TOEFL Test Centers in Tunisia

EDU February 16, 2019

Tunisia Overview

Tunisia, a republic in North Africa that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Sahara. The country is mostly inhabited by Arabs and Arabized Berbers. It consists of mountains (in the north), desert with oases (in the south), steppe with salt lakes (in the middle zone) and a fertile coastal plain (in the east). Cultivated products are cereals, wine, olives, dates, citrus fruits and cotton. In the steppes, nomadic grazing is practiced. The extraction of crude oil, natural gas and phosphate is important. The industry mainly includes food and textile manufacturing. The handicrafts (carpets, ceramics) are important. Beach resorts and historical sites (including Carthage) are attractions for tourists.

History: After the destruction of Carthage (146 BC) the area became a Roman province. From the 5th century it belonged to the Vandal Empire, from the 6th century it was under Byzantine rule. In the 7th century the Arabs conquered the country. Different Islamic dynasties ruled. From 1574 Tunisia was under Ottoman suzerainty; the Tunisian pirate fleet, also part of the Ottoman navy, was feared throughout the Mediterranean. Tunisia became French in 1881 and independent in 1956. The wave of protests of the Arab Spring emanated from Tunisia in 2010. In recent years, the Islamic State has repeatedly carried out terrorist attacks, including on tourist destinations.

Country facts

• Official name: Republic of Tunisia
• License plate: TN
• ISO-3166: TN, TUN (788)
• Internet domain:.tn
• Currency: 1 Tunisian dinar (tD) = 1 000 millimes
• Area: 163,610 km²
• Population (2018): 11.5 million
• Capital: Tunis
• Official language (s): Arabic
• Form of government: Presidential Republic
• Administrative division: 24 districts (Governorate)
• Head of State: President Kaïs Saïed (since October 23, 2019)
• Head of government: Hichem Mechichi (since September 2, 2020)
• Religion (s): 99.1% Muslim (Sunni)
• Time zone: Central European Time
• National holiday: March 20th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): North Africa
• Position (coordinates): between 30 ° and 37 ° 30 ‘north latitude and 7 ° 30’ and 11 ° 30 ‘east longitude
• Climate: A warm, summer-dry climate on the coast, steppe and desert climate in the south
• Highest mountain: Chambi (1544 m)
• Road network (2015): 20,000 km (paved)
• Railway network (2014): 2 173 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2018): 1%
• Birth rate (2018): 17.4 per 1000 residents.
• Death rate (2018): 6.4 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2018): 32 years
• Average life expectancy (2018): 75.9 years (women 77.6; men 74.3)
• Age structure (2018): 25.3% younger than 15 years, 8.2% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older) (2015): 81.8%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 124 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 56 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2017): US $ 3,465
• Total GDP (2017): US $ 40 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 3,500
• Education expenditure (2015): 6.6% of GDP
• Military expenditure (2017): 2% of GDP
• Unemployment rate (2017): 15.2%

Climate

Annual precipitation in the Mediterranean north reaches 1,000–1 570 mm (7–9 humid months) in Kroumir and only 600–800 mm (7–8 humid months) in Mogod; the Medjerdahügelland lying in the rain shadow is 500–700 mm in the south-west and 400–450 mm in the north-east (5–7 humid months). On the north-west slopes of the dorsal (cloud jam), precipitation increases again to 500–700 mm and falls on the south-west slopes to 300–500 mm. The steppe landscapes only get 100–200 mm (0–3 humid months), the desert region south of the Schotts below 100 mm (episodic).

In the north the mean January temperatures are 9-11 ° C, on the western dorsal and western plateaus because of the continental influence it is 1.7 ° C, on the eastern dorsal it is 5 ° C, in the Sahel it is 11.5 ° C, in the likewise continentally influenced Schott region at 3.1 ° C. The mean July temperatures in the northern highlands are 25 ° C, in the coastal area, in the northern Sahel and on the dorsal at 28 ° C (mean maxima on the coast 30–32 ° C, in the northern Sahel 38 ° C), in the Medjerdatal at 35 -36 ° C. In the steppe landscapes, the mean July temperatures rise from 27 ° C on the coast (mean maxima 32 ° C) to 32 ° C in the interior (mean maxima 40 ° C), south of the Schotts they reach 46 ° C (mean maxima in the extreme south 55 ° C).

Vegetation

In the northern mountain countries there are still Mediterranean hardwood forests in high areas, and secondary acchie and garigue in lower areas. In the Medjerda hills and on the dorsal, Aleppo pine and juniper stands appear as islands, interspersed with holm oaks on the dorsal; the southern slopes only bear maquis. The areas with less than 400 mm of annual precipitation are often overgrazed steppes. To the north of the Schotts begins the desert steppe with open subshrub, dwarf shrub and dry grass formations, which merges into the Saharan semi-desert and desert vegetation to the south.

Nature conservation:  The Ichkeul National Park at the southern end of Lake Ichkeul, habitat of around 180 species of birds, a multitude of marsh plants and the endangered water buffalo, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.