Beja is a town in Tunisia, Africa. It is located 100 km (sixty miles) from Tunis, between the Medjerdah river and the Mediterranean, against the foothills of the Khroumire, the town of Beja is situated on the sides of DJebel Acheb, facing the greening meadows, its white terraces and red roofs dominated by the imposing ruins of the old Roman fortress. (Excerpt from l'Enfance Gagnée by Emile M. Tubiana) World map showing location of Africa A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... KM, Km, or km may stand for: Khmer language (ISO 639 alpha-2, km) Kilometre/Kilometer (only km in minuscule is the correct representation of kilometer as an SI unit of length) Kinemantra Meditation Knowledge management, in the field of Library and information science Knowledge Machine, the KM knowledge representation... See mile - unit of measurement (distance) Miles Aircraft Ltd - UK manufacturer of light and military aircraft Miles Tails Prower Miles Davis was an American jazz composer and trumpeter and was one of the most influential and innovative musicians of the 20th century. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

Geographical features

Whether you approach the town from above by way of Souk el Khemis or from below by way of Tunis or Tabarka Thabraca (Phoenician). , you cannot miss the spectacular view that enchants every stranger.

Famous for its fertile soil, Beja drew all the masters of the Mediterranean. The Phoenicians set up important trading posts. Their presence is felt through numerous Punic necropolis which have recently been unearthed. The Carthaginians, recognizing the importance of maintaining their authority in this area, built a garrison and fortified the town. Beja was extremely desirable, not only because of its fertile soil but because of its geographic location. It was at the doorway of the mountains and it was the crossroad for Carthage and Tunis going toward Cirta and Hippone. Phoenicia was an ancient civilization in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plain of what is now Lebanon and Syria. ... This article is about the ancient city-state of Carthage in North Africa. ... A map of the central Mediterranean Sea, showing the location of Carthage (near modern Tunis). ... Constantine or Qustantînah is a city and wilaya in north-east Algeria, slightly inland. ... Hippone was a Phoenician trading post, established in the 9th century BC which became a prosperous Numidian city. ...

(Excerpt from l'Enfance Gagnée by Emile M. Tubiana)

History

On several occasions it was assaulted, brutally destroyed either by the Carthaginians, the Numidians, the Romans, or, later on, by the Vandals. The Numidian king Jugurtha made the town his governing headquarters. Originally the town was named Waga, which became Vacca and then Vaga under the Romans and eventually Badja under the Arabs and Béja under the French. Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire, and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. ... Jugurtha, (c. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

The Romans destroyed the old Carthaginian citadel and replaced it with a new one; they built fortifications that are still standing today. Under the Roman domination, Beja became prosperous and was the center of a diocese. According to Salluste, who relates the details of the famous war between Jugurtha and Metellus to possess Beja, Beja was the wealthiest warehouse of the kingdom and the center of intense commerce. Taken and destroyed by the Vandals, the citadel and ramparts were demolished, the abandoned town remained in that state for a century until the arrival of the Byzantines. They renovated the fortress and took real pleasure in beautifying the town. Beginning with the seventh century, Beja was under Arab domination. In 1880 France occupied Tunisia. On April 24, 1881 Beja in its turn was occupied by the column led by Logerot who had arrived from Algeria through the Kef. Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Beja remains a picturesque town with wide horizons, a healthy climate and rich and fertile soil. Another distinctive feature is its family life, its traditional friendliness and hospitality towards foreigners.

(Excerpt from l'Enfance Gagnée by Emile M. Tubiana)

World War II history

On November 16, 1942 a German military delegation came to our town to give our Mayor Jean Hugon a 24 hours ultimatum to surrender the town. As a reaction to the ultimatum the latter informed our civil governor Mr Clement who in turn sent the message to Algiers. The next day, November 17 the first parachuted British battalion landed on the hills north of the town. Thursday November 19 German planes bombed our town for the first time, as a warning. This broke the long period of peace Beja had known for many centuries. The next day, Friday November 20, Beja was furiously bombed by German airplanes for many hours, because of its key position leading to the roads of Tabarka, Mateur, Bizerte and Algeria. The town became the stage for ferocious battles between the Germans and the Allies who fiercely defended it, at the expense of severe military and civil losses. The Allies succeeded in stopping the Germans a few miles away from the entrance to Beja. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 17 is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece. ... November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ...

(Excerpt from l'Enfance Gagnée by Emile M. Tubiana)