Tunisia is the most northerly country in Africa. It's history extends past it's days as the home of the Empire of Ancient Carthage. The city was founded by Phoenician traders somewhere around 814BC. The Carthenian's were well known for having two of the world's most famous Generals, Hannibal and Hasdrubal. Carthage fought two fierce wars with Rome from 264 to 146 BC. When the Roman's eventually destroyed Carthage after the Third Punic War in 146BC, they would eventually rebuild the city, and it became an important center with-in the Roman Empire. When Islamic invaders stormed into the area at end of the seventh century AD, Carthage would be destroyed for good and Tunis would become the most important city. In the late 19th Century the French clamed Tunisia as a colony. The country would become an independent republic in 1956 and today is one of the Arab world's most moderate countries.