Geography and Environment of Tunisia

The Republic of Tunisia lies at the northernmost tip of Africa, a strategic location that throughout history has made it a crossroads between Europe and the Middle East. Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and northwestern Libya form the Maghreb (the West, in Arabic), an area of common history, language, ethnic groups, and culture. Tunisia has 1,000 miles of Mediterranean coastline. Northern Tunisia is the most heavily populated part of the country, mountainous (although elevations rarely reach 3,000 feet), and relatively fertile; this area was the breadbasket of the Roman Empire. The north also claims Tunisia's one major river, the Medjerda. Central Tunisia is a semi-arid highland with poor soil, little rainfall, and scant population. The south is arid and barren, except for occasional oases, as it merges with the Sahara.

Detailed geography