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
Natural resources: petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Land use: arable land: 20% permanent crops: 10% meadows and pastures: 19% forest and woodland: 4% other: 47%
Irrigated land: 2,750 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and
presents human health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; limited
natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation
Note: strategic location in central Mediterranean
@Tunisia:People
Population: 8,879,845 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35% (female 1,507,866; male 1,563,411)
15-64 years: 60% (female 2,665,586; male 2,672,712)
65 years and over: 5% (female 226,201; male 244,069) (July 1995 est.)