nezuela maritime boundary
may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and
Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Tunisia

Introduction
Tunisia

Background:

Rivalry between French and Italian interests in Tunisia culminated
in a French invasion in 1881 and the creation of a protectorate.
Agitation for independence in the decades following World War I was
finally successful in getting the French to recognize Tunisia as an
independent state in 1956. The country's first president, Habib
BOURGUIBA, established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In
November 1987, BOURGUIBA was removed from office and replaced by
Zine el Abidine BEN ALI in a bloodless coup. BEN ALI is currently
serving his fourth consecutive five-year term as president; the next
elections are scheduled for October 2009. Tunisia has long taken a
moderate, non-aligned stance in its foreign relations. Domestically,
it has sought to defuse rising pressure for a more open political
society.

Geography
Tunisia

Location:

Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Geographic coordinates:

34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 163,610 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries:

total: 1,424 km
border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline:

1,148 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 12 nm

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

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:

arable land: 17.05%
permanent crops: 13.08%
other: 69.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:

3,940 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

4.6 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/in