Tunisia | History, Map, Flag, Population, & Facts

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md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia">Tunisia</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/place/Tunisia">Introduction & Quick Facts</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref46597"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46597">Land</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46598"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46598">Relief</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257562"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref257562">Drainage</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46599"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46599">Soils</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46600"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46600">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46601"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46601">Plant and animal life</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref46603"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46603">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46604"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia#ref46604">Ethnic groups</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46605"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages">Languages</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46606"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages#ref46606">Religion</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46602"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages#ref46602">Settlement patterns</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46607"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages#ref46607">Demographic trends</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref46608"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages#ref46608">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46610"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Languages#ref46610">Agriculture, forestry, and fishing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46609"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power">Resources and power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46611"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref46611">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46612"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref46612">Finance</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257563"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref257563">Trade</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257564"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref257564">Services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257565"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref257565">Labour and taxation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46613"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Resources-and-power#ref46613">Transportation and telecommunications</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref46614"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society">Government and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref93663"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref93663">Constitutional framework</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref93664"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref93664">Local government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257566"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref257566">Justice</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref93665"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref93665">Political process</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257567"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref257567">Security</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46617"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref46617">Health and welfare</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257568"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref257568">Housing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46616"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref46616">Education</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref46618"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Government-and-society#ref46618">Cultural life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref93667"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Daily-life-and-social-customs">Daily life and social customs</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref93666"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref93666">The arts</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257569"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref257569">Cultural institutions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257570"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref257570">Sports and recreation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref257571"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref257571">Media and publishing</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref93668"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46620"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/History#ref46620">The growth of European influence</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46621"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-protectorate-1881-1956">The protectorate (1881–1956)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46622"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-protectorate-1881-1956#ref46622">World War II</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref46623"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-protectorate-1881-1956#ref46623">Independence under the Neo-Destour Party (1956–2011)</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref93669"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Domestic-development">Domestic development</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref46625"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Domestic-development#ref46625">Foreign relations</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref298252"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-Jasmine-Revolution">The Jasmine Revolution</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref341075"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-Jasmine-Revolution#ref341075">Ouster of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref341076"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-Jasmine-Revolution#ref341076">Transition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref341077"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/The-Jasmine-Revolution#ref341077">Factional tension, compromise, and a new constitution</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref341078"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Unity-government">Unity government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref343828"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/place/Tunisia/Unity-government#ref343828">Presidency of Kais Saied</a></li></ul></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Tunisia">Facts & Stats</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 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Carl, Murphy, Emma, Barbour, Nevill, Clarke, John Innes" data-authors-initial="Talbi, M., Brown, L.C., Murphy, E., Barbour, N., Clarke, J.I." data-title="Tunisia" data-published-date="19 Mar. 2025" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia" > <div class="citation-text"></div> </div> <button class="js-copy-citation-button mt-20 btn btn-xs btn-outline-blue border shadow-sm pr-10" > <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 my-n5 mr-5" data-icon="file_copy"></em> <span class="js-citation-status-text">Copy Citation</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-share-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=609229] .md-share-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="share"></em> Share </button> <div class="md-share-modal size-lg d-none qa-share-modal"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif d-flex align-items-center pb-15 border-bottom"> <em class="material-icons text-blue mr-10" data-icon="share"></em> Share </div> <div class="label my-20">Share to social media</div> <div class="md-social-toolbar-circle d-flex align-items-start inverted" data-value="share" title="Tunisia" data-url="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia" > <a class="social-icon facebook justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>Facebook</span></a> <a class="social-icon x justify-content-center d-flex align-items-center align-self-center" data-provider="x" href="https://x.com/britannica" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span>X</span></a> </div> <div class="label pt-20 mt-20 mb-5 border-top">URL</div> <a class="font-serif text-truncate d-inline-block" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia">https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia</a> </div> </div> </div> <div> <button class="js-feedback-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal=".md-feedback-modal"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="message"></em> Feedback </button> </div> <div> <button class="qa-external-website-modal-button js-modal btn btn-sm btn-link gtm-topic-tool font-weight-bold btn-link" data-modal="[data-topic-id=609229] .md-websites-modal"> <em class="material-icons md-icon ml-n10 mr-5" data-icon="link"></em> External Websites </button> </div> </div> <div class="md-feedback-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom"> Feedback </div> <form method="post" action="/submission/feedback/609229"> <div class="my-20"> Corrections? 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Author of <i>L'Emirat aghlabide, histoire politique 800–909.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Mohamed Talbi</span>, <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/L-Carl-Brown/392" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">L. Carl Brown</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Garrett Professor Emeritus of Foreign Affairs, Princeton University. Author of <i>The Tunisia of Ahmad Bey.</i></div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> L. Carl Brown</span><span class="text-gray-700 mx-5">•</span><a class="see-all border-gray-700 gtm-byline" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia/additional-info#contributors">All</a> </div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-03-19T00:00:00CDT" >Mar 19, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunisia/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn btn-sm border-2 btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 module-spacing js-inline-ai-ask-button p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot </button> </div> <div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/609229/a88aa4591fa83971be645a8f84399c63" rel="nofollow">Italian coast guard recovers 6 bodies after a migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Mar. 19, 2025, 9:13 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="24563" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/59844-050-A0DACF84/coast-Gulf-of-Tunis-Tunisia-Al-Marsa.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/609229/24563"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/59844-050-A0DACF84/coast-Gulf-of-Tunis-Tunisia-Al-Marsa.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/59844-050-A0DACF84/coast-Gulf-of-Tunis-Tunisia-Al-Marsa.jpg?w=300" alt="Al-Marsā, Tunisia" data-width="1293" data-height="1031" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/44/59844-050-A0DACF84/coast-Gulf-of-Tunis-Tunisia-Al-Marsa.jpg" data-href="/media/1/609229/24563">Al-Marsā, Tunisia</a><span>Beach at Al-Marsā, on the Gulf of Tunis, northeastern Tunisia.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref913726"></span>Tunisia</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">country</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/North-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">North Africa</a>. Tunisia’s accessible <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mediterranean-Sea" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mediterranean Sea</a> coastline and strategic location have attracted conquerors and visitors through the ages, and its ready access to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahara-desert-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sahara</a> has brought its people into contact with inhabitants of the African interior.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="208689" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/183777-050-8DFA72EA/World-Data-Locator-Map-Tunisia.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/609229/208689"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/183777-050-8DFA72EA/World-Data-Locator-Map-Tunisia.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/183777-050-8DFA72EA/World-Data-Locator-Map-Tunisia.jpg?w=300" alt="Tunisia" data-width="1600" data-height="1532" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/77/183777-050-8DFA72EA/World-Data-Locator-Map-Tunisia.jpg" data-href="/media/1/609229/208689">Tunisia</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="162561" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/153395-050-9EDC78CB/Ruins-baths-Carthage-Tunisia.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/609229/162561"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/153395-050-9EDC78CB/Ruins-baths-Carthage-Tunisia.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/153395-050-9EDC78CB/Ruins-baths-Carthage-Tunisia.jpg?w=300" alt="ruins at Carthage, Tunisia" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/153395-050-9EDC78CB/Ruins-baths-Carthage-Tunisia.jpg" data-href="/media/1/609229/162561">ruins at Carthage, Tunisia</a><span>Ruins of the ancient baths at Carthage, Tunisia.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">According to Greek <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="legend" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legend" data-type="MW">legend</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dido" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dido</a>, a princess of Tyre, was the first outsider to settle among the native tribes of what is now Tunisia when she founded the city of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Carthage-ancient-city-Tunisia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Carthage</a> in the 9th century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>. Although the story is certainly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="apocryphal" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apocryphal" data-type="MW">apocryphal</a>, Carthage nonetheless grew into one of the great cities and preeminent powers of antiquity, and its colonies and entrepôts were scattered throughout the western Mediterranean region. Carthage fought a series of wars with its rival, Rome. Rome prevailed in the mid-2nd century <span class="text-smallcaps">bce</span>, razed Carthage, and ruled the region for the following 500 years. In the 7th century <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arab" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Arab</a> conquerors converted the native <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Berber" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Berber</a> (Amazigh) population of North Africa to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Islam</a>. The area was ruled by a succession of Islamic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dynasties" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dynasties" data-type="MW">dynasties</a> and empires until coming under French colonial rule in the late 19th century. After achieving independence in 1956, Tunisia pursued a progressive social agenda and sought to modernize its economy under two long-serving presidents, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Habib-Bourguiba" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Habib Bourguiba</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zine-al-Abidine-Ben-Ali" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali</a>. However, Tunisia remained an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="authoritarian" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian" data-type="MW">authoritarian</a> state with an all-powerful ruling party and no significant institutions of representative government. (For a discussion of political changes in Tunisia in 2011, <em>see</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Jasmine-Revolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jasmine Revolution</a>.)</p><div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="m-n10 "> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 media-slider card-snap-slider col-100"> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex col-100"> <div class="rw-track w-100"> <div class="pt-10 d-inline-flex col-100"> <div class="w-100"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/3041-050-FB226C26/Flag-Tunisia.jpg" data-href="/media/1/609229/61570" class="media-overlay-link card-media d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center px-20" > <div class="position-relative"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/3041-050-FB226C26/Flag-Tunisia.jpg" alt="Tunisia" class="cropped-false w-100 " /> <em class="material-icons qf-zoom" data-icon="zoom_in"></em> </div> </a> <div class="card-body text-center pt-5 pb-10 font-14"> <span>See article: <a href="/topic/flag-of-Tunisia">flag of Tunisia</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue btn-blue-dark" aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue btn-blue-dark" aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <audio src="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/145891-005-B21013C3/instrumental-national-anthem-Tunisia.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" controls=""></audio> <div class="text-center font-12 mt-5"> <span>Audio File:</span> National anthem of Tunisia</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Head Of Government: </dt> <dd>Prime Minister: Kamel Madouri</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Capital: </dt> <dd><a href="/place/Tunis">Tunis</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Population: </dt> <dd>(2025 est.) 11,943,000</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Head Of State: </dt> <dd>President: <a href="/biography/Kais-Saied">Kais Saied</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Form Of Government: </dt> <dd>republic with two legislative houses<sup>1</sup> (Assembly of the People’s Representatives [154<sup>2</sup>]; National Assembly of Regions and Districts [vacant<sup>3</sup>])</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Official Language: </dt> <dd>Arabic</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Official Religion: </dt> <dd>Islam</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Official Name: </dt> <dd>Al-Jumhūriyyah al-Tūnisiyyah (Tunisian Republic)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Total Area (Sq Km): </dt> <dd>163,610</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Total Area (Sq Mi): </dt> <dd>63,170</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Monetary Unit: </dt> <dd>dinar (TND)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Population Rank: </dt> <dd>(2023) 82</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Population Projection 2030: </dt> <dd>12,871,000</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Density: Persons Per Sq Mi: </dt> <dd>(2025) 189</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Density: Persons Per Sq Km: </dt> <dd>(2025) 73</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Urban-Rural Population: </dt> <dd>Urban: (2024) 70.9%</dd> <dd>Rural: (2024) 29.1%</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Life Expectancy At Birth: </dt> <dd>Male: (2022) 74.7 years</dd> <dd>Female: (2022) 79.3 years</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate: </dt> <dd>Male: (2021) 89%</dd> <dd>Female: (2021) 77%</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000): </dt> <dd>(2023) 46,907</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class="facts-item-none d-none"> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Gni Per Capita (U.S.$): </dt> <dd>(2023) 3,770</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="footnotes mb-15"> <ol> <li>Per constitution of 2022.</li> <li>Out of 161 seats, of which 10 are reserved for Tunisians abroad; 7 seats reserved for Tunisians abroad are vacant.</li> <li>Seventy-two seats are allocated for the National Assembly of Regions and Districts, which has not yet been inaugurated.</li> </ol> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Tunisia"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> <button class="facts-list-show-more-btn mt-15 p-0 mx-auto btn font-14 d-block font-weight-normal"> <span class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></span> <span class="show-more-label">Show More</span> </button> </div><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tunisia’s <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> is highly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a>, in part because of long periods of <span id="ref913719"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ottoman-Empire" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ottoman</a> and then <span id="ref913720"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-France" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">French</a> rule but also because populations of Jews and Christians have lived among a Muslim majority for centuries. Similarly, the capital, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tunis" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tunis</a>, blends ancient Arab souks and mosques and modern-style office buildings into one of the most handsome and lively cities in the region. Other cities include <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sfax" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sfax</a> (Ṣafāqis), <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sousse" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sousse</a> (Sūsah), and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Gabes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gabès</a> (Qābis) on the fertile coast and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kairouan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kairouan</a> (Al-Qayrawān) and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/El-Kef" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">El-Kef</a> (Al-Kāf) in the arid interior.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tunisia’s people are renowned for their conviviality and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="easygoing" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/easygoing" data-type="EB">easygoing</a> approach to daily life, qualities that <span id="ref1232432"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Memmi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Albert Memmi</a> captured in his 1955 autobiographical novel <em><span id="ref913722"></span>Pillar of Salt</em>:</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><blockquote> <p>We shared the ground floor of a shapeless old building, a sort of two-room apartment. The kitchen, half of it roofed over and the rest an open courtyard, was a long vertical passage toward the light. But before reaching this square of pure blue sky, it received, from a multitude of windows, all the smoke, the smells, and the gossip of our neighbours. At night, each locked himself in his room, but in the morning, life was always communal.</p> </blockquote><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">This warmth, joined with the country’s renowned hospitality and cuisine, has contributed greatly to Tunisia’s growing popularity as a destination for tourists from throughout Europe and the Americas.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/which-country-is-larger-quiz" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/64/244164-131-C5EE8DAB/nation-flags-world-map.jpg" alt="Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Which Country Is Larger? Quiz</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/contributor/Mohamed-Talbi/2910">Mohamed Talbi</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/contributor/John-Innes-Clarke/3679">John Innes Clarke</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/contributor/Emma-Murphy/4608">Emma Murphy</a></span> <span class="md-signature font-12"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref46597"> <h2 class="h1">Land</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="244614" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/3049-050-8099EC3B/Tunisia-map-features-locator.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/609229/244614"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/3049-050-8099EC3B/Tunisia-map-features-locator.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/3049-050-8099EC3B/Tunisia-map-features-locator.jpg?w=300" alt="Physical features of Tunisia" data-width="1600" data-height="1326" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/49/3049-050-8099EC3B/Tunisia-map-features-locator.jpg" data-href="/media/1/609229/244614">Physical features of Tunisia</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><span id="ref487994"></span>Tunisia is bounded by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Algeria" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Algeria</a> to the west and southwest, by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Libya" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Libya</a> to the southeast, and by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mediterranean-Sea" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mediterranean Sea</a> to the east and north.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <section data-level="2" id="ref46598"> <h2 class="h2">Relief</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tunisia is <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="characterized" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/characterized" data-type="EB">characterized</a> by moderate relief. The Tunisian Dorsale, or <span id="ref487995"></span>High Tell, a southwest-northeast–trending mountain range that is an extension of the <span id="ref487996"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saharan-Atlas" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saharan Atlas</a> (Atlas Saharien) of Algeria, tapers off in the direction of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sharik-Peninsula" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sharīk </a>(Cape Bon) Peninsula in the northeast, south of the Gulf of Tunis. The highest mountain, <span id="ref487997"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-ash-Shanabi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mount Chambi</a> (Al-Shaʿnabī), located near the centre of the Algerian border, rises to 5,066 feet (1,544 metres), while <span id="ref487998"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Zaghwan" class="md-crosslink ">Mount Zaghwān</a> (Zaghouan), about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Tunis, reaches 4,249 feet (1,295 metres). Between the limestone peaks of the central Tunisian Dorsale and the mountains of the <span id="ref487999"></span>Northern Tell—which include the sandstone ridges of the <span id="ref488000"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kroumirie" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kroumirie</a> Mountains in the northwest that reach elevations of 3,000 feet (900 metres)—and the <span id="ref488001"></span>Mogods, a mountain range running along the deeply indented coastline to the north, lies the <span id="ref488002"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Wadi-Majardah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Majardah</a> (Medjerda) River valley, formed by a series of ancient lake <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="basins" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/basins" data-type="EB">basins</a> covered with alluvium. This valley was once the granary of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Rome" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">ancient Rome</a> and has remained to this day the richest grain-producing region of Tunisia.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">To the south of the Tunisian Dorsale lies a hilly region known as the Haute Steppe (<span id="ref488003"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/steppe-grassland" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">High Steppes</a>) in the west and the Basse Steppe (Low Steppes) in the east. These have elevations ranging from about 600 to 1,500 feet (180 to 460 metres) and are crossed by secondary ranges trending north-south. Farther south there is a series of <em>chott</em> (or <em>shaṭṭ</em>; salty lake) depressions. Large plains border the eastern coasts; south of Sousse lies <span id="ref488005"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Al-Sahil" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Al-Sāḥil</a> (Sahel) and south of Gabès is <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/al-Jifarah" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Al-Jifārah</a> (Gefara) Plain. The extreme south is largely sandy <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/desert" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">desert</a>, much of it part of the Great Eastern Erg of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sahara-desert-Africa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sahara</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref257562"> <h2 class="h2">Drainage</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD10 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The major drainage feature of the north is the Majardah River, the country’s only perennially flowing stream, which cuts the Majardah valley before emptying into the Gulf of Tunis, near the site of ancient <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Carthage-ancient-city-Tunisia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Carthage</a>. Farther south, streams are <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="intermittent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intermittent" data-type="MW">intermittent</a> and largely localized in the form of wadis, which are subject to seasonal flooding and terminate inland in <em>chott</em>s. In the country’s most southerly regions, within the Sahara, even these seasonal streams are rare. As in other countries of this arid region, access to water is a major concern. During the 1990s the government sponsored the construction of a number of dams to control flooding, preserve runoff, and recharge the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/water-table" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">water table</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref46599"> <h2 class="h2">Soils</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD11 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tunisia’s most fertile soils are found in the well-watered intermontane valleys in the north, where rich sandy clay soils formed from alluvium or soils high in lime content cover the valley bottoms and plains. Aside from these and from the plains of the Haute Steppe region, where some clay soils of medium fertility may be found, soils in the rest of the country tend to be rocky or sandy. In the dry south, moreover, they are often also saline because of excessive evaporation. The humid coastal <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/plain" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">plain</a> in the east, running between the Gulf of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Al-Hammamat" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Hammamet</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Gulf-of-Gabes" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Gulf of Gabes</a>, where Tunisia’s <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="thriving" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/thriving" data-type="EB">thriving</a> olive plantations are found, is the most agriculturally productive of these coarse-textured soil areas.</p><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref46600"> <h2 class="h2">Climate</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD12 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Tunisia is situated in the warm temperate zone between latitudes 37° and 30° N. In the north the climate is Mediterranean, characterized by mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers with no marked intervening seasons. This changes southward to semiarid conditions on the steppes and to desert in the far south. Saharan influences give rise to the <span id="ref488004"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sirocco-wind" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">sirocco</a>, a seasonal hot, blasting wind from the south that can have a serious drying effect on vegetation.</p><span class="marker MOD12 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD13 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Temperatures are moderated by the sea, being less extreme at Sousse on the coast, for example, than at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kairouan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kairouan</a> (Al-Qayrawān) inland. Temperatures at Sousse average 44 °F (7 °C) in January and 89 °F (32 °C) in August. <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Comparable" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Comparable" data-type="EB">Comparable</a> temperatures at Kairouan are 40 °F (4 °C) in January and 99 °F (37 °C) in August. Africa’s highest temperature, about 131 °F (55 °C), was recorded in Kebili, a town in central Tunisia.</p><span class="marker MOD13 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD14 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The amount of precipitation, all falling as rain, varies considerably from north to south. A mean annual rainfall of about 60 inches (1,520 mm) occurs in the Kroumirie Mountains in northwestern Tunisia, making it the wettest region in North Africa, as compared with less than 4 inches (100 mm) at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tozeur" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tozeur</a> (Tawzar) in the southwest. Generally, from mid-autumn to mid-spring, when three-fourths of the annual total occurs, northern Tunisia receives more than 16 inches of rainfall, and the steppe region receives from 4 to 16 inches (100 to 400 mm). Amounts are also highly irregular from one year to another, and irregularity increases southward toward the desert. Harvests vary as a result, being poor in dry years.</p><span class="marker MOD14 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref46601"> <h2 class="h2">Plant and animal life</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD15 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The vegetation and animal life of the country are affected by these <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="erratic" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/erratic" data-type="EB">erratic</a> climatic conditions. From north to south, the cork oak forest of the Kroumirie Mountains, with its fern undergrowth sheltering wild boars, gives way to scrub and steppes covered with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/esparto" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">esparto grass</a> and populated with small game and to the desert, where hunting is forbidden so as to preserve the remaining gazelles. Scorpions are found in all regions; among dangerous snakes are the horned viper and the cobra. Desert locusts sometimes damage crops in the southern part of the country. <span id="ref913755"></span>Ichkeul National Park, in the northernmost part of the country, was named a UNESCO <span id="ref913757"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Heritage site</a> in 1980. It is important as a winter <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="sanctuary" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/sanctuary" data-type="EB">sanctuary</a> for such birds as the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/greylag" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">greylag goose</a>, coot, and wigeon.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD15 mod-inline"></span> </section> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref46603"> <h2 class="h1">People</h2> <section data-level="2" id="ref46604"> <h2 class="h2">Ethnic groups</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD16 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The population of <span id="ref488006"></span>Tunisia is essentially Arab Berber. However, throughout the centuries Tunisia has received various waves of immigration that have included Phoenicians, sub-Saharan Africans, Jews, Romans, Vandals, and Arabs; <span id="ref488007"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-world" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Muslim</a> refugees from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sicily" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sicily</a> settled in Al-Sāḥil after their homeland was captured by the Normans in 1091. The most notable immigration was that of the Spanish <span id="ref488008"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moor-people" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Moors</a> (Muslims), which began after the fall of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sevilla-Spain" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sevilla</a> (Seville), <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Spain" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Spain</a>, as a result of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Reconquista" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Reconquista</a> in 1248 and which turned into a veritable exodus in the early 17th century. As a result, some 200,000 Spanish Muslims settled in the area of Tunis, in the Majardah valley, and on the Sharīk Peninsula in the north, bringing with them their <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-culture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">urban culture</a> and more advanced agricultural and irrigation techniques. Finally, from the 16th to the 19th century, the Ottomans brought their own blend of Asian and European traditions. This great ethnic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diversity" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity" data-type="MW">diversity</a> is still seen in the variety of Tunisian family names.</p><span class="marker MOD16 mod-inline"></span><div class="mb-20"><div class="w-100 assembly-container"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="225988" data-asm-type="infogram"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="infogram"><script id="infogram_0__/UNUniIoKQhVHu8aOXga0" src="https://e.infogram.com/js/dist/embed.js?Itp" type="text/javascript" title="Tunisia: Ethnic composition"></script></div></figure></div></div> </section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-simplify-root"></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":10,"pageId":609229,"pageLength":1484,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.134.19"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-134/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.134.19' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"B","adLeg":"B","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"COUNTRY_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true,"hasAiTopQuestions":false,"hasSimplifyButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Tunisia | History, Map, Flag, Population, & Facts | Britannica