Tunisia was settled by the Phoenicians in the 12 th century B.C. Gradually, the
great city-state of Carthage dominated the region. A series of wars between Rome
and Carthage led to its complete destruction.
The region was part of the Roman Empire until Arabs conquered the area in 650 A.D.
It remained part of various Arab and Berber empires until it was taken by the Turks.
Tunisia became a French protectorate in the late 1800’s until its independence in
1957.
Tunisia is marked by a poor human rights record, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism
and the repression of political opponents, some in solitary confinement for over
13 years.