Tunisia

Tunisia is located in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea between Algeria and Libya, with mountains in the north, a hot and dry central plain, and a semiarid south that merges into the Sahara. The climate is temperate in the north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, while desert conditions prevail in the south. Tunis serves as the capital, and Tunisia has a population of approximately 11.96 million people who speak Arabic, French, and Tamazight.

Tunisia has a lower middle-income North African economy that is drafting reforms for foreign lenders, though it faces high unemployment, especially among youth and women. Key industries include petroleum, mining of phosphates and iron ore, tourism, textiles, footwear, and agribusiness. The country’s natural resources include petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, and salt. Tunisia has been hit hard by COVID-19 and faces high public debt and protectionist austerity measures.