Tunisia - photo wallpapers; Photowallpapers.org:
الجمهورية التونسية; Al-Jamhuriyat al-Tunisiah; Tunisian Republic:
Official language: Arabic; Capital: Tunis; President: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali; Prime Minister: Mohamed Ghannouchi
Area: Ranked 89th - Total: 163,610 km²; Population: Ranked 79th - Total (2005): 10,074,951; HDI (2003): 0.753 (89th) – medium; Currency: Tunisian Dinar; GDP: $ 76.91 billion 63rd; Time zone: CET (UTC+1) - in summer: CEST (UTC+2); Independence: (from France) - Granted: March 20, 1956; National anthem: Himat Al Hima; Calling Code: 216.
The Tunisian Republic (الجمهرية التونسية), or Tunisia, is a country situated on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. It is the easternmost and smallest of the nations situated along the Atlas mountain range, bordering Algeria, to the west, and Libya to the south and east. Forty percent of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, with much of the remainder consisting of particularly fertile soil, with easily accessible coasts. Both played a prominent role in ancient times, first with the famous Phoenician city of Carthage, and later, as the Africa Province, it became known as the bread basket of the Roman Empire. It is thought that the name Tunis originated from Berber, meaning either a geographical promontory, or, "to spend the night." At the beginning of recorded history, Tunisia was inhabited by Berber tribes. Its coast was settled by Phoenicians starting as early as the 10th century BC. In the 6th century BC, Carthage rose to power and eventually became the dominant power in the Mediterranean after a series of wars with Greece. During a later series of wars with Rome, a Carthaginian invasion led by Hannibal nearly prevented the rise of the Roman Empire. Carthage was eventually conquered by Rome (2nd century BC), a turning point which meant that the civilization of the ancient Mediterranean would pass to the modern world via Europe instead of Africa. After Roman conquest, the region became one of the granaries of Rome. It was held by the Vandals (5th century AD) and Byzantines (6th century). In the 7th century it was conquered by Arab Muslims, who founded Al Qayrawan. Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions. The reigns of the Aghlabids (9th century) and of the Zirids (from 972), Berber followers of the Fatimids, were especially prosperous. When the Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050), the latter sent in the Banu Hilal to ravage Tunisia. The coasts were held briefly by the Normans of Sicily in the 12th century. In 1159, Tunisia was conquered by the Almohad caliphs of Morocco. They were succeeded by the Berber Hafsids (c.1230–1574), under whom Tunisia prospered. In the last years of the Hafsids, Spain seized many of the coastal cities, but these were recovered for Islam by the Ottoman Empire. Under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia attained virtual independence. The Hussein dynasty of Beys, established in 1705, lasted until 1957. In the late 16th Century the coast became a pirate stronghold (see: Barbary States). Tunisia was the scene of the first major joint operations between the United States and British allies in World War II during the winter of 1942–1943. The main body of the British army, advancing from their victories in Egypt and Libya, pushed in from the south were as the US, following their invasions of Algeria and Morocco, came from the west. General Rommel, commander of Axis forces in Tunisia, had hoped to inflict a similar defeat on the allies in Tunisia as the German forces had in France a few years earlier, crushing the infant alliance. Until that date the Western allies had been unable to stand up to quick German actions or properly coordinate their operations, therefore the battle for Tunisia was a major test of the allies. If they were going to defeat Germany they were going to have to fight together, and stand up to the inevitable setbacks that the excellent German forces would inflict. In Tunisia for the first time the American, British, Free French and other forces had been able to accomplish this and the battle, though often overshadowed by Stalingrad, is a major victory in the Second World War.