The purple denotes areas where pastoral subsistence is practiced, while the blue areas show areas of intensive agriculture. Climate and land types play a central role in this, but cultural factors also play an important roles. While this particular map layer is dated 1959, the general areas of coverage remain pertinent. The northern regions experience a much more temperate, Mediterranean climate. As a result this region has been extensively cultivated since antiquity. New agricultural technology has extended this region of cultivation further south and eastward, but this has also created issues. Traditionally nomadic and pastoral ethnic groups such as the Mrazig and other Berber groups have experienced encroachment on lands which support their livelihoods. While many choose to adopt the new occupations which this land development brings, others are left with fewer and fewer resources to pursue their traditional ways of life.
Olive Groves experiencing desertification (Image courtesy http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu)
Another issue confronting Tunisia is drought. While it is not as severe as in some other parts of Africa, drought has still had a negative impact on Tunisian landscape. Agricultural land has expanded significantly over the past 50 years, but in some areas this expansion was undertaken without sufficient consideration given to existing climate or soil conditions. Furthermore the addition of so many competing agricultural enterprises dramatically increased the demand for water. This has made agriculture an increasingly expensive (both economically and ecologically) operation. In some cases, especially in the more ecologically unsuitable regions, this has lead to desertification and forced the abandonment of agricultural projects.
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