Looking like a well-driven wedge cleaving Algeria and Libya, Tunisia is dwarfed by its African neighbors, though it's not much smaller than most Mediterranean European nations. The Mediterranean laps at roughly 40% of the country's border, with Sardinia and Corsica lying directly to the north and Malta and Sicily off to the north-east.

Northern Tunisia has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers (June-August) and mild, wet winters (December-February). Tunis' high temperatures top out around 32°C (90°F) and drop no lower than 6°C (40°F). The mountains of the north-west occasionally get snow, while the farther south you go, the hotter and drier it gets. Annual rainfall ranges from 1000mm (40in) in the north, down to 150mm (6in) in the south, although some Saharan areas go without rain for years on end. Tunisia's lowest point is at Chott el-Gharsa, at 17m (56ft) below sea level, and its highest point is at Jebel Chambi at 1544m (1785ft).

Rainfall dictates what grows where in Tunisia. The Kroumirie Mountains in the north-west receive the lion's share of the sprinkling and are densely forested with evergreen holm and cork oak. The strawberry tree is another common sight, named for its striking reddish fruit, which young boys can be seen hawking at the roadside in December. The trees are covered with dense panicles of fragrant white flowers in autumn. The small plains of the Tell contain small pockets of Aleppo pine, while Tunisia's last remnant of pre-Saharan savanna is found in the

The fauna of Tunisia has had a hard time of it over the centuries. The war elephants employed by Hannibal and the Christian-fed lions of Rome, both now extinct, were two early casualties of foreign intervention. French hunters also trophy-shot a share of species to the brink of extinction, including Barbary deer and a few species of gazelle, though these are recovering now under government protection. Two antelope species, the addax and the oryx, have been reintroduced to Bou Hedma National Park, as have ostriches and maned mouflon (wild sheep). In the forests of the north, look for the reclusive wild boar, mongooses, porcupines and genets (spectacular arboreal cat-like carnivores). The mammals of the south include gerbils (they had to come from somewhere), foxes, hares and the squirrel-like suslik. The nocturnal radar-eared fennec - once common in the deserts - is now extremely rare in the wild. A relative of Australia's goanna and Indonesia's komodo dragon, the desert varanid is relatively common, as are horned vipers and scorpions.

Tunisia's feathered population is impressive, with more than 200 bird species on record. Sightings include migrating storks, hawks and eagles in spring and autumn, colourful bee-eaters and rollers, and a host of wading birds and waterfowl. There are no endemic species to draw the hardcore birder; rather, Tunisia is a place to enjoy a good variety of birds in a mild climate within comfortable distance from towns and other attractions. Ichkeul National Park - easily accessed from Tunis and the northern resorts - is a haven for water birds of all types.

Tunisia is not a budget buster, especially for Western visitors. It's usually possible to get a clean room for about US$5 per person, and main dishes in local restaurants are often in the US$4 range. If you're fighting to keep costs down, you can get by on around US$15 a day, but you'll have more fun with a budget of about US$25 and can live like royalty for upwards of US$40.

American Express, Visa and Thomas Cook travellers cheques are widely accepted, and the US dollar is a good currency to carry them in. ATMs are found in almost every town large enough to support a bank and certainly in all the tourist areas. Credit cards are accepted in souvenir shops and upmarket hotels and restaurants. Tipping is not a requirement, but most local café and restaurant patrons toss a few coins on the table as they leave, and waiters in tourist restaurants are accustomed to tips of around 10%. Handicrafts are about the only items you'll be able to haggle over in Tunisia.

Low season in Tunisia is from January to February, when hotel rates are down and the weather's cool and rainy. During the sweaty high season, from June to August, expect hotel rates to be up, car rentals to be scarce and the markets and museums to teem with foreign visitors. You won't want to do much strenuous activity during these months.