Tunisia Geography Profile 2009

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

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 extremes

lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use

arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land

3,940 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

4.6 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.64 cu km/yr (14%/4%/82%)
per capita: 261 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

NA

Environment - current issues

toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

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