|
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: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km
Coastline: 1,148 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
territorial sea: 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 extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jabal ash Shanabi 1,544 m
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead,
zinc, salt, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: 20%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 44% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 3,850 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste
disposal is ineffective and presents human health risks; water pollution
from raw sewage; limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean
Geography
Tunisia, republic of northern Africa, bounded on the north and east
by the Mediterranean Sea, on the south by Libya, and on the west
by Algeria. The total area is 164,418 sq km (63,482 sq mi).
Climate
In general, a mild Mediterranean climate prevails in the north of
Tunisia; toward the south the climate becomes progressively hotter
and drier. In the north, temperatures average 8.9° C (48° F) in
January and 25.6° C (78° F) in July.
The northern regions have a rainy season that lasts from October
to May. Average annual rainfall is about 610 mm (about 24 in) but
may vary greatly from year to year. Annual rainfall decreases to
the south and is only about 200 mm (about 8 in) in the Sahara.
Tunisia extends farther north than any other country in Africa.
Its northern tip is only 137 kilometres from Sicily, Italy, a part
of Europe. Both northern and eastern Tunisia border the Mediterranean
Sea.
Tunisia is part of the Arab world, the Mediterranean area, and Africa.
Almost all Tunisians speak Arabic and follow an Arab way of life.
For hundreds of years, trade routes have connected Tunisia to Africa
south of the Sahara.
France controlled Tunisia from 1881 until Tunisia became independent
in 1956. Tunisia shows many French influences. Tunis is its capital
and largest city.
Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib BOURGIUBA
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 recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance
in its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to diffuse
rising pressure for a more open political society
|
