Tunis << TOO nihs >> (pop. 638,845) is the capital and largest city of Tunisia. Tunis lies on the western shore of the Lake of Tunis, a shallow lagoon linked to the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow channel. In addition to serving as the governmental center of Tunisia, Tunis is the headquarters for most of the country’s banks and insurance companies. The Tunis area is Tunisia’s chief industrial center. The main industries are food processing and textile manufacturing. Commerce and tourism also play important roles in the economy.
Tunis consists of an old section and a modern section. The old section, called the medina, is a crowded area with narrow, winding streets. The modern section has newer buildings and broad, treelined boulevards.
Settlements on the site of present-day Tunis were part of the ancient empire of Carthage. They gradually developed into the city of Tunis. Arab Muslims captured the city in A.D. 698. From the early 1200’s to the late 1500’s, Tunis was a center for trade between Africa and Europe. From 1881 to 1956, when Tunisia was a protectorate of France, Tunis served as the headquarters of the protectorate.
In March 2015, two Islamic terrorists killed at least 21 people in an attack on the Bardo Museum in central Tunis. Most of the victims were foreign tourists. The terrorist group Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack. Security forces killed both terrorists.
