Tunisia Wildlife and Economy

Animals and Plants

Warning, poisonous!

In the desert of Tunisia you can find grasshoppers, snakes and various bird species as well as scorpions. The scorpions in Tunisia are among the most poisonous species of scorpion in the world. Androctonus australis, also known as the Sahara scorpion or the North African thick-tailed scorpion, is one of the most poisonous members of its family. The Sahara scorpion is colored yellow, so you can easily recognize it in case you should come across one.

It can be distinguished from the field scorpion (yellow scorpion), which is also yellow and poisonous, but not quite like its namesake. Scorpions are rare, but you should still be careful, especially on trips into the desert. Humans encounter these poisonous animals in the desert regions of the south and inland. Caution is also advised in and around the dry rivers.

Centipedes often romp around here, which you should definitely not touch because they can be just as poisonous. In the Sahara poisonous snakes as living Sahara Otter, one of the vipers and can be discovered especially in Libya and Tunisia in the higher deserts.

What is a desert ship?

If you ever travel to Tunisia, you will come across camels and dromedaries everywhere. These are important load carriers and are also used again and again on tourist excursions into the desert.

The desert lynx

Another typical desert animal is a type of cat that looks similar to our lynx and has therefore been given the name desert lynx. It’s actually called the caracal. It occurs not only in Tunisia, but also in the semi-deserts, steppes and dry forests of further Africa, but also in Arabia and Western Asia. In the national parks you can also find a few species of gazelle and deer or antelopes.

Many migratory birds overwinter in Tunisia

Many bird species live in the well-known Ichkeul National Park, especially migratory birds that come from Europe and winter here in Tunisia in the warmer climate. Here you can see gray geese or shovelers and many other water birds, even flamingos, which then enjoy themselves at Lake Ichkeul in the park of the same name. Incidentally, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What is growing in Tunisia?

Holm oaks, pedunculate oaks and pines grow in the mild climate of the north. These can also be found in the Atlas Mountains. In the desert you can find the typical desert plants such as acacia bushes, prickly pear cacti, shrubs and wild grasses. The half grass also grows here. Its leaf fibers are used to make paper.

Economy

Forest, pasture and farmland

In Tunisia, the forest only covers a small part of the country, just three percent, which is almost nothing. After all, the Tunisians use almost 20 percent of their land as meadow or pasture for their herds. About 30 percent of the land can be used as arable land.

A little more than 20 percent belong to the savannah. The remainder of 45 percent belongs to the Sahara, the largest desert in the world. You cannot farm there, except in the oases.

Dates from Tunisia

Tunisian agriculture is primarily dedicated to the cultivation of olive and date trees. Tunisia is one of the ten largest producers of dates in the world. So if you ever eat dates, then these dates could come from Tunisia. In addition to dates, olive oil is also exported.

However, the soil in Tunisia is very poor in nutrients, so that only a few species of crops can thrive there. However, around 50 percent of the land is used for agriculture, mainly in the fertile north of the country. Citrus fruits, wheat, barley, tomatoes and sugar beets are also grown there.

Industry

Even if agriculture is of great importance in Tunisia, there are industrial companies. These mainly process clothing and leather. However, the competition continues to grow, especially from Asia, so that less and less is produced.

Tunisia also produces fertilizers. Fertilizer is made from phosphate and phosphate is one of the mineral resources that Tunisia possesses. The industry in Tunisia also processes products that come from Tunisian agriculture.

Changing tourism

Tourism was and is a very important source of income for Tunisia. For more articles on Tunisia and Africa, please visit cheeroutdoor. But after the revolution in 2011, many holidaymakers stayed away, mainly for fear of attacks or kidnappings. The number of tourists has been increasing again since 2012 and the situation has also stabilized. But the fears remain.

Most holidaymakers spend their holidays on the beautiful coast of Tunisia and go to the long sandy beaches. The tourist strongholds on the eastern Mediterranean coast are Hammamet, Monastir, Gabes and the island of Djerba. Here, hotel after hotel, building sins that were made many years ago are often lined up.

But it is well known that you can learn from mistakes, so tourism experts in Tunisia are now trying to do a lot better. So the tourists should not only laze on the beach, but visit the old cultural assets of the country. For example the 3000 year old Carthage with its fascinating history.

There are also green forest areas in the northeast that are just waiting to be discovered. The desert also has a lot to offer. For example, trips to the desert are organized for visitors. At the same time one tries to address young people by organizing music festivals and thus attracting visitors to the country.