The city of Carthage (/ˈkɑrθɪdʒ/; Tunisian Arabic: قرطاج‎ About this sound Qarṭāj) is a city in Tunisia that was once the center of the ancient Carthaginian civilization. The city developed from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC into the capital of an ancient empire. The area of Carthage was inhabited by Berber people who also became the bulk of Carthage's population and constituted a significant part of its army, economy and administration.