Geography of Tunisia

The geography of Tunisia is characterized by regional contrasts. The Tunisia is the country more in north of the unintermitting African. It is separated from the Europe by 140 kilometers on the level of the Détroit of Sicily and is attached to the the Maghreb of which it is the smallest State.

Having a Surface of 163.610 km ², the country is limited to the west by the Algérie (965 kilometers of common border), to south-east by the Libya (459 kilometers) and to north and the east by the Mediterranean (1298 kilometers of coasts).

Tunisia extends between the Latitude S 31° and 37° northern and between the Longitude S 8° and 11° is and is stretched more on the North-South axis than on the East-West axis. Indeed, the two most distant places according to the first axis, the White course and Borj will el-Khadra, are distant of 1200 kilometers while the average width, according to the second axis, is of 280 kilometers. The country is entirely on the Time zone GMT+1.

Physical geography

General information



The cultivated grounds represent 4,9 million Hectare S including 1,6 devoted to the culture of the Céréale S (mainly of the durum Wheat in the valley of the Medjerda), 1,6 devoted to the culture of the olive-tree (mainly in the the Tunisian Sahel and the Gouvernorat of Sfax) and 400.000 hectares devoted to the irrigated cultures. Within the unexploited grounds, the Désert occupies a surface ranging between 33% and 40% of the territory according to whether one defines it according to the Aridité (in general the surface located at the south of the Isohyète 100 mm) or according to landscape characteristics (brought back to the Grand Eastern Erg).

Relief and geomorphology

See also: Dorsal Tunisian

Tunisia has a Relief contrasted, between a septentrional and Western part mountainous, a plane oriental party and a desert southernmost part.

Tunisia of the North-West is located in the extension of the mountainous solid mass of the Atlas which is born in the south from the Morocco in two great west-east directed alignments: the Tellian Atlas which follow the Mediterranean coastline and the Saharian Atlas which drops towards the Cape Bon and the Golfe of Hammamet.

Between the northern littoral and the rich person Vallée of the Medjerda stretches the Tellian Atlas - also called Such septentrional or mounts of Medjerda - in three great less and less high alignments until reaching the Eastern littoral between the Cape Blanc and Ghar El Melh: mountains of Kroumirie culminating with 1000 meters, the Nefza mounts culminating with 600 meters and Mogods culminating with 500 meters. In the south is held the valley of Medjerda supplied with many rivers (wadis Mellègue, Tessa, Béja and Zarga) to which succeeds a zone of irregular Colline S, the mounts of Téboursouk, between the city of the Kef and the Golfe of Tunis. It is about High the tel.

The Tunisian dorsal, chains Calcaire, extends for its part from the mounts of Tébessa (Algérie) towards the Péninsule of the course Bon. It is composed of mountainous groups alternating with escarpés plates and depressions: mounts of Tébessa (1385 m), the Djebel Chambi (1544 m), Djebel Semmama (1314 m), Djebel Serj (1347 m), the Djebel Zaghouan (1295 m) and Djebel Sidi Abd er-Rahmane in the Good course (637 m). Towards the south, the Atlas is reduced to mountainous small islands ( cherb ) disseminated above high plains: Djebel Mhrila (1378 m) and Djebel Selloum (1373 m).

A plane area high Steppe S, in the west, and low steppes, more in the east, is intercalated with the desert south and is furrowed by some residual mountainous alignments (directed west-east): Djebel Majoura (874 m), Djebel Bou Hedma (790 m), the Djebel Orbata (1165 m) and Djebel Asker (608 m).

Hydrology

See also: Dams Tunisia

August 1st

The covered water surface includes Lac S, Lagune S and Sebkha S of which most important are:

Among the principal Sebkha S are:

  • the Sebkha Sidi El Héni: basin located in the area the Sahel
  • the Sebkha Ariana: basin of 5000 hectares located at the north of the Lake Tunis, from which it is separated by the plain from Soukra, and crossed Golfe of Tunis by a dune cord Littoral between Raoued and Gammarth
  • the Sebkha Sejoumi: basin of 3900 hectares located at the west of Tunis

Climate

The Climat of Tunisia, which varies largely according to the areas, is of standard Mediterranean in north and along the coasts, semi-arid inside the arid country and in the south. The Température S averages for the worldwide are of 12°C in December and 30°C in July.

Because of its geographical location, the Tunisian climate is influenced by the marine Vent S and Saharan. The northern coast is exposed to the winds blowing since the south of the France, which causes a significant decrease of the temperatures and a rise of the Précipitation S in particular in Hiver. In the south of the country, the hot and dry winds blow on the great desert extents like on the plains. The Spring and the be see appearing the Sirocco (called shehili in Tunisia), wind of Saharan origin which can easily make climb the temperature above the 40°C.

Fauna and flora

August 1st

The Flore varies much according to the areas. Whereas that of the coastal regions is similar to that of southernmost Europe and includes/understands meadows, Garrigue, maquis and forests of cork oak, the vegetation of the south of the country, which adapts to the semi-arid climatic conditions, is of standard steppe with a predominance of the Alfa. In the arid areas of the extreme south, the Oasis are planted of date palms.

Environment

See also: National parks of Tunisia

Eight natural surfaces, identified like priority areas, were set up in national parks. The National park of Ichkeul, which extends on 12.600 Hectare S, is registered on the list of the world heritage of UNESCO. It shelters 600 species of plants and 200.000 to 300.000 Oiseau X of water wintering (180 different species). There exist also 16 natural reserves the purpose of which are to be a habitat for species having a value ecological and economic and as a vulnerable ecosystem S.

According to a study of the Mediterranean program of WWF, the coastal region of the North-West appears among the 13 sites of the Mediterranean basin which are characterized by their natural wealth, them Biodiversité and their vegetable and animal Espèce S single.

Natural environments

Littoral

See also: List of the islands of Tunisia

The Tunisian littoral is held on 1300 kilometers including 575 of Plage S sandy. The coast, cut out enough but relatively low, is strewn with Tombolo S (Monastir or Téboulba) and with Lagune S (Hergla, Moknine or Zarzis).

Some islands, with which the Archipelago of the Kerkennah and Jerba, strew the coasts.

Coastal plains

See also: the Tunisian Sahel

The oriental party of the countries is trained large Plaine S extending from Hammamet to Ben Gardane. Most important, between Hammamet and Sfax, is indicated under the name of the Sahel. Side plains as that of Kairouan join it in the center of Tunisia. It is prolonged in the south of Sfax to the border with the Libya by the plain of the Djeffara.

It is an area not very broken and forming by place of the basins like the Sebkha S Kelbia, Sidi El Héni, In Noual and El Melah to only quote widest.

Saharan desert

See also: Jérid

Beyond the assembly lines begins the premises from the Désert of the the Sahara with a succession of Chott S, vast depressions bleached by the efflorescences saltworks, which are the Chott el-Jérid, the Chott el-Fejaj and the Chott el-Gharsa. They are bordered in the south and the east by rock plate ( hamadas ) rising soft inclined towards stony and sandy basins ( serirs ) bordered of small assembly lines: Djebel Tebaga (469 m), mounts of Matmata (713 m) and Dahar (689 m). More to the south the Dune S extend from the Grand Eastern Erg.

Human geography

Settlement and urbanization

See also: Urbanization of Tunisia

August 1st The Tunisian territory is articulated in three spaces unequally populated according to a Gradient interior-littoral (west-east).

  1. Littoral Eastern populated : The thirteen coastal governorships, between the governorship of Bizerte to the North-East and that of Médenine in south-east, add up 65,3% of the total population with a strong population density (140 inhabitants per km ² against an national average of 64). The tendency since the Années 1970 is with the rise (59,5% in 1975) with an annual population growth of 2,31% over the period 1975 - 2004 (against 1,99% at the national level). It results partly from a largely positive migratory balance (+112 787 over the period 1999 - 2004). The share of urban population accounts for 75% (65% for the country).

  2. rural median Band : The governorships of Béja, Siliana, Zaghouan, Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid add up 16,7% of the population (19,6% in 1975 are a fall bound at the height migratory deficit interns) which is urban to a total value of 30% only.
  3. little populated Western Band : The governorships extending between those from Jendouba and Tozeur account for 18,1% of the population with a very low density of 20 which had with the extension of mountainous spaces of the Tunisian Dorsale and desert (Chott el-Jérid and Grand Eastern Erg). The share of the population drops (20,6% in 1975) because of the interior migrations.

Economic geography

August 1st The Tunisian territory is articulated in three spaces unequally developed on the socio-economic level according to a Gradient interior-littoral (west-east).

  1. Littoral Eastern developed : The economy of the thirteen coastal governorships, between the governorship of Bizerte to the North-East and that of Médenine in south-east, is diversified and it is the Industrie which is dissociated more with the concentration of 85% of the industrial plants of the country and even of 87,5% of employment in this economic sector.

  2. agricultural median Band : The Agriculture is the economic main activity of the governorships of Béja, Siliana, Zaghouan, Kairouan and Sidi Bouzid because it could profited from important investments in particular for the Irrigation. There exist however important local industrial centers as with Mateur where with Zaghouan with the industrial looseness of the Agglomération of Tunis.
  3. “depressed” Western Band : In the governorships of the west of the country, if the tourist activity brought an economic advancement since the years 1970 in the south of the country, the mining sector is in crisis as with Gafsa for the exploitation of the Phosphate and in the Gouvernorat of Kef for that of metals.

Administrative cutting

See also: Governorship, Delegation in Tunisia, List of the municipalities of Tunisia

Tunisia is cut out of 24 governorships and 264 delegations of Superficie S and unequal populations. There exist also 264 comparable municipalities or common urban to zones of urban population - thus is entered the Urban population country - but not corresponding to cities because there would rather act of the Agglomération several urban cores having bonds between them and at side of which remain of agricultural spaces.

Considering that the number of the governorships was too high to optimize the execution of the policies of the Tunisian State, it is decided to cut out the territory in six areas of planning starting from the Life plan (1982 - 1986):

  1. North-eastern

    : governorships of Bizerte (number 4 on the chart opposite), Tunis ( 23 ), the Ariana ( 1 ), Manouba ( 13 ), Ben Arous ( 3 ), Zaghouan ( 24 ) and Nabeul ( 16 ) North-western

  2. : governorships of Jendouba ( 7 ), Béja ( 2 ), Kef ( 11 ) and Siliana ( 19 )
  3. Center-are: governorships of Sousse ( 20 ), Monastir ( 15 ), Mahdia ( 12 ) and Sfax ( 17 )
  4. Mid-west: governorships of Kairouan ( 8 ), Kasserine ( 9 ) and Sidi Bouzid ( 18 ) South-eastern
  5. : governorships of Gabès ( 5 ), Médenine ( 14 ) and Tataouine ( 21 ) South-western
  6. : governorships of Gafsa ( 6 ), Tozeur ( 22 ) and Kébili ( 10 )

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