BASIC INFORMATION Area of the country: 162,155 km2 Geographical location: North frontier of the African continent, 137 miles south of Sicily (two-hour flight from Paris ; one and half hours from Geneva ; fifty minutes from Rome). Coast-line: 1298 km (excluding islands) Average altitude: 700 m Highest point : Chaambi (1,544m) Climate: humid, sub-humid in the north and along the coast, and semi-arid to saharan inland and in the south. Average temperature: December: 11.4 C July: 29.3 C Rainfall: Irregular, concentrated during the cold season (75% of the annual total) North : 800 to 1000 mm Center : 200 to 400 mm South : 50 to 150 mm FOREST RESOURCES AND THEIR UTILIZATION  Productive pasture and forest resources extend over 9 million hectares, i.e. about 50% of the area of Tunisia. Annual losses in productive lands stand at 38000 hectares (erosion, desertification, salinization, floods, urbanization) of which 13000 are irretrievable. Lands with agricultural potential 10 million hectares of fertile lands and lands with medium to low fertility. 6.28 million hectares of non-agricultural lands. Sand accumulations (Erg) and rocky outcrops: 3 million hectares Saline expanses (sebkhas): 1 million hectares.  Natural formation Natural forests: 368,000 ha. Reforestation: 515,000 ha. Maquis and garrigues: 275,000 ha. Expanses of esparto grass: 743,000 ha. Courses: 4,310,023 ha. Cultivated lands Cereal-growing: 2,000,000 ha. Arboriculture and olive-growing: 2,000,000 ha. Other cultivations: 781,000 ha. Total: 4,781,000 ha. Flora: 2 200 species of plants. 307 rare plants. 99 extremely rare plants. 7 endemic species (having Tunisia as exclusive habitat). 350,000 ha of para-climatic forests. Fauna 80 species of mammals. 362 species of birds. 67 species of amphibians and reptiles. A great diversity of fishes and invertebrates. Fauna of humid and marine environment: 1,486 species. However, the great mammals, with the exception of the wild boar, are considered as threatened species in Tunisia. The 12 very rare species of birds are also endangered species. Water resources The total water resources potential is estimated at 4,600 billion m3 per year, of which 4,840 billion are considered as available according to present economic criteria. Sanitation Length of the sanitation network: 9,000 km Number of sewage treatment plants: 61 units. Quantities of water treated: 136 million m3/year of which 27% are reused for irrigation. Number of subscribers to the ONAS network: 800,000. Rate of connection to the sanitation network: 84,5% of the urban population in 2004 in the areas served by ONAS. Source: Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development..