Welcome to Tunisia

Tunisia officially the Tunisian Republic is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is the northernmost African country and the smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range. Around forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil, and a 1300-km coastline. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, which became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. Situated on the North African coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya and just south of Italy, Tunisia represents an intriguing cross-cultural blend of Europe and Africa. Tunisia is situated on the fringe of the Sahara, and while it has an arid land it is not a stereotypically desert country. Tunisia, at the northernmost bulge of Africa, thrusts out toward Sicily to mark the division between the eastern and western Mediterranean Sea. Twice the size of South Carolina, it is bordered on the west by Algeria and by Libya on the south. Coastal plains on the east rise to a north-south escarpment that slopes gently to the west. The Sahara Desert lies in the southernmost part. Tunisia is more mountainous in the north, where the Atlas range continues from Algeria. For such a tiny country – the smallest in North Africa – Tunisia packs a lot in. It is a truly kaleidoscopic nation, ranging from Mediterranean beaches to the Sahara desert, from ancient souks to Star Wars film locations. This Arab-Berber nation is one of the most liberal in the Islamic world; alcohol is freely available and women need not feel intimidated.

Climate

Tunisia consists of two climatic belts, with Mediterranean influences in the north and Saharan in the south. Temperatures are moderate along the coast, with an average annual reading of 18°C (64°F), and hot in the interior south. The summer season in the north, from May through September, is hot and dry; the winter, which extends from October to April, is mild and characterized by frequent rains. Temperatures at Tunis range from an average minimum of 6°C (43°F) and maximum of 14°C (57°F) in January, to an average minimum of 21°C (70°F) and maximum of 33°C (91°F) in August. Precipitation in the northern region reaches a high of 150 cm (59 in) annually, while rainfall in the extreme south averages less than 20 cm (8 in) a year.

Population Stats

Population (2006 est.): 10,175,014 (growth rate: 1.0%);
birth rate: 15.5/1000;
infant mortality rate: 23.8/1000;
life expectancy: 75.1; density per sq mi: 170