Geography of Tunisia

Introduction to Geography of Tunisia

Tunisia, or Republic of Tunisia, a country in North Africa. It is part of the Maghrib, a historic region that also includes portions of Morocco, Algeria, and Libya. From the Mediterranean Sea in the extreme north, it stretches southward nearly 500 miles (800 km), averaging about 150 miles (240 km) in width. The total area is 63,170 square miles (163,610 km2).

Physical Geography

Four major physical regions make up Tunisia: the Atlas Mountains in the north; the central plateau; the Sahel, or eastern coastal plain; and the Sahara in the south.

The Atlas Mountains of Tunisia, part of the great North African chain, consist of the wooded Tell Atlas and the Saharan Atlas ranges. Generally low in elevation, they descend gradually to the northeast and end at Cape Blanc and Cape Bon. Tunisia's highest point, nearly 5,100 feet (1,550 m), is in the Saharan Atlas near the Algerian border. Between the two ranges lies the fertile valley of the Medjerda, Tunisia's only river with a year-round flow.

The central plateau lies south of the Atlas ranges at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,500 feet (300 to 760 m). There are a few hills and low mountains, but much of the region is a flat steppe sloping gently toward the east coast. The few rivers that cross the plateau flow only after occasional heavy rains.

The Sahel begins near Bizerte in the far north and extends southward to the vicinity of Sfax. It is a flat, low plain with a few salt flats, and is interrupted only by the northeastern tip of the Saharan Atlas.

The Sahara, beginning at about the latitude of the Gulf of Gabès, is a large, arid region occupying roughly half of Tunisia. West of Gabès is a broad depression lying as much as 70 feet (20 m) below sea level and containing several intermittent salt lakes, or chotts. Farther south is the Great Eastern Erg, a vast region of dunes and drifting sand. Separating this region from the coast are the barren Ksour Mountains, which stretch southward from Gabès into Libya.

Northern Tunisia has a typically Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, moderately rainy winters. Temperatures in the coastal areas average near 80° F. (27° C.) during summer and 55° F. (13° C.) in winter. Precipitation totals roughly 15 to 30 inches (380 to 760 mm) annually, depending on location. Lower temperatures and larger amounts of precipitation, including snow, occur in the Atlas Mountains. South of the mountains the climate becomes progressively hotter and drier, reaching an extreme in the Sahara. Little or no rain occurs in the Sahara, and temperatures there often exceed 110° F. (43° C.) during summer.

A very hot, dry wind from the Sahara, locally called a chili, occasionally blows northward across the country, especially during spring.

Economy

Though relatively poor by Western standards, Tunisia is one of the more developed and prosperous countries of Africa. Its economy has become increasingly diversified since the late 1950's and less dependent on agriculture, the economic mainstay for centuries. To increase food production, combat poverty, reduce high unemployment, and lessen the heavy dependence on imports, the Tunisian government has undertaken a series of development programs. Accomplishments include irrigation projects, land reform and crop diversification, and the attraction of substantial foreign investment. In addition, since the discovery of oil in the early 1960's, petroleum production has provided an increasingly valuable source of income. Since 1976 petroleum has been Tunisia's leading earner of foreign exchange.

Tunisia's warm climate, seaside and desert resorts, and Roman ruins and other historic sites attract numerous tourists. Also important to the economy are banking, phosphate mining, and money sent home by Tunisians working abroad. Tunisia's basic currency unit is the Tunisian dinar.

More Tunisians are employed in agriculture than in any other economic activity. Modern farming methods are used on cooperatives and large private estates, but the methods used on the numerous small peasant holdings tend to be outdated and inefficient. Harvest size varies greatly from year to year, largely because of variations in the amount of rainfall.

Farming is done primarily along the coast and in inland valleys in northern Tunisia. The chief crops are typical of Mediterranean lands and include wheat, barley, citrus fruits, wine grapes, olives, and vegetables. Livestock, especially sheep and goats, are raised in substantial numbers.

Crop production is minimal in southern Tunisia. Of some significance are the raising of livestock and the collecting of esparto grass (for papermaking). A number of oases in the Sahara produce dates.

Petroleum is the country's most valuable mineral resource. Some of the petroleum comes from the south, but most comes from offshore wells, especially in the Gulf of Gabès. Also mined are phosphates, of which Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers.

The fishing industry is only moderately developed but meets local demands. The catch comes from offshore Mediterranean waters and includes bream, mullet, pilchard, and sardines.

has undergone considerable expansion, and Tunisia's factories now produce a fairly wide variety of consumer and industrial goods. Numerous foreign companies have been attracted to Tunisia, mainly because of financial incentives granted by the government.

Among the chief industries are food processing, fertilizer manufacturing, and textile making. Most manufacturing activity is in the coastal cities. Tunis is the chief center. The Bizerte-Menzel Bourguiba area has heavy manufacturing, including iron and steelmaking, petroleum refining, and tractor and vehicle assembly.

The country's roads and railways are largely in northern and central Tunisia. The leading ports include Tunis-La Goulette, which handles more than half of Tunisia's foreign trade, Sfax, Sousse, and Bizerte. The state-controlled airline has flights to Europe and the Middle East as well as within Tunisia. A large international airport is in Tunis.

The People

The Tunisians are descendants of the ancient Phoenicians who colonized the northeast coast, of the Romans who later occupied the Punic (Phoenician) lands, and of the native Berbers. When the conquering Arabs came in the seventh century, there was rapid intermingling with the coastal population. The Berbers of the back country readily accepted the Arab way of life. Then in the 11th century Bedouins (nomadic Arabs) conquered the country; their descendants inhabit the desert regions of Tunisia. Except for a few isolated groups, the Berbers lost their separate identity. ( )

Through trade with sub-Saharan regions some blacks have been assimilated into the population. A small percentage of the population is of European origin.

The population of Tunisia in 1994 was 8,785,364. The majority of the people live in the northeastern part of the country and in the Sahel.

Arabic is the official language of Tunisia, but French is widely used in commerce and government. About 98 per cent of the people are Muslims of the Sunnite branch of Islam, the country's official religion. There are small minorities of Christians and Jews.

Primary education is free and compulsory from age 6 to 12. Arabic is the language of instruction in the first two grades, but in higher grades French is also used. The secondary-school course of study is a six-year program; there is an alternative three-year program in industrial and agricultural subjects.

The University of Tunis was founded in 1960. It absorbed the 1,100-year-old Zeitouna (or Great Mosque) University, devoted to Islamic studies, as well as several other institutions of higher education. Various institutes give advanced occupational training.

Before Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956, educational facilities for the rural population were severely limited. Only about 25 per cent of the Tunisian Muslim children were receiving even basic schooling. Adult illiteracy was about 85 per cent, although in the cities there was a larger educated middle class than elsewhere in North Africa. After independence, the government greatly expanded the educational system, bringing schooling to a large majority of the country's school-age population.

The art of Tunisia is based primarily on Persian and Egyptian design as adopted by the Arabs. However, Roman and Byzantine influence shows in much of Tunisia's early Islamic architecture—for example, the Mosque of the Three Doors in Kairouan and the ribat (monastery-fortress) in Sousse. Later influences were those of Moorish Spain, brought by refugees when the Moors were expelled, and of Italy, with which Tunisia has had much contact. Turkish design was added in the 16th century when Ottoman corsairs gained control of the region.

Since independence the Tunisians have largely rejected the European culture imposed on them during the French protectorate and have returned to their own traditional styles. They are especially noted for their handicraft products—knotted carpets, silver and gold embroidery, metal filigree, and hand-woven fabrics.

The Tunisians value their ancient heritage, and many of the country's outstanding museums are devoted to antiquities. Among these are museums at Tunis, Sousse, and the site of Carthage. There is a large Roman amphitheater at El Djem.

Government

Tunisia is a republic, composed of 23 provinces called governorates. It is governed under the constitution of 1959 and its amendments. The head of government is the president, who is elected for a five-year term and who may succeed himself. He appoints the prime minister and cabinet. The legislature is called the National Assembly; members are elected for five-year terms. In an emergency the president may rule by decree.

The judicial system is composed of two kinds of courts—general and special. General courts are, in ascending order of authority, cantonal courts, courts of the first instance, courts of appeal, and the Court of Cassation. Special courts include the High Court, which considers cases of treason involving high office, and the Council of State, which resolves conflicts between citizens and government authorities.