“Tunisia has two windows on the Mediterranean, one opening towards Europe, the other towards the Middle East.”1
Situated along the North African coast, and yet with Italy & France just across a narrow aisle of the Mediterranean to the northeast, Tunisia has inherited a diverse cultural history.
A convenient edge of coastline boasts many foreign influences, including several peoples to which it owes much identity: the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Turks, & French. The Phoenicians were an ancient people and little is known about their heritage, and the Romans, additionally, have been gone for nearly two millennia. The Arabs are said to have left great influential legacy here, more than was recovered in neighboring Algeria & Morocco. Tunisia's orientation in the central Mediterranean gives it importance as a region for cultural diversity and historic intrigue. Nestled between Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast, the Atlas Mountain Range creeps in to Tunisia's north region, forming the area of the high steppe. A large salt lake, also known as Shott Djerid is situated in the central steppe, when the terrain slowly fades to a coastal plain along the low-lying, eastern Mediterranean coast. The River Medjerda bisects the Tunisian republic and subsequently, the Northern & High Tell of the Atlas Mountains. The capital of Tunis lies in the humid, temperate northern coastal region, while to the south, the region is dry & Saharan. 2
The general area remains hot and dry inland and like typical Mediterranean countries, Tunisia has cool, wet winters. Temperatures range from 43 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees C) to 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees C). As of mid 2006 the population of Tunisia sits at 10, 126, 300 with a density of around 65.5 persons per square kilometer. Coincidentally because of the weather, most citizens live in the warm, humid north as opposed to the arid, desert south.
Arabic is officially the language of Tunisia, with French being a close second as a widely used language of commerce. The religion of the nation is mainly Islam, with nearly all inhabitants Muslim. Christians, like Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, French & English Protestant, as well as Jews comprise the next largest religious affiliation. 2
Other Characteristic Facts:
Ethnicity: 98% is Arab, 1% is European, 1% Jewish & other
Poverty: 7.4% of the total population lies below the poverty line (a 2005 estimate)
Land: Only 17.05% of Tunisian soil is arable, 13.08% is comprised of permanent crops as of 2005. Unfortunately regular rainfall is insufficient in most arable areas, particularly in the extremely dry south 3
