X. Introduction 



Eegency lying to the north of the Atlas mountains, the Central region 

 including the districts between the Atlas and the Chotts, and the 

 Southern region embracing all the country south of the Chotts. 



This rough division is no doubt correct, so far as it goes, and may 

 perhaps be adopted for all ordinary purposes, but wishing for greater 

 precision, it may be found advisable to modify it somewhat, and to 

 subdivide the Southern region into two separate regions. This would 

 give four distinct regions, which may be described as follows, viz. : — 



(1) The Northern region, comprising that part of the Regency 

 lying to the north of the Atlas mountains, which, in Tunisia, run from 

 North-east to South-west, and extend from Hammanet on the east 

 coast to El Oubira on the western frontier. This region is moun- 

 tainous in great part, well watered, the usual annual rainfall, accord- 

 ing to recent statistics, being from 450 mm. to 1 metre, and well 

 wooded, besides having large tracts of fertile plains. Its climate, 

 temperature and flora, resemble greatly those of South Europe and 

 the Mediterranean, the latter including, in addition to cereals, fine 

 forest trees, such as oaks and conifers of various species, olive and 

 other fruit trees, vines, and a great extent of " maquis " vegetation, 

 consisting of tree-heath, juniper, thuja, myrtle, cistus, and similar low- 

 growing shrubs. 



(2) The Central region, embracing the country lying between the 

 Atlas and the irregular and broken chain of mountains running from 

 Mides, on the Algerio-Tunisian frontier, across the Regency north of 

 Gafsa to the neighbourhood of Skirra, between Sfax and Gabes, on the 

 east coast. This region includes the high plateaux between El Oubira 

 and the Feriana district, and the lower plateaux between the latter 

 and Gafsa, as also those lying to the west of this country. It also 

 comprises the fertile plains of the Sahel in the neighbourhood of 

 Sousa, and the less fertile districts south of the last named town. 

 The region is less hilly and much drier than the Northern region, the 

 annual rainfall being only about 200 mm. It is, however, fairly pro- 

 ductive in some years, and has a large extent of excellent pasturage 

 and grazing land. The vegetation consists chiefly of cereals and olive 

 trees in the Sahel, of Aleppo-pine-woods and " maquis " growth on the 

 mountains and higher plateaux, and of Haifa grass on the vast plains 

 of the southern part of the region. The climate is naturally drier and 

 the temperature higher than in the preceding region. 



(3) The semi-desert region, comprising the country between the 



