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

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 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: 19% permanent crops: 13% other: 68% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is
ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage;
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified:
Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta
and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental
shelf between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population: 9,815,644 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 1,412,625; female 1,320,729)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,234,770; female 3,233,149) 65 years and over:
6.3% (male 303,093; female 311,278) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.12% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 16.83 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97
male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 27.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 75.89 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tuni