The flattest country in the Maghreb with contrasting relief
This seahorse-shaped country has its belly facing the sea, its head in the greenery and its tail buried in the sand. In terms of the whole Maghreb, Tunisia is a flat country largely open to the sea, to which Morocco turns its back, and from which the high Algerian plains are separated by a mountainous barrier. Its average altitude of 600 meters contrasts with those of Algeria (900 m) and Morocco (800 m). A double chain of mountains (Atlas Tellien and Atlas Saharan) converges towards the north-east of the country. The Saharan Atlas lowers towards the Cape Bon and the Gulf of Hammamet. The Tellian Atlas drops more and more on the northern coast and the valley of the Medjerda until it reaches the eastern Tunisian coast between Cape Blanc and Ghar el Melh. There are the small mountain Kroumirie perched at 1,000 meters, the mountains Nefza (600 m) and Mogods (500 m). The highest point of Tunisia is the Jebel Chambi, at 1,544 meters, located in the extreme west of the country. Some winters, snow covers the peaks. A few mountainous islands, towards the south of the Atlas, are scattered above the plains: the djebel Salloun (1 373 m), the djebel Mrhila (1378 m). "Djebel" is the name given to the massifs or mountains of North Africa
Between these mountain ranges and the coastline, there are three kinds of relief and climates quite contrasting. The High Tell, green on the west and the east coast, covers the whole northern part. From west to east until Cape Bon, we find limestone mountain ranges that alternate with steep plateaus: the mount of Tébessa (1,385 m), the djebel Serj (1,357 m), the djebel Semmama (1,314 m), the djebel Zaghouan (1,295 m) and the djebel Sidi Abd er-Rahmane in Cape Bon (637 m)
Central Tunisia, a region of high and low steppes, ends on the coast by the Sahel. Southern Tunisia, finally, limited to the north by the region of salt lakes called "chotts", is the country of large desert spaces, but also that of lush palm groves huddled around rare water points
A seaside coastline but also wild
The Tunisian coastline extends over 1,298 kilometers of coastline, including 600 kilometers of beaches. There are more than 36,000 hectares of coastal dunes, most of which are located in the north and northeast of the country. It is in its eastern part (from Hammamet to Djerba) that the coastline is the most touristic. From Hammamet to Sousse extend long sandy beaches where seaside resorts are increasingly important, like Hergla (1,200 ha north of Sousse, with a limited accommodation capacity, but entertainment centers, thalassotherapy, a golf course and a traditional village ...), Yasmine Hammamet (completed in 2003) and Mahdia (with the integrated resort Ghedhabna, south ...) seaside product, marina, golf, cultural facilities, outdoor theater, recreational and sports facilities).
From Sousse to Sfax extends the Sahel region: kingdom of olive and almond trees. In the north of Tunisia, on the coast from Bizerte to Tabarka, the landscape is wilder, hemmed with cliffs and beaches. Called the "Coral Coast" in the region of Tabarka, it is the kingdom of hunting and underwater fishing.
There are five main gulfs in Tunisia. The Gulf of Tunis extends over nearly 150 kilometers between Cape Sidi Ali El Mekki and Cape Bon. The wide Gulf of Hammamet, south of the peninsula of Cape Bon is bounded on the south by Monastir and north by Cape Ras Maamoura, not far from the city of Hammamet whose name it bears. The tourist cities of Hammamet, Nabeul, Sousse and Monastir border this gulf. For about forty kilometers, just after the Gulf of Hammamet, in the center-east of Tunisia, the Gulf of Monastir extends in the shape of a crescent. Narrow, it shelters a rich and fragile ecosystem with a vast aquatic fauna. It is here that the Kuriats archipelago is located. There is a strong fishing activity. The Gulf of Gabes, 90 kilometers extends from Chaffar, south of Sfax, to Djerba (Cape Ras Tourgueness). Finally, the Gulf of Boughrara, with an area of 50,000 hectares is similar to a lagoon because it is almost entirely closed with Djerba to the north. Nevertheless, it is indeed a gulf because a double passage between the peninsulas of Jorf (west) and Zarzis (east) connects it to the Mediterranean Sea
Rivers, wadis and water bodies
The two major rivers of Tunisia are the Oued El Kebir, which becomes the Oued Meliane crossing the plain of Fah, before flowing into the Gulf of Tunis, and especially the Medjerda, the country's main river. Born in Algeria, it flows for 350 kilometers in Tunisia
These two major routes, whose course is regulated by dams, supply power plants and irrigate the fertile plains of the Tell (Kef and Kasserine region). There are, of course, other waterways called "wadis", temporary torrents. They do not flow into the sea, but into closed basins called "sebkhas", thus forming a lake which, when the water evaporates, is no more than a flat area covered with a thick layer of salt. The Chott El-Jerid, in the southwest of the country, is the largest salt lake in Tunisia, dry most of the year. A straight road (the GP16), about a hundred kilometers long, which goes from Tozeur to Kebili, crosses this lunar desert where you may have the chance to see mirages.
The waters of the north feed mainly the country, while the Sahel region, in the south, is arid. The sebkha Sidi El Hani has an endoreic character, that is to say that it does not flow into a sea but remains closed. In this part of Tunisia, which represents 62% of the country's surface area, only 16% of water resources are delivered. Nevertheless it is here that the underground resources are found.
Among the main water bodies (lakes, lagoons, sebkhas), we can mention the lake of Bizerte (12 000 ha), the lake Ichkeul (10 000 ha), the lagoon of Ghat El Melh, the sebkha Ariana, a basin of 5,000 ha north of the lake of Tunis separated by the plain of La Soukra and cut from the Gulf of Tunis by a coastal dune between Raoued and Gammarth, Sebkha Sejoumi (basin 3,900 ha west of Tunis).
The Sahara, fascinating desert
The south of Tunisia sinks into the Sahara, of which it includes a small part. It is, from a landscape point of view, the most fascinating part of Tunisia. If you decide to give up the comfort of your seaside hotel for a few days to follow an expedition in the desert, you will understand that its three, four or five stars are nothing compared to the myriads of stars that the magic sky of the desert reserves for you. A landscape of shifting dunes shaped by the wind and rocky areas, the desert leaves no one indifferent. Many travel agencies (in Tunisia as in France) offer excursions in 4x4, stays in nomadic camps and even camel rides, most of the latter being organized from Douz. In the desert blows the simoun (or semoum) in strong gusts. It pushes back the limits of the desert by spouting sand. When it surprises a caravan in movement, it forces the dromedaries to barrack (to lie down) and the men to seek refuge in the shelter of their animals and to take refuge under their chèche (long cotton scarf). Do not venture alone into the desert.
Emotion guaranteed at the sight of an oasis
Rustling water running in the seguias, freshness of an unexpected garden, the greenery of the oasis is always welcome. This spontaneous plant formation, nestled in the hollow of a wadi, offers a striking contrast between the bare space of the desert, which seems to extend to infinity, and this fine green net. The oases all look alike at first glance and yet they are not. Each one has its specificity, even if they are all built on the same model. Most villages live outside the oasis, traditionally reserved for fruit and vegetable crops. The palm grove is the other unforgettable aspect of the Tunisian desert: spread along the water table of the oasis, it requires constant irrigation. The largest oases are in Nefta, Gabes, Tozeur. But there are also important ones in Douz, Gafsa, Tamerza... If oasis rhymes with sand and desert, in the Tunisian south, several are an exception. Clinging to the side of the mountains, their strangeness deserves the detour: Chebika, Tamerza and Mides, three small paradises high up. As for Gabès, it is the only place in Tunisia to mix oasis, desert, sea and mountain. Thanks to its privileged situation, this city should quickly know an identical fate to its tourist colleagues... Let's take advantage of its authenticity while there is still time!
