Tunisia

I

Introduction

Tunisia, republic in northern Africa, bordered 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). The capital city is Tunis.

II

Land and Resources

Tunisia’s Mediterranean coast is indented by many harbours and inlets, notably the gulfs of Tunis, Hammamet, and Gabes (Qābis). The Gulf of Gabes contains the islands of Jarbah (Djerba) and Qarqannah (Kerkennah). The total length of coastline is about 1,148 km (713 mi).

Tunisia may be divided, from north to south, into four main topographic regions. In the north, low-lying spurs of the Maritime Atlas Mountains traverse the country in a south-western to north-eastern direction. Peaks range in elevation from about 610 to 1,520 m (2,000 to 5,000 ft). Fertile valleys and plains are interspersed among the mountains of this region.

A

Rivers and Lakes

The country’s only major river, the Majardah, crosses the region from west to east, emptying into the Gulf of Tunis. To the south the mountains give way to a plateau that averages about 610 m (2,000 ft) in elevation. Further south, the plateau descends gradually to a chain of low-lying salt lakes, known as shatts, or chotts, which extend east-west across the country. Several of these lakes lie below sea level. To the south the shatts adjoin the Sahara Desert, which constitutes about 40 per cent of Tunisia’s land area.

B

Climate

In general, a mild Mediterranean climate prevails in the north of Tunisia; towards 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 (24 in) but may vary greatly from year to year. Annual rainfall decreases to the south and is only about 200 mm (8 in) in the Sahara.