Modern [[Tunisia]]ns are the descendents of indigenous [[Berber]]s and of people from numerous civilizations that have invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia. Recorded history in Tunisia begins with the arrival of [[Phoenicia]]ns, who founded [[Carthage]] and other [[North Africa]]n settlements in the 8th century BC. Carthage became a major sea power, clashing with [[Roman Empire|Rome]] for control of the [[Mediterranean]] until it was defeated and captured by the Romans in 146 B.C. The Romans ruled and settled in North Africa until the 5th century when the Roman Empire fell and Tunisia was invaded by European tribes, including the [[Vandal]]s. The [[Muslim]] conquest in the 7th century transformed Tunisia and the make-up of its population, with subsequent waves of migration from around the [[Arab]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] world, including significant numbers of [[Spain|Spanish]] [[Moors]] and [[Jew]]s at the end of the 15th century. Tunisia became a center of Arab culture and learning and was assimilated into the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. It was a [[France|French]] [[protectorate]] from 1881 until independence in 1956, and retains close political, economic, and cultural ties with France.
Nearly all Tunisians (98% of the population) are Muslim. There has been a Jewish population on the southern island of [[Djerba]] for 2000 years, and there remains a small Jewish population in [[Tunis]] which is descended from those who fled Spain in the late 15th century. There is no indigenous [[Christian]] population. Small [[Nomadic people|nomadic]] indigenous minorities have been mostly assimilated into the larger population.
'''Population:'''
9,924,742 (July 2003 est.)
'''Age structure:'''
<br>''0-14 years:''
27% (male 1,388,839; female 1,297,313)
<br>''15-64 years:''
66.6%(male 3,306,782; female 3,299,883)
<br>''65 years and over:''
6.4% (male 309,103; female 322,822) (2003 est.)
'''Population growth rate:'''
1.09% (2003 est.)
'''Birth rate:'''
16.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
'''Death rate:'''
5.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
'''Net migration rate:'''
-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
'''Sex ratio:'''
<br>''at birth:''
1.08 male(s)/female
<br>''under 15 years:''
1.08 male(s)/female
<br>''15-64 years:''
1 male(s)/female
<br>''65 years and over:''
1.01 male(s)/female
<br>''total population:''
1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
'''Infant mortality rate:'''
26.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
'''Life expectancy at birth:'''
<br>''total population:''
74.4 years
<br>''male:''
72.14 years
<br>''female:''
75.36 years (2000 est.)
'''Total fertility rate:'''
1.9 children born/woman (2003 est.)
'''Nationality:'''
<br>''noun:''
Tunisian(s)
<br>''adjective:''
Tunisian
'''Ethnic groups:'''
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%
'''Religions:'''
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%
'''Languages:'''
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French (commerce)
'''Literacy:'''
<br>''definition:''
age 15 and over can read and write
<br>''total population:''
74.2%
<br>''male:''
84%
<br>''female:''
64.4% (2003 est.)
[[Category:Demographics by country|Tunisia]]
[[Category:Tunisia]]
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