growth and improved living standards. Former President Zine el Abidine BEN ALI (1987-2011) continued these policies, but as his reign wore on cronyism and corruption stymied economic performance, unemployment rose, and the informal economy grew. Tunisia’s economy became less and less inclusive. These grievances contributed to the January 2011 overthrow of BEN ALI, further depressing Tunisia's economy as tourism and investment declined sharply. Tunisia’s government remains under pressure to boost economic growth quickly to mitigate chronic socio-economic challenges, especially high levels of youth unemployment, which has persisted since the 2011 revolution. Successive terrorist attacks against the tourism sector and worker strikes in the phosphate sector, which combined account for nearly 15% of GDP, slowed growth from 2015 to 2017. Tunis is seeking increased foreign investment and working with the IMF through an Extended Fund Facility agreement to fix fiscal deficiencies.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): $114.97 billion (2020 est.)

$125.78 billion (2019 est.)

$124.48 billion (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate: 2% (2017 est.)

1.1% (2016 est.)

1.2% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita: $9,700 (2020 est.)

$10,800 (2019 est.)

$10,800 (2018 est.)

note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $38.884 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.7% (2019 est.)

7.2% (2018 est.)

5.3% (2017 est.)
Credit ratings: Fitch rating: B (2020)

Moody's rating: B2 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2013)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 10.1% (2017 est.)

industry: 26.2% (2017 est.)

services: 63.8% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 71.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption: 20.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 19.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)

exports of goods and services: 43.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services: -55.2% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products: wheat, milk, tomatoes, barley, olives, watermelons, green chillies/peppers, potatoes, dates, green onions/shallots
Industries: petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate, iron ore), tourism, textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages
Industrial production growth rate: 0.5% (2017 est.)
Labor force: 4.054 million (2017 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 14.8%

industry: 33.2%

services: 51.7% (2014 est.)
Unemployment rate: 15.5% (2017 est.)

15.5% (2016 est.)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 34.9%

male: 33.8%

female: 37.2% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line: 15.2% (2015 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: 32.8 (2015 est.)

41.7 (1995 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6%

highest 10%: 27% (2010 est.)
Budget: revenues: 9.876 billion (2017 est.)

expenditures: 12.21 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -5.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Public debt: 70.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

62.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 24.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Current account balance: -$4.191 billion (2017 est.)

-$3.694 billion (2016 est.)
Exports: $19.17 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$19.42 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Exports - partners: France 29%, Italy 17%, Germany 13% (2019)
Exports - commodities: insulated wiring, clothing and apparel, crude petroleum, olive oil, vehicle parts (2019)
Imports: $23.42 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$24.65 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Imports - partners: France 17%, Italy 16%, Germany 8%, China 8%, Algeria 7% (2019)
Imports - commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, low-voltage protection equipment, cars, insulated wiring (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $5.594 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$5.941 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external: $35.911 billion (2019 est.)

$33.79 billion (2018 est.)
Exchange rates: Tunisian dinars (TND) per US dollar -

2.71795 (2020 est.)

2.8518 (2019 est.)

2.95875 (2018 est.)

1.9617 (2014 est.)

1.6976 (2013 est.)

Topic: Energy
Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - production: 18.44 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 15.27 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports: 500 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity - imports: 134 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity: 5.768 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels: 94% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources: 5% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Crude oil - production: 39,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - exports: 39,980 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - imports: 17,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves: 425 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production: 27,770 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption: 102,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports: 13,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports: 85,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Natural gas - production: 1.274 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 5.125 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 3.851 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 65.13 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Topic: Communications
Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 1,533,273 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2020 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 14.771 million (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126.31 (2019)
Telecommunication systems: general assessment: Tunisia has one of the most sophisticated telecom infrastructures in North Africa; penetration rates for mobile and Internet services are among the highest in the region; government program of regulation and infrastructure projects aims to improve Internet connectivity to underserved areas; operators built extensive LTE infrastructure in 2019, and continue to discuss plans for future 5G networks and services; People’s Republic of China (PRC) company Huawei sold equipment to operators for Tunisia’s LTE networks; one operator has signed an agreement to pursue nano-satellite launches in 2023; Internet censorship abolished, though concerns of government surveillance remain; legislation passed in 2017 supporting e-commerce and active e-government; importer of some integrated circuits and broadcasting equipment (including radio, television, and communications transmitters) from the PRC (2022)

domestic: in an effort to jumpstart expansion of the fixed-line network, the government awarded a concession to build and operate a VSAT network with international connectivity; rural areas are served by wireless local loops; competition between several mobile-cellular service providers has resulted in lower activation and usage charges and a surge in subscribership; fixed-line is nearly 14.1 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity has reached about 132 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

international: country code - 216; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-4, Didon, HANNIBAL System and Trapani-Kelibia submarine cable systems that provides links to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Southeast Asia; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in Medarabtel; 2 international gateway digital switches (2020)

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
Broadcast media: 2 state-owned TV stations; 10 private TV stations broadcast locally; satellite TV service is available; state-owned radio network with 2 stations; several dozen private radio stations and community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)
Internet country code: .tn
Internet users: total: 8,509,405 (2020 est.)

percent of population: 72% (2020 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 1,334,059 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11 (2020 est.)

Topic: Transportation
National air transport system: number of registered air carriers: 7 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 53

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 4,274,199 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 13.23 million (2018) mt-km
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TS
Airports: total: 29 (2021)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15

over 3,047 m: 4

2,438 to 3,047 m: 6

1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 14

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 5

under 914 m: 8 (2021)
Pipelines: 68 km condensate, 3,111 km gas, 1,381 km oil, 453 km refined products (2013)
Railways: total: 2,173 km (2014) (1,991 in use)

standard gauge: 471 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 1,694 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)

dual gauge: 8 km (2014) 1.435-1.000-m gauge
Roadways: paved: 20,000 km (2015)
Merchant marine: total: 71

by type: container ship 1, general cargo 8 oil tanker 1, other 61 (2021)
Ports and terminals: major seaport(s): Bizerte, Gabes, Rades, Sfax, Skhira

Topic: Military and Security
Military and security forces: Tunisian Armed Forces (Forces Armées Tunisiennes, FAT): Tunisian Army (includes Air Defense Force), Tunisian Navy, Tunisia Air Force; Ministry of Interior: National Police, National Guard (2022)

note - the National Police has primary responsibility for law enforcement in the major cities, while the National Guard (gendarmerie) oversees border security and patrols smaller towns and rural areas
Military expenditures: 3% of GDP (2021 est.)

3% of GDP (2020 est.)

3.8% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $2.81 billion)

3.9% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $2.84 billion)

4% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $2.81 billion)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 35,000 active personnel (25,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 5,000 Air Force); est. 10,000 National Guard (2022)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the Tunisian military's inventory includes mostly older or secondhand US and European equipment; since 2010, the Netherlands and US are the leading suppliers of arms to Tunisia (2022)
Military service age and obligation: men 20-23 years of age for compulsory service, 1-year service obligation; individuals engaged in higher education or vocational training programs prior to their military drafting are allowed to delay service until they have completed their programs; 18-23 years of age for voluntary service; women may volunteer (2022)

note(s) - as of 2021, approximately 20-25,000 active military personnel were conscripts; women have been allowed in the service since 1975 as volunteers only, although as recently as 2018, the Tunisian Government has discussed the possibility of conscripting women; as of 2018, women constituted less than 7% of the military and served in all three services
Military - note: as of 2022, the Tunisian military’s primary operational areas of focus were counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency, and border security; it was conducting counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations against al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State of ash-Sham (ISIS)-linked militants who have been fighting a low-intensity insurgency, mostly in the mountainous region along the border with Algeria, particularly the Chaambi Mountains near the city of Kasserine; the military maintained the lead role for security in this area and also routinely conducted joint operations with Algerian security forces against these groups, as well to counter smuggling and trafficking activities; the military in recent years also has increased its role in securing the southern border against militant activity, smuggling, and trafficking from war-torn Libya; since 2015, Tunisia has constructed a complex structure of berms, trenches, and water-filled moats, complemented by electronic surveillance equipment such as motion detectors, ground surveillance radars, and infrared sensors along the 220-kilometer border with Libya; in the remote southern areas of the border with Libya, buffer/exclusion zones have also been established where the military has the lead for counter-terrorism efforts; outside of these border areas, the Ministry of Interior has the lead responsibility for counter-terrorism in Tunisia, particularly for urban areas; the National Police Anti-Terrorism Brigade (BAT) and the National Guard Special Unit have the lead for MOI counterterrorism operations

Tunisia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitmentsas of 2022, the Tunisian military’s primary operational areas of focus were counter-terrorism, counterinsurgency, and border security; it was conducting counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations against al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State of ash-Sham (ISIS)-linked militants who have been fighting a low-intensity insurgency, mostly in the mountainous region along the border with Algeria, particularly the Chaambi Mountains near the city of Kasserine; the military maintained the lead role for security in this area and also routinely conducted joint operations with Algerian security forces against these groups, as well to counter smuggling and trafficking activities; the military in recent years also has increased its role in securing the southern border against militant activity, smuggling, and trafficking from war-torn Libya; since 2015, Tunisia has constructed a complex structure of berms, trenches, and water-filled moats, complemented by electronic surveillance equipment such as motion detectors, ground surveillance radars, and infrared sensors along the 220-kilometer border with Libya; in the remote southern areas of the border with Libya, buffer/exclusion zones have also been established where the military has the lead for counter-terrorism efforts; outside of these border areas, the Ministry of Interior has the lead responsibility for counter-terrorism in Tunisia, particularly for urban areas; the National Police Anti-Terrorism Brigade (BAT) and the National Guard Special Unit have the lead for MOI counterterrorism operations

Tunisia has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US; MNNA is a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; while MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments

Topic: Terrorism
Terrorist group(s): Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) network in Tunisia; al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Topic: Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: none identifiednone identified


This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.

Topic: Afghanistantotal: 652,230 sq km

land: 652,230 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Akrotiritotal: 123 sq km

note: includes a salt lake and wetlands

Topic: Albaniatotal: 28,748 sq km

land: 27,398 sq km

water: 1,350 sq km

Topic: Algeriatotal: 2,381,740 sq km

land: 2,381,740 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: American Samoatotal: 224 sq km

land: 224 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Rose Atoll and Swains Island

Topic: Andorratotal: 468 sq km

land: 468 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Angolatotal: 1,246,700 sq km

land: 1,246,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Anguillatotal: 91 sq km

land: 91 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Antarcticatotal: 14.2 million sq km

land: 14.2 million sq km (285,000 sq km ice-free, 13.915 million sq km ice-covered) (est.)

note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the subcontinent of Europe

Topic: Antigua and Barbudatotal: 443 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)

land: 443 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

Topic: Arctic Oceantotal: 15.558 million sq km

note: includes Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, Norwegian Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Topic: Argentinatotal: 2,780,400 sq km

land: 2,736,690 sq km

water: 43,710 sq km

Topic: Armeniatotal: 29,743 sq km

land: 28,203 sq km

water: 1,540 sq km

Topic: Arubatotal: 180 sq km

land: 180 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Ashmore and Cartier Islandstotal: 5 sq km

land: 5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island

Topic: Atlantic Oceantotal: 85.133 million sq km

note: includes Baffin Bay, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Gulf of Mexico, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, almost all of the Scotia Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Topic: Australiatotal: 7,741,220 sq km

land: 7,682,300 sq km

water: 58,920 sq km

note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island

Topic: Austriatotal: 83,871 sq km

land: 82,445 sq km

water: 1,426 sq km

Topic: Azerbaijantotal: 86,600 sq km

land: 82,629 sq km

water: 3,971 sq km

note: includes the exclave of Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and the Nagorno-Karabakh region; the region's autonomy was abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991

Topic: Bahamas, Thetotal: 13,880 sq km

land: 10,010 sq km

water: 3,870 sq km

Topic: Bahraintotal: 760 sq km

land: 760 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Bangladeshtotal: 148,460 sq km

land: 130,170 sq km

water: 18,290 sq km

Topic: Barbadostotal: 430 sq km

land: 430 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Belarustotal: 207,600 sq km

land: 202,900 sq km

water: 4,700 sq km

Topic: Belgiumtotal: 30,528 sq km

land: 30,278 sq km

water: 250 sq km

Topic: Belizetotal: 22,966 sq km

land: 22,806 sq km

water: 160 sq km

Topic: Benintotal: 112,622 sq km

land: 110,622 sq km

water: 2,000 sq km

Topic: Bermudatotal: 54 sq km

land: 54 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Bhutantotal: 38,394 sq km

land: 38,394 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Boliviatotal: 1,098,581 sq km

land: 1,083,301 sq km

water: 15,280 sq km

Topic: Bosnia and Herzegovinatotal: 51,197 sq km

land: 51,187 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Topic: Botswanatotal: 581,730 sq km

land: 566,730 sq km

water: 15,000 sq km

Topic: Bouvet Islandtotal: 49 sq km

land: 49 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Braziltotal: 8,515,770 sq km

land: 8,358,140 sq km

water: 157,630 sq km

note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo

Topic: British Indian Ocean Territorytotal: 60 sq km

land: 60 sq km (44 Diego Garcia)

water: 54,340 sq km

note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands

Topic: British Virgin Islandstotal: 151 sq km

land: 151 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke

Topic: Bruneitotal: 5,765 sq km

land: 5,265 sq km

water: 500 sq km

Topic: Bulgariatotal: 110,879 sq km

land: 108,489 sq km

water: 2,390 sq km

Topic: Burkina Fasototal: 274,200 sq km

land: 273,800 sq km

water: 400 sq km

Topic: Burmatotal: 676,578 sq km

land: 653,508 sq km

water: 23,070 sq km

Topic: Burunditotal: 27,830 sq km

land: 25,680 sq km

water: 2,150 sq km

Topic: Cabo Verdetotal: 4,033 sq km

land: 4,033 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Cambodiatotal: 181,035 sq km

land: 176,515 sq km

water: 4,520 sq km

Topic: Cameroontotal: 475,440 sq km

land: 472,710 sq km

water: 2,730 sq km

Topic: Canadatotal: 9,984,670 sq km

land: 9,093,507 sq km

water: 891,163 sq km

Topic: Cayman Islandstotal: 264 sq km

land: 264 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Central African Republictotal: 622,984 sq km

land: 622,984 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Chadtotal: 1.284 million sq km

land: 1,259,200 sq km

water: 24,800 sq km

Topic: Chiletotal: 756,102 sq km

land: 743,812 sq km

water: 12,290 sq km

note: includes Easter Island (Isla de Pascua) and Isla Sala y Gomez

Topic: Chinatotal: 9,596,960 sq km

land: 9,326,410 sq km

water: 270,550 sq km

Topic: Christmas Islandtotal: 135 sq km

land: 135 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Clipperton Islandtotal: 6 sq km

land: 6 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Cocos (Keeling) Islandstotal: 14 sq km

land: 14 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island

Topic: Colombiatotal: 1,138,910 sq km

land: 1,038,700 sq km

water: 100,210 sq km

note: includes Isla de Malpelo, Roncador Cay, and Serrana Bank

Topic: Comorostotal: 2,235 sq km

land: 2,235 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Congo, Democratic Republic of thetotal: 2,344,858 sq km

land: 2,267,048 sq km

water: 77,810 sq km

Topic: Congo, Republic of thetotal: 342,000 sq km

land: 341,500 sq km

water: 500 sq km

Topic: Cook Islandstotal: 236 sq km

land: 236 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Coral Sea Islandstotal: 3 sq km less than

land: 3 sq km less than

water: 0 sq km

note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km (300,000 sq mi) with the Willis Islets the most important

Topic: Costa Ricatotal: 51,100 sq km

land: 51,060 sq km

water: 40 sq km

note: includes Isla del Coco

Topic: Cote d'Ivoiretotal: 322,463 sq km

land: 318,003 sq km

water: 4,460 sq km

Topic: Croatiatotal: 56,594 sq km

land: 55,974 sq km

water: 620 sq km

Topic: Cubatotal: 110,860 sq km

land: 109,820 sq km

water: 1,040 sq km

Topic: Curacaototal: 444 sq km

land: 444 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Cyprustotal: 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)

land: 9,241 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Topic: Czechiatotal: 78,867 sq km

land: 77,247 sq km

water: 1,620 sq km

Topic: Denmarktotal: 43,094 sq km

land: 42,434 sq km

water: 660 sq km

note: includes the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and the rest of metropolitan Denmark (the Jutland Peninsula, and the major islands of Sjaelland and Fyn), but excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Topic: Dhekeliatotal: 131 sq km

note: area surrounds three Cypriot enclaves

Topic: Djiboutitotal: 23,200 sq km

land: 23,180 sq km

water: 20 sq km

Topic: Dominicatotal: 751 sq km

land: 751 sq km

water: NEGL

Topic: Dominican Republictotal: 48,670 sq km

land: 48,320 sq km

water: 350 sq km

Topic: Ecuadortotal: 283,561 sq km

land: 276,841 sq km

water: 6,720 sq km

note: includes Galapagos Islands

Topic: Egypttotal: 1,001,450 sq km

land: 995,450 sq km

water: 6,000 sq km

Topic: El Salvadortotal: 21,041 sq km

land: 20,721 sq km

water: 320 sq km

Topic: Equatorial Guineatotal: 28,051 sq km

land: 28,051 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Eritreatotal: 117,600 sq km

land: 101,000 sq km

water: 16,600 sq km

Topic: Estoniatotal: 45,228 sq km

land: 42,388 sq km

water: 2,840 sq km

note: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea

Topic: Eswatinitotal: 17,364 sq km

land: 17,204 sq km

water: 160 sq km

Topic: Ethiopiatotal: 1,104,300 sq km

land: 1,096,570 sq km

water: 7,730 sq km

note: area numbers are approximate since a large portion of the Ethiopia-Somalia border is undefined

Topic: European Uniontotal: 4,236,351 sq km

rank by area (sq km):
1. France (includes five overseas regions) 643,801
2. Spain 505,370
3. Sweden 450,295
4. Germany 357,022
5. Finland 338,145
6. Poland 312,685
7. Italy 301,340
8. Romania 238,391
9. Greece 131,957
10. Bulgaria 110,879
11. Hungary 93,028
12. Portugal 92,090
13. Austria 83,871
14. Czechia 78,867
15. Ireland 70,273
16. Lithuania 65,300
17. Latvia 64,589
18. Croatia 56,594
19. Slovakia 49,035
20. Estonia 45,228
21. Denmark 43,094
22. Netherlands 41,543
23. Belgium 30,528
24. Slovenia 20,273
25. Cyprus 9,251
26. Luxembourg 2,586
27. Malta 316

Topic: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)total: 12,173 sq km

land: 12,173 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands

Topic: Faroe Islandstotal: 1,393 sq km

land: 1,393 sq km

water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)

Topic: Fijitotal: 18,274 sq km

land: 18,274 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Finlandtotal: 338,145 sq km

land: 303,815 sq km

water: 34,330 sq km

Topic: Francetotal: 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)

land: 640,427 sq km ; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)

water: 3,374 sq km ; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)

note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion

Topic: French Polynesiatotal: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls; 67 are inhabited)

land: 3,827 sq km

water: 340 sq km

Topic: French Southern and Antarctic LandsIle Amsterdam (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): total - 55 sq km; land - 55 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Ile Saint-Paul (Ile Amsterdam et Ile Saint-Paul): total - 7 sq km; land - 7 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Iles Crozet: total - 352 sq km; land - 352 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Iles Kerguelen: total - 7,215 sq km; land - 7,215 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Bassas da India (Iles Eparses): total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8 sq km (lagoon)
 Europa Island (Iles Eparses): total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Glorioso Islands (Iles Eparses): total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Juan de Nova Island (Iles Eparses): total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses): total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km
 note: excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US

Topic: Gabontotal: 267,667 sq km

land: 257,667 sq km

water: 10,000 sq km

Topic: Gambia, Thetotal: 11,300 sq km

land: 10,120 sq km

water: 1,180 sq km

Topic: Gaza Striptotal: 360 sq km

land: 360 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Georgiatotal: 69,700 sq km

land: 69,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: approximately 12,560 sq km, or about 18% of Georgia's area, is Russian occupied; the seized area includes all of Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti

Topic: Germanytotal: 357,022 sq km

land: 348,672 sq km

water: 8,350 sq km

Topic: Ghanatotal: 238,533 sq km

land: 227,533 sq km

water: 11,000 sq km

Topic: Gibraltartotal: 7 sq km

land: 6.5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Greecetotal: 131,957 sq km

land: 130,647 sq km

water: 1,310 sq km

Topic: Greenlandtotal: 2,166,086 sq km

land: 2,166,086 sq km (approximately 1,710,000 sq km ice-covered)

Topic: Grenadatotal: 344 sq km

land: 344 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Guamtotal: 544 sq km

land: 544 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Guatemalatotal: 108,889 sq km

land: 107,159 sq km

water: 1,730 sq km

Topic: Guernseytotal: 78 sq km

land: 78 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands

Topic: Guineatotal: 245,857 sq km

land: 245,717 sq km

water: 140 sq km

Topic: Guinea-Bissautotal: 36,125 sq km

land: 28,120 sq km

water: 8,005 sq km

Topic: Guyanatotal: 214,969 sq km

land: 196,849 sq km

water: 18,120 sq km

Topic: Haititotal: 27,750 sq km

land: 27,560 sq km

water: 190 sq km

Topic: Heard Island and McDonald Islandstotal: 412 sq km

land: 412 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Holy See (Vatican City)total: 0 sq km

land: 0.44 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Hondurastotal: 112,090 sq km

land: 111,890 sq km

water: 200 sq km

Topic: Hong Kongtotal: 1,108 sq km

land: 1,073 sq km

water: 35 sq km

Topic: Hungarytotal: 93,028 sq km

land: 89,608 sq km

water: 3,420 sq km

Topic: Icelandtotal: 103,000 sq km

land: 100,250 sq km

water: 2,750 sq km

Topic: Indiatotal: 3,287,263 sq km

land: 2,973,193 sq km

water: 314,070 sq km

Topic: Indian Oceantotal: 70.56 million sq km

note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Topic: Indonesiatotal: 1,904,569 sq km

land: 1,811,569 sq km

water: 93,000 sq km

Topic: Irantotal: 1,648,195 sq km

land: 1,531,595 sq km

water: 116,600 sq km

Topic: Iraqtotal: 438,317 sq km

land: 437,367 sq km

water: 950 sq km

Topic: Irelandtotal: 70,273 sq km

land: 68,883 sq km

water: 1,390 sq km

Topic: Isle of Mantotal: 572 sq km

land: 572 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Israeltotal: 21,937 sq km

land: 21,497 sq km

water: 440 sq km

Topic: Italytotal: 301,340 sq km

land: 294,140 sq km

water: 7,200 sq km

note: includes Sardinia and Sicily

Topic: Jamaicatotal: 10,991 sq km

land: 10,831 sq km

water: 160 sq km

Topic: Jan Mayentotal: 377 sq km

land: 377 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Japantotal: 377,915 sq km

land: 364,485 sq km

water: 13,430 sq km

note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)

Topic: Jerseytotal: 116 sq km

land: 116 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Jordantotal: 89,342 sq km

land: 88,802 sq km

water: 540 sq km

Topic: Kazakhstantotal: 2,724,900 sq km

land: 2,699,700 sq km

water: 25,200 sq km

Topic: Kenyatotal: 580,367 sq km

land: 569,140 sq km

water: 11,227 sq km

Topic: Kiribatitotal: 811 sq km

land: 811 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, and Phoenix Islands - dispersed over about 3.5 million sq km (1.35 million sq mi)

Topic: Korea, Northtotal: 120,538 sq km

land: 120,408 sq km

water: 130 sq km

Topic: Korea, Southtotal: 99,720 sq km

land: 96,920 sq km

water: 2,800 sq km

Topic: Kosovototal: 10,887 sq km

land: 10,887 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Kuwaittotal: 17,818 sq km

land: 17,818 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Kyrgyzstantotal: 199,951 sq km

land: 191,801 sq km

water: 8,150 sq km

Topic: Laostotal: 236,800 sq km

land: 230,800 sq km

water: 6,000 sq km

Topic: Latviatotal: 64,589 sq km

land: 62,249 sq km

water: 2,340 sq km

Topic: Lebanontotal: 10,400 sq km

land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km

Topic: Lesothototal: 30,355 sq km

land: 30,355 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Liberiatotal: 111,369 sq km

land: 96,320 sq km

water: 15,049 sq km

Topic: Libyatotal: 1,759,540 sq km

land: 1,759,540 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Liechtensteintotal: 160 sq km

land: 160 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Lithuaniatotal: 65,300 sq km

land: 62,680 sq km

water: 2,620 sq km

Topic: Luxembourgtotal: 2,586 sq km

land: 2,586 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Macautotal: 28 sq km

land: 28.2 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Madagascartotal: 587,041 sq km

land: 581,540 sq km

water: 5,501 sq km

Topic: Malawitotal: 118,484 sq km

land: 94,080 sq km

water: 24,404 sq km

Topic: Malaysiatotal: 329,847 sq km

land: 328,657 sq km

water: 1,190 sq km

Topic: Maldivestotal: 298 sq km

land: 298 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Malitotal: 1,240,192 sq km

land: 1,220,190 sq km

water: 20,002 sq km

Topic: Maltatotal: 316 sq km

land: 316 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Marshall Islandstotal: 181 sq km

land: 181 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: the archipelago includes 11,673 sq km of lagoon waters and encompasses the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik

Topic: Mauritaniatotal: 1,030,700 sq km

land: 1,030,700 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Mauritiustotal: 2,040 sq km

land: 2,030 sq km

water: 10 sq km

note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues

Topic: Mexicototal: 1,964,375 sq km

land: 1,943,945 sq km

water: 20,430 sq km

Topic: Micronesia, Federated States oftotal: 702 sq km

land: 702 sq km

water: 0 sq km (fresh water only)

note: includes Pohnpei (Ponape), Chuuk (Truk) Islands, Yap Islands, and Kosrae (Kosaie)

Topic: Moldovatotal: 33,851 sq km

land: 32,891 sq km

water: 960 sq km

Topic: Monacototal: 2 sq km

land: 2 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Mongoliatotal: 1,564,116 sq km

land: 1,553,556 sq km

water: 10,560 sq km

Topic: Montenegrototal: 13,812 sq km

land: 13,452 sq km

water: 360 sq km

Topic: Montserrattotal: 102 sq km

land: 102 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Moroccototal: 716,550 sq km

land: 716,300 sq km

water: 250 sq km

Topic: Mozambiquetotal: 799,380 sq km

land: 786,380 sq km

water: 13,000 sq km

Topic: Namibiatotal: 824,292 sq km

land: 823,290 sq km

water: 1,002 sq km

Topic: Naurutotal: 21 sq km

land: 21 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Navassa Islandtotal: 5 sq km

land: 5.4 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Nepaltotal: 147,181 sq km

land: 143,351 sq km

water: 3,830 sq km

Topic: Netherlandstotal: 41,543 sq km

land: 33,893 sq km

water: 7,650 sq km

Topic: New Caledoniatotal: 18,575 sq km

land: 18,275 sq km

water: 300 sq km

Topic: New Zealandtotal: 268,838 sq km

land: 264,537 sq km

water: 4,301 sq km

note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands

Topic: Nicaraguatotal: 130,370 sq km

land: 119,990 sq km

water: 10,380 sq km

Topic: Nigertotal: 1.267 million sq km

land: 1,266,700 sq km

water: 300 sq km

Topic: Nigeriatotal: 923,768 sq km

land: 910,768 sq km

water: 13,000 sq km

Topic: Niuetotal: 260 sq km

land: 260 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Norfolk Islandtotal: 36 sq km

land: 36 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: North Macedoniatotal: 25,713 sq km

land: 25,433 sq km

water: 280 sq km

Topic: Northern Mariana Islandstotal: 464 sq km

land: 464 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: consists of 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian

Topic: Norwaytotal: 323,802 sq km

land: 304,282 sq km

water: 19,520 sq km

Topic: Omantotal: 309,500 sq km

land: 309,500 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Pacific Oceantotal: 168.723 million sq km

note: includes Arafura Sea, Bali Sea, Banda Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Celebes Sea, Coral Sea, East China Sea, Flores Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin, Java Sea, Philippine Sea, Sea of Japan, Sea of Okhotsk, Solomon Sea, South China Sea, Sulu Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Topic: Pakistantotal: 796,095 sq km

land: 770,875 sq km

water: 25,220 sq km

Topic: Palautotal: 459 sq km

land: 459 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Panamatotal: 75,420 sq km

land: 74,340 sq km

water: 1,080 sq km

Topic: Papua New Guineatotal: 462,840 sq km

land: 452,860 sq km

water: 9,980 sq km

Topic: Paracel Islandstotal: 8 sq km ca.

land: 7.75 sq km ca.

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Paraguaytotal: 406,752 sq km

land: 397,302 sq km

water: 9,450 sq km

Topic: Perutotal: 1,285,216 sq km

land: 1,279,996 sq km

water: 5,220 sq km

Topic: Philippinestotal: 300,000 sq km

land: 298,170 sq km

water: 1,830 sq km

Topic: Pitcairn Islandstotal: 47 sq km

land: 47 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Polandtotal: 312,685 sq km

land: 304,255 sq km

water: 8,430 sq km

Topic: Portugaltotal: 92,090 sq km

land: 91,470 sq km

water: 620 sq km

note: includes Azores and Madeira Islands

Topic: Puerto Ricototal: 9,104 sq km

land: 8,959 sq km

water: 145 sq km

Topic: Qatartotal: 11,586 sq km

land: 11,586 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Romaniatotal: 238,391 sq km

land: 229,891 sq km

water: 8,500 sq km

Topic: Russiatotal: 17,098,242 sq km

land: 16,377,742 sq km

water: 720,500 sq km

Topic: Rwandatotal: 26,338 sq km

land: 24,668 sq km

water: 1,670 sq km

Topic: Saint Barthelemytotal: 25 sq km

land: 25 sq km

water: negligible

Topic: Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunhatotal: 394 sq km

land: 122 sq km Saint Helena Island

water: 0 sq km

88 sq km Ascension Island, 184 sq km Tristan da Cunha island group (includes Tristan (98 sq km), Inaccessible, Nightingale, and Gough islands)

Topic: Saint Kitts and Nevistotal: 261 sq km (Saint Kitts 168 sq km; Nevis 93 sq km)

land: 261 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Saint Luciatotal: 616 sq km

land: 606 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Topic: Saint Martintotal: 50 sq km

land: 50 sq km

water: negligible

Topic: Saint Pierre and Miquelontotal: 242 sq km

land: 242 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes eight small islands in the Saint Pierre and the Miquelon groups

Topic: Saint Vincent and the Grenadinestotal: 389 sq km (Saint Vincent 344 sq km)

land: 389 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Samoatotal: 2,831 sq km

land: 2,821 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Topic: San Marinototal: 61 sq km

land: 61 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Sao Tome and Principetotal: 964 sq km

land: 964 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Saudi Arabiatotal: 2,149,690 sq km

land: 2,149,690 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Senegaltotal: 196,722 sq km

land: 192,530 sq km

water: 4,192 sq km

Topic: Serbiatotal: 77,474 sq km

land: 77,474 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Seychellestotal: 455 sq km

land: 455 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Sierra Leonetotal: 71,740 sq km

land: 71,620 sq km

water: 120 sq km

Topic: Singaporetotal: 719 sq km

land: 709.2 sq km

water: 10 sq km

Topic: Sint Maartentotal: 34 sq km

land: 34 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin

Topic: Slovakiatotal: 49,035 sq km

land: 48,105 sq km

water: 930 sq km

Topic: Sloveniatotal: 20,273 sq km

land: 20,151 sq km

water: 122 sq km

Topic: Solomon Islandstotal: 28,896 sq km

land: 27,986 sq km

water: 910 sq km

Topic: Somaliatotal: 637,657 sq km

land: 627,337 sq km

water: 10,320 sq km

Topic: South Africatotal: 1,219,090 sq km

land: 1,214,470 sq km

water: 4,620 sq km

note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Topic: South Georgia and South Sandwich Islandstotal: 3,903 sq km

land: 3,903 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of 11 islands

Topic: South Sudantotal: 644,329 sq km

land: NA

water: NA

Topic: Southern Oceantotal: 21.96 million sq km

note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies

Topic: Spaintotal: 505,370 sq km

land: 498,980 sq km

water: 6,390 sq km

note: there are two autonomous cities - Ceuta and Melilla - and 17 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera

Topic: Spratly Islandstotal: 5 sq km less than

land: 5 sq km less than

water: 0 sq km

note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km (158,000 sq mi) of the central South China Sea

Topic: Sri Lankatotal: 65,610 sq km

land: 64,630 sq km

water: 980 sq km

Topic: Sudantotal: 1,861,484 sq km

land: 1,731,671 sq km

water: 129,813 sq km

Topic: Surinametotal: 163,820 sq km

land: 156,000 sq km

water: 7,820 sq km

Topic: Svalbardtotal: 62,045 sq km

land: 62,045 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)

Topic: Swedentotal: 450,295 sq km

land: 410,335 sq km

water: 39,960 sq km

Topic: Switzerlandtotal: 41,277 sq km

land: 39,997 sq km

water: 1,280 sq km

Topic: Syriatotal: 187,437 sq km

land: 185,887 sq km

water: 1,550 sq km

note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory

Topic: Taiwantotal: 35,980 sq km

land: 32,260 sq km

water: 3,720 sq km

note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy islands

Topic: Tajikistantotal: 144,100 sq km

land: 141,510 sq km

water: 2,590 sq km

Topic: Tanzaniatotal: 947,300 sq km

land: 885,800 sq km

water: 61,500 sq km

note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar

Topic: Thailandtotal: 513,120 sq km

land: 510,890 sq km

water: 2,230 sq km

Topic: Timor-Lestetotal: 14,874 sq km

land: 14,874 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Togototal: 56,785 sq km

land: 54,385 sq km

water: 2,400 sq km

Topic: Tokelautotal: 12 sq km

land: 12 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Tongatotal: 747 sq km

land: 717 sq km

water: 30 sq km

Topic: Trinidad and Tobagototal: 5,128 sq km

land: 5,128 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Tunisiatotal: 163,610 sq km

land: 155,360 sq km

water: 8,250 sq km

Topic: Turkey (Turkiye)total: 783,562 sq km

land: 769,632 sq km

water: 13,930 sq km

Topic: Turkmenistantotal: 488,100 sq km

land: 469,930 sq km

water: 18,170 sq km

Topic: Turks and Caicos Islandstotal: 948 sq km

land: 948 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Tuvalutotal: 26 sq km

land: 26 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Ugandatotal: 241,038 sq km

land: 197,100 sq km

water: 43,938 sq km

Topic: Ukrainetotal: 603,550 sq km

land: 579,330 sq km

water: 24,220 sq km

note: approximately 43,133 sq km, or about 7.1% of Ukraine's area, is Russian occupied; the seized area includes all of Crimea and about one-third of both Luhans'k and Donets'k oblasts

Topic: United Arab Emiratestotal: 83,600 sq km

land: 83,600 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: United Kingdomtotal: 243,610 sq km

land: 241,930 sq km

water: 1,680 sq km

note 1: the percentage area breakdown of the four UK countries is: England 53%, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%

note 2: includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland

Topic: United Statestotal: 9,833,517 sq km

land: 9,147,593 sq km

water: 685,924 sq km

note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories

Topic: United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refugesland: 6,959.41 sq km (emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km)

Baker Island: total - 129.1 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km
 Howland Island: total - 138.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km
 Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km
 Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km
 Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km
 Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km
 Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km

Topic: Uruguaytotal: 176,215 sq km

land: 175,015 sq km

water: 1,200 sq km

Topic: Uzbekistantotal: 447,400 sq km

land: 425,400 sq km

water: 22,000 sq km

Topic: Vanuatutotal: 12,189 sq km

land: 12,189 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited

Topic: Venezuelatotal: 912,050 sq km

land: 882,050 sq km

water: 30,000 sq km

Topic: Vietnamtotal: 331,210 sq km

land: 310,070 sq km

water: 21,140 sq km

Topic: Virgin Islandstotal: 1,910 sq km

land: 346 sq km

water: 1,564 sq km

Topic: Wake Islandtotal: 7 sq km

land: 6.5 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Topic: Wallis and Futunatotal: 142 sq km

land: 142 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile Alofi, and 20 islets

Topic: West Banktotal: 5,860 sq km

land: 5,640 sq km

water: 220 sq km

note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967

Topic: Worldtotal: 510.072 million sq km

land: 148.94 million sq km

water: 361.9 million sq km

note: 70.9% of the world's surface is water, 29.1% is land

Topic: Yementotal: 527,968 sq km

land: 527,968 sq km

water: 0 sq km

note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)

Topic: Zambiatotal: 752,618 sq km

land: 743,398 sq km

water: 9,220 sq km

Topic: Zimbabwetotal: 390,757 sq km

land: 386,847 sq km

water: 3,910 sq km


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Topic: A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World FactbookThe Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected, integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to be delivered to the policymaker.The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence. The World Factbook, The President’s Daily Brief, and the National Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished intelligence.The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence since that time: (1) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS), (2) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3) The World Factbook.During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the production of basic intelligence by different components of the US Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities resolved that the United States should never again be caught unprepared.In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of Naval Intelligence – ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of the Office of Strategic Services – OSS) decided that a joint effort should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April 1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received, including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff, Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, “JANIS has become the indispensable reference work for the shore-based planners.”The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than in war. “The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities – not just the enemy and his war production.”The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October 1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.The Hoover Commission’s Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955 that: “The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date.” The Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 79th year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs.

Topic: The Evolution of The World FactbookNational Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until 1980. Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People, Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.1981: Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages.1983: Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations) first introduced.1984: Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B. Selected United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E. Conversion Factors.1987: A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and Water sections. UN Organizations and Selected International Organizations appendices merged into a new International Organizations appendix. First multi-color-cover Factbook.1988: More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete world coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific), and the World. The front-of-the-book explanatory introduction expanded and retitled to Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Two new Appendices added: Weights and Measures (in place of Conversion Factors) and a Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size reaches 300 pages.1989: Economy section completely revised and now includes an “Overview” briefly describing a country’s economy. New entries added under People, Government, and Communications.1990: The Government section revised and considerably expanded with new entries.1991: A new International Organizations and Groups appendix added. Factbook size reaches 405 pages.1992: Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. New countries are respectively: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan; and Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia. Number of nations in the Factbook rises to 188.1993: Czechoslovakia’s split necessitates new Czech Republic and Slovakia entries. New Eritrea entry added after it secedes from Ethiopia. Substantial enhancements made to Geography section.1994: Two new appendices address Selected International Environmental Agreements. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most developing countries changed to a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather than an exchange rate basis. Factbook size up to 512 pages.1995: The GDP of all countries now presented on a PPP basis. New appendix lists estimates of GDP on an exchange rate basis. Communications category split; “Railroads,” “Highways,” “Inland waterways,” “Pipelines,” “Merchant marine,” and “Airports” entries now make up a new Transportation category. The World Factbook is first produced on CD-ROM.1996: Maps accompanying each entry now present more detail. Flags also introduced for nearly all entities. Various new entries appear under Geography and Communications. Factbook abbreviations consolidated into a new Appendix A. Two new appendices present a Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes and a Cross-Reference List of Hydrogeographic Data Codes. Geographic coordinates added to Appendix H, Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size expands by 95 pages in one year to reach 652.1997: The World Factbook introduced onto the Internet. A special printed edition prepared for the CIA’s 50th anniversary. A schema or Guide to Country Profiles introduced. New color maps and flags now accompany each country profile. Category headings distinguished by shaded backgrounds. Number of categories expanded to nine with the addition of an Introduction (for only a few countries) and Transnational Issues (which includes “Disputes-international” and “Illicit drugs”).1998: The Introduction category with two entries, “Current issues” and “Historical perspective,” expanded to more countries. Last year for the production of CD-ROM versions of the Factbook.1999: “Historical perspective” and “Current issues” entries in the Introduction category combined into a new “Background” statement. Several new Economy entries introduced. A new physical map of the world added to the back-of-the-book reference maps.2000: A new “country profile” added on the Southern Ocean. The Background statements dramatically expanded to over 200 countries and possessions. A number of new Communications entries added.2001: Background entries completed for all 267 entities in the Factbook. Several new HIV/AIDS entries introduced under the People category. Revision begun on individual country maps to include elevation extremes and a partial geographic grid. Weights and Measures appendix deleted.2002: New entry on “Distribution of Family income – Gini index” added. Revision of individual country maps continued (process ongoing).2003: In the Economy category, petroleum entries added for “oil production,” “consumption,” “exports,” “imports,” and “proved reserves,” as well as “natural gas proved reserves.”2004: Bi-weekly updates launched on The World Factbook website. Additional petroleum entries included for “natural gas production,” “consumption,” “exports,” and “imports.” In the Transportation category, under “Merchant marine,” subfields added for foreign-owned vessels and those registered in other countries. Descriptions of the many forms of government mentioned in the Factbook incorporated into the Definitions and Notes.2005: In the People category, a “Major infectious diseases” field added for countries deemed to pose a higher risk for travelers. In the Economy category, entries included for “Current account balance,” “Investment,” “Public debt,” and “Reserves of foreign exchange and gold.” The Transnational issues category expanded to include “Refugees and internally displaced persons.” Size of the printed Factbook reaches 702 pages.2006: In the Economy category, national GDP figures now presented at Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP). Entries in the Transportation section reordered; “Highways” changed to “Roadways,” and “Ports and harbors” to “Ports and terminals.”2007: In the Government category, the “Capital” entry significantly expanded with up to four subfields, including new information having to do with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself, its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note is added to highlight those countries with multiple time zones. A “Trafficking in persons” entry added to the Transnational issues category. A new appendix, Weights and Measures, (re)introduced to the online version of the Factbook.2008: In the Geography category, two fields focus on the increasingly vital resource of water: “Total renewable water resources” and “Freshwater withdrawal.” In the Economy category, three fields added for: “Stock of direct foreign investment – at home,” “Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad,” and “Market value of publicly traded shares.” Concise descriptions of all major religions included in the Definitions and Notes. Responsibility for printing of The World Factbook turned over to the Government Printing Office.2009: The online Factbook site completely redesigned with many new features. In the People category, two new fields provide information on education in terms of opportunity and resources: “School Life Expectancy” and “Education expenditures.” Additionally, the “Urbanization” entry expanded to include all countries. In the Economy category, five fields added: “Central bank discount rate,” “Commercial bank prime lending rate,” “Stock of narrow money,” “Stock of broad money,” and “Stock of domestic credit.”2010: Weekly updates inaugurated on the The World Factbook website. The dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles results in two new listings: Curacao and Sint Maarten. In the Communications category, a “Broadcast media” field replaces the former “Radio broadcast stations” and “TV broadcast stations” entries. In the Geography section, under “Natural hazards,” a Volcanism subfield added for countries with historically active volcanoes. In the Government category, a new “National anthems” field introduced. Concise descriptions of all major Legal systems incorporated into the Definitions and Notes. In order to facilitate comparisons over time, dozens of the entries in the Economy category expanded to include two (and in some cases three) years’ worth of data.2011: The People section expanded to People and Society, incorporating ten new fields. The Economy category added “Taxes and other revenues” and “Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-),” while the Government section introduced “International law organization participation” and “National symbols.” A new African nation, South Sudan, brings the total number of countries in The World Factbook to 195.2012: A new Energy category introduced with 23 energy-related fields. Several distinctive features added to The World Factbook website: 1) playable audio files in the Government section for the National Anthems entry, 2) online graphics in the form of a Population Pyramid feature in the People and Society category’s Age Structure field, and 3) a Users Guide enabling visitors to navigate the Factbook more easily and efficiently. A new and distinctive Map of the World Oceans highlights an expanded array of regional and country maps. Size of the printed Factbook’s 50th anniversary edition reaches 847 pages.2013: In the People and Society section five fields introduced: “Demographic profile,” “Mother’s mean age at first birth,” “Contraceptive prevalence rate,” “Dependency ratios,” and “Child labor – children ages 5-14.” In the Transnational Issues category, a new stateless persons subfield embedded under the “Refugees and internally displaced persons” entry. In the Economy section two fields added: “GDP – composition by end use” and “Gross national saving.” In the Government category the “Judicial branch” entry revised and expanded to include three new subfields: highest court(s), judge selection and term of office, and subordinate courts.2014: In the Transportation category, the “Ports and terminals” field substantially expanded with subfields for major seaport(s), river port(s), lake port(s), oil/gas terminal(s), LNG terminal(s), dry bulk cargo port(s), container port(s), and cruise/ferry port(s). In the Geography section, the “Land boundaries entry” revised for all countries, including the total country border length as well as the border lengths for all neighboring countries.2015: In the Government category, the first part of the “Legislative branch” field thoroughly revised, expanded, and updated for all countries under a new description heading. This subentry includes the legislative structure, the formal name(s), the number of legislative seats, the types of voting constituencies and voting systems, and the member term of office. In the Geography category, the “Land use” entry expanded to include agricultural land, forest land, and other uses. Area Comparison Maps introduced online for about half of the world’s countries. These graphics show the size of a country in relation to a part of the United States. (More maps to follow as they become available.)2016: In the Government section for all countries, a new “Citizenship” field added to describe policies related to the acquisition of citizenship and to the recognition of dual citizenship. Also, under the “Country name” entry, etymologies (historical origins) added to explain how countries acquired their names. In the Energy section, an “Electricity access” field introduced with subfields summarizing total access to electricity within an country, as well as for urban and rural populations. In the Transportation category, an expansive “National air transport system” field presents info on the number of registered air carriers, number of operating aircraft, annual passenger traffic, and annual freight traffic.2017: In the Government category, the “Constitution” entry revised and expanded with new subfields for history and amendments. Information on piracy moved from the Transportation category to a new “Maritime threats” field in the Military and Security category. In the Transportation section, the “Merchant marine” entry revised to not only include the total number of ships, but also the major types: bulk carrier, container ship, general cargo, oil tanker, and other. A new “Population distribution” field added to both the Geography and People and Society categories. The Government Printing Office discontinued printing The Word Factbook, but annual online editions may be downloaded from the Factbook site.2018: One-Page Country Summaries introduced for selected countries in the Factbook; more to follow in the future. The Summaries highlight key information from lengthier World Factbook entries and are intended for use by teachers, students, travelers, researchers, news reporters, or anyone with an interest in geography. Dozens of additional area comparison maps added; about two-thirds of country entries now include these popular maps. In the Communications category, a “Broadband – fixed subscriptions” entry now included.2019: The Factbook‘s World entry acquires many new Top Ten listings including those for the largest forests, largest deserts, longest mountain ranges, and climate extremes (Top Ten driest, wettest, coldest, and hottest places on earth). Also in the World entry, seven new continent area comparison maps compare their size to that of the US. In each of the five ocean entries, under the Economy section, a “Maritime fisheries” field includes info on major fishing regions, total tonnage caught, and principal fish catches. A Travel Facts feature added to every country entry; this one-page summary compiles important facts to know before travelling to a country and it quickly becomes one of the most popular features on the website. A new Appendix H: Strategic Materials lists all of the compounds, metals, non-metals, and rare earth elements deemed to be of critical importance to US national security.2020: Three new fields added to the Military and Security category for every country: “Military and security service personnel strengths,” “Military equipment inventories and acquisitions,” and “Military deployments.” One-Page Summaries completed for all of the World’s countries and more than two dozen territories and possessions.  Capital city name etymologies entered for all national capitals. A new Terrorism category with  a “Terrorist group(s)” entry added to more than 60 countries where the US State Department has these groups operating. A supplemental Appendix T: Terrorist Organizations provides details on each cited group’s history, goals, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, weapons, size, and sources of support. Completion of the multi-year effort to add area comparison maps for all countries.2021: A new Environment category introduced with fields that include information on air pollution, water supplies, revenues from natural resources, food insecurity, and waste and recycling. Fields from other Factbook sections – climate, land use, urbanization, and major infectious diseases – also gathered into this new category. In the People and Society section, under “Languages,” new major-language sample(s) and audio sample(s) added. The Travel Facts for all countries acquire additional entries on Tipping Guidelines, Tourist Attractions, and Major Sports.