Tunisia at a Glance

• Population: Approx. 9.9 million


• Capital city: Tunis, approx. 1.9 million inhabitants


• Language: Arabic (official language), French (lingua franca)


• Religions: Islam (national religion)


• Form of government:: Presidential republic with monocameral parliament

Economy

Germany is Tunisia's third-largest trade partner. Around 40 percent of Tunisian imports from Germany, and 80 percent of Tunisian exports to Germany are carried out by companies with German holdings in Tunisia, and Tunisian cross-border commission-processing companies. Furthermore, Germany is the third-largest foreign investor in Tunisia: there are around 275 largely export-oriented companies with German holdings.

Germany is one of Tunisia's most important bilateral development partners. The focus of German-Tunisian development cooperation is on environmental protection and the modernisation of the Tunisian economy in preparation for a customs union with the EU. The Tunisian military has received German support through training assistance since 1972, and aid for equipment amounting to 11.7 million Euros since 1989. Also since 1989, an advisory group from the German armed forces has been active in Tunis and Bizerte.

At the same time, Tunisia remains one of the most popular holiday-destinations for Germans. With regards to the number of overnight stays, and since 1990 also regarding the number of entries into the country, German tourists have been one of the most significant groups of foreign visitors.

Culture and Science

The main area of German-Tunisian cooperation in the field of science is the provision of scholarships and training places by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

German language courses and cultural events encourage the dialogue between German and Tunisian culture. The Goethe-Institute in Tunis is a major sponsor of the cultural cooperation. The Rome division of the German Archaeological Institute has earned considerable respect for its excavations in Carthage and Chemtou over the past 25 years. Today, the archaeological activities of German institutions (for example, the University of Freiburg) are concentrated on excavations in Dougga.

Since study of a third foreign language (Spanish, Italian or German) was introduced at Tunisian secondary schools in autumn 1989, the numbers of German students and teachers have almost doubled. Since June 1992, an one-hour programme in German is broadcast daily by Radio Tunis International, with the support of Deutsche Welle.

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