Climate zones in Tunisia, 1991 to 2020
Share of Tunisia's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 219,762 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 156,158 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 88%, C (temperate) 13%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Tunisia, covering 67% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)) next at 13%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 15% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Tunisia's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 14% | 4.3% | BWh +5 percentage points | Csa -4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 9.5% | 2.9% | BWh +3 percentage points | BSk -3.3 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 15% | 3.5% | BWh +6 percentage points | BSk -5.7 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 22% | 5.8% | BWh +11 percentage points | BSk -7 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 62% | 67% | 70% | 73% | 78% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 8% | 13% | 15% | 16% | 15% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 17% | 13% | 11% | 9.8% | 6.7% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 9.6% | 7% | 3.7% | 1.3% | - |
| BWk Cold desert | 3.7% | 0.6% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Tunisia and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Tunis | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean |
Zones found in Tunisia
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.