Tunisia - The World Factbook (original) (raw)

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Page last updated: February 05, 2025

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"Carthage is situated at the inmost point of a gulf into which it protrudes on a strip of land, almost entirely surrounded on one side by the sea and on the other by a lake," observed the Greek historian Polybius in the second century BC. He pointed out some of the features that made Carthage attractive for human occupation for centuries. Today, Carthage is a suburb of Tunis, the capital city of northern Africa's Tunisia. Although cityscape covers most of the ancient port city, the area's attractions to ancient mariners remain apparent.
In the east, Carthage narrows to a point that stretches into the Gulf of Tunis. From that point, skinny strips of land extend toward the northwest and southwest, both strips enclosing water bodies. North of Carthage is Sebkhet Arina, a shallow evaporative lake. Rocky outcrops connected by sand separate this shallow lake from the Gulf of Tunis. South of Carthage is Lake Tunis, a water body actively modified and maintained by humans over thousands of years. 
Skilled merchants and mariners, the ancient Phoenicians founded Carthage probably sometime between 817 and 748 BC. Romans destroyed the city in the Punic Wars around 146 BC, but eventually rebuilt in the same area.This image courtesy of NASA.

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Geography

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Area

comparison ranking: total 93

Area - comparative

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Land boundaries

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Terrain

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Geography - note

People and Society

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comparison rankings: female 81; male 82; total 81

Nationality

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Demographic profile

Age structure

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2023 population pyramid

Dependency ratios

Median age

comparison ranking: total 102

Population growth rate

comparison ranking: 143

Birth rate

comparison ranking: 127

Death rate

comparison ranking: 143

Net migration rate

comparison ranking: 154

Population distribution

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total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030File Icon

Major urban areas - population

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comparison ranking: 108

Infant mortality rate

comparison ranking: total 119

Life expectancy at birth

comparison ranking: total population 93

Total fertility rate

comparison ranking: 115

Gross reproduction rate

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Drinking water source

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Obesity - adult prevalence rate

comparison ranking: 40

Alcohol consumption per capita

comparison ranking: total 139

Tobacco use

comparison ranking: total 52

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

comparison ranking: 112

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

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comparison ranking: 17

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comparison ranking: 92

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comparison ranking: 83

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comparison ranking: 189

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comparison ranking: 134

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comparison ranking: 171

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comparison rankings: services 76; industry 112; agriculture 80

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comparison ranking: 163

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comparison ranking: 96

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comparison ranking: 83

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comparison ranking: 33

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comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 162; imports 57; exports 87; consumption 76; installed generating capacity 81

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comparison ranking: total emissions 80

Energy consumption per capita

comparison ranking: 109

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comparison ranking: total subscriptions 55

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comparison ranking: total 67

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comparison ranking: 45

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Contents

Introduction

Geography

People and Society

Environment

Government

Economy

Energy

Communications

Transportation

Military and Security

Terrorism

Transnational Issues