Carthage, The Berbers and The Phoenicians by Farid Zadi

The Phoenicians are modern day Lebanese and Syrians. They were the greatest sailors and navigators of the pre-classical world. Around 800 BC Phoenician traders arrived in North Africa and established Carthage in what is present day Tunisia. During the 8th and 7th centuries Carthage expanded into Sicily, Crete, Malta, Sardinia, Cadiz and Ibiza and turned them into trading colonies.

The Phoenicians of course did not come onto an uninhabited North Africa.

The indigenous Berber civilization was already organized into several states that engaged in agriculture, manufacturing and trade. They quickly became urbanized and absorbed into Phoenician cities. During the 6th century Carthage came under Berber control.