Tunisia is a country in Northern Africa, one of the 7 entries this site files under that subregion. The long form of the name is Tunisian Republic. Its capital, Tunis, shares its name with the country itself — a giveaway that this is a city-state or something close to one.
By land area it covers 163,610 km², which ranks it 94th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Suriname and just ahead of Bangladesh. For scale, it is a little larger than Bangladesh.
Around 12.3 million people live there, placing it 80th of 250 by population — between Bolivia above it and South Sudan below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 7th of 7 in size and 5th in population.
Where Tunisia is and what surrounds it
Plotted on a globe it falls at 34.0° north, 9.0° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 3,785 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach China, Iran and Afghanistan — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
It borders 2 neighbours: Algeria and Libya. The largest of them by area is Algeria, which is also the most populous. Together those neighbours hold about 54.2 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Spread across 163,610 km², that works out at about 75 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
People from Tunisia are called Tunisians.
The one official language is Arabic. Arabic is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 24 other entries including Algeria, Bahrain, Chad and the Comoros.
Inside Africa it places 31st of 59 by population, and it accounts for 4.5% of everyone living in Northern Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
Money there is the Tunisian dinar (د.ت, TND). It is issued for Tunisia alone.
Websites there use the .tn domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +216. Its ISO codes are tn and TUN, which is what most databases and flag files use.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Tunisia shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Tunisia
- People from Tunisia are known as Tunisians.
- It lies about 3,785 km from the equator, in subtropical latitudes.
- China and Iran sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- The Tunisian dinar is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Within Northern Africa it is the 7th largest of 7.
- Arabic is official here and in 24 other entries worldwide.
Tunisia — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Tunisia?
- The capital of Tunisia is Tunis. The city and the country share a name, which is typical of a city-state.
- What is the population of Tunisia?
- Tunisia has a population of about 12.3 million, which makes it the 80th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Bolivia sits just above it and South Sudan just below.
- Where is Tunisia located?
- Tunisia is in Northern Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 34.0° north and 9.0° east, roughly 3,785 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- What currency does Tunisia use?
- Tunisia uses the Tunisian dinar, written د.ت (currency code TND). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- What language is spoken in Tunisia?
- The official language of Tunisia is Arabic. It is also official in 24 other entries on this list.
- Is Tunisia a country?
- Yes. Tunisia is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- How big is Tunisia?
- Tunisia covers 163,610 km², ranking 94th of 250 by land area. That makes it a little larger than Bangladesh.
- Which countries border Tunisia?
- Tunisia borders 2 countries: Algeria and Libya. Algeria is the largest of them by area.
