The Mediterranean Island You've Never Heard About

Djerba sits in the Gulf of Gabès as a flat, arid speck of limestone, yet it is denser than Germany, France, or Spain. With over 184,000 residents living across just 514 square kilometers of semi-desert, it breaks every rule of North African demographics. So why did empires from Carthage and Rome to the Vandals, Normans, and Ottomans battle to hold an island with virtually no fresh water or mountains? TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Why is This Tiny Island So Full? 00.24 Where is Djerba? 01:34 Size & Population 04:58 Why did it get so full? 06:55 The Indigenous Berbers 07:43 Greek Mythology 08:01 Phoenicians & Carthage 08:38 Roman Empire 09:03 Vandal & Byzantine Temporary Rule 09:24 Arrival of the Arabs & Islam 10:12 Norman Invasions from Sicily 10:41 Ottoman Annexation & French Colonialism 11:21 Independence as part of Tunisia Become a member on Patreon & get your name in the credits + exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/generalknowledge Stay up to date on more content from me: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@generalknowledge.pt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/genknowledge/ Join the Discord Server: https://discord.com/invite/f4neAVWZfF Business Contact: [email protected] #GeneralKnowledge