Ifriqiya was bounded on the south by the semi-arid areas and salt marshes called el-Djerid. At various times, the rulers of this area also conquered Sicily and parts of mainland Italy, and the western boundary was in continual flux but usually went as far as Bejaia. Its capital was Qayrawan (Kairouan) in central Tunisia.
In modern Arabic, the term simply means "Africa". It derives from the Latin term Africa of uncertain (either Berber, Punic, or Greek) origin.