The majority (98% [1]) of modern Tunisians are considered Arab[2], and are speakers of Tunisian Arabic. However, there is also a small (1% at most[1]) population of Berbers located in the Jabal Dahar mountains in the South East and on the island of Jerba. The Berbers primarily speak Berber languages, often called Shelha[3], or have shifted to Tunisian Arabic.
According to one genetic study, while the vast majority of modern Tunisians identify themselves as Arabs, they are mainly the descendants of Berbers, the first peoples known to inhabit what is now Tunisia. Tunisians are also descended, to a lesser extent, from Semitic peoples (Phoenicians/Carthaginians and Arabs) with a little less than 20% of the genetic material (Y-chromosome analysis) coming from the Middle East[2]. Another study, which does not compare Tunisian genetics with those of the Middle East, states that what it calls the Arab subhaplotype Va was found at a relatively high frequency in Tunisia at 50.6%[3], but also states that this group in fact "probably correspond to a heterogeneous group representing various ethnicities", rather than just Arabs. Other genetic evidence finds that "the Tunisian genetic distances to European samples are smaller than those to North African groups" (these groups being from the Moroccan Atlas and the Siwa oasis in Egypt). This suggests a fairly significant European input to Tunisian genetics compared to other neighbouring populations.
Numerous other peoples have also invaded, migrated to, and been assimilated into the population over the millennia such as Romans, Vandals, and Ottoman Turks. Additionally, after the Reconquista and expulsion of non-Christians from Spain, many SpanishMoors and Jews also arrived at the end of the 15th century. In addition, from the late 1800s to after World War II, Tunisia was home to large populations of French and Sicilians, although nearly all of them, along with the Jewish population, left after Tunisia became independent.
Nearly all Tunisians (98% of the population) are Muslim.[4] 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 a small indigenous Christian population.[5] Small nomadic indigenous minorities have been mostly assimilated into the larger population.
Demographics of Tunisia, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.
Population: 10,175,014 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 24.6% (male 1,293,235/female 1,212,994) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 3,504,283/female 3,478,268) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 327,521/female 358,713) (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: 15.52 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 23.84 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.12 years male: 73.4 years female: 76.96 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Nationality: noun: Tunisian(s) adjective: Tunisian
Ethnic groups: Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%[4]
