page_title: Mining industry of Tunisia
section_title: Production and impact
hierarchical_section_title: Mining industry of Tunisia / Production and impact
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Mine de phosphates de Kalaar Senam
context_page_description: The mining industry of Tunisia focuses mainly on phosphate products such as fertilizer, industrial minerals, iron ore, and salt. Mine ownership is limited to the Government of Tunisia, although operation by private entities is encouraged.
context_section_description: Tunisia is the fifth largest exporter of phosphates in the world. Extraction of phosphate is the most important mining sector in the country, boosting the economy through exports by some 45%. The mineral sector as a whole contributes to 3% of the GDP. Iron ore is extracted at the underground mine at Djerissa and also at the open-pits of Tamera and Douaria; this activity is done by the Société du Djebel Djerissa, which is a public sector undertaking.
  Mining in Central Tunisia and the North-South axis area, covering an area of 43,000 square kilometres (17,000 sq mi), is not fully developed, but iron ore is being extracted to a considerable degree. In the northeast of central Tunisia, extraction of fluorine and baryte have been very substantial.
caption: A phosphate mine in Tunisia (c. 1930)
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