Tunisia

Since history began being recorded, there were Berber tribes living in Tunisia. Most of them built little towns and ports along the coastline so they can trade with different travelers from everywhere in the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the travelers that used to pass by Tunisia were Phoenicians who started to settle on the Tunisian coast during the 10th Century BC. Later, in the 8th Century BC, Carthage was built by some settlers that came from Phoenicia and regions abroad. After many wars against Greece in 6th Century BC, Carthage dominated the Mediterranean Sea.

During the Second Punic War, Carthage invaded Italy with an army led by Hannibal. The series of wars between the Roman Empire and Carthage ended with the destruction of Carthage in the 2nd Century BC. After the destruction of the Carthaginian civilization, the region became under the Roman Empire control.

When the Roman Empire became weak, the Vandals occupied that region. This was in the 5th Centyry AD, and one hundred years after that, it became under the controle of the Byzantine emperor Justinian.

[change] Beginning of Islam

In the 7th Century, it was reconquered by the Arab Muslims who built a city which they call Kairouan. Kairouan was the first Arab muslim city in Tunisia. Many Muslim dynasties (monarchies) ruled Tunisia. One of the most known dynastie, is the Zirids. The Zirids was a berber dynastie that follows the rules of the Fatimides, a bigger dynastie situated in Cairo. When Zirids angered the Fatimides, the Fatimides sent some tribes known as Banu Hilal who ravaged (destroyed and vandalised) Tunisia.

After a brief occupation of Tunisia bu the Normans of Sicily in the 12th Century. The Almohad reconquered the place, and then after, there were the Hafsids. In the last years of their riegn, the Hafsids became weak and Spain took control of many city coasts until they were finally occupied by the Ottaman Empire.

In 1705 Tunisia became virtually independant under the Hussein dynasty, but still it has to follow orders from the Ottaman Empire.

[change] French Occupation

Some contreversial financial decisions (money borrows) taken by the Bey in mid-1800s in an attempt to repair the country, led Tunisia to become under the control of France.

Tunisia became officially under the French protectorate in on May 12, 1881.

[change] World War II

Major operations during the second world war took place in Tunisia.

General Rommel wished to defeat the allies in Tunisia, as the German did in the Battle of France. As the allies were inexperienced before the Battle of Tunisia against the German Blitzkriegs and were a bit slow to recover after the attacks, this battle had to be a major test.

On February 19, 1943 General Rommel launched an attack against the U.S Forces. That was a disaster for the United States, the area where the attacks had been, in the western area of Tunisia, became the site of many US war graves since then.

After that Allies understood the importance of tank warare, they could easily break into the German lines the southern Tunisia on March 20, 1943.

[change] Geography

[change] Location

Tunisia is a country situated in the northern part of Africa. The Mediterranean Sea surrounds Tunisia from the north to the east, the coastline between Tunisia and the Mediterranean Sea is about 1300-km. Tunisia is also bordered by Algeria in the west and Libya in the south-east. The Sahara Desert takes up 40% of Tunisia, the other 60% is fertile soil.

[change] Language and ethnicity

[change] Language

Even if Standard Arabic is the official language (as figured in the Tunisian constitution), Tunisian citizens speakTunisian Arabic. Tunisian Arabic is a mix of languages of people that live or lived in Tunisia and it's called Darija or Tunsi.

Still a few of people living in Tunisia, in some areas speaks a Berber dialect, known as Shelha.

[change] Ethnicity

Most of now living Tunisian are Maghrebin Arab. However small groups of berbers and Jews lives in Tunisia.

[change] Governorates

Governorates of Tunisia

Tunisia is subdivided into 24 governorates, they are:

Ariana
Béja
Ben Arous
Bizerte
Gabès
Gafsa
Jendouba
Kairouan
Kasserine
Kebili
Kef
Mahdia

Manouba
Medenine
Monastir
Nabeul
Sfax
Sidi Bou Zid
Siliana
Sousse
Tataouine
Tozeur
Tunis
Zaghouan

[change] Economy

Tunisia's economy is on many sectors, agricultural (fruits, vegetal oil ans vegetables), tourism (when people come from other countries to visit), mining (extracting goods from under the ground), and petroleum (extracting fuel and gasoil). Government used to controle economy but now it begins to sell some public companies, which is called privatization.

Tunisia is also the first mediterranean country to make agreements with the European Union, this association agreement was on March 1, 1998.