Berber people

Berbers, Amazighs | Imaziɣn
Total population
	c. more than 30 million Berber speakers; 40 m. Arabic speakers
Regions with significant populations
	Morocco: 17 million (60% of total pop.) ; Algeria: 13 m (40% of total pop.).; Mali: 800,000; Niger: 750,000; Mauritania: 680,000; Libya: 470,000; Tunisia:117,783; Europe: 4 million
Languages
	Berber languages; Maghrebi Arabic
Religion
	Islam (mostly Sunni)
Related ethnic groups
	Egyptian, Semitic people, Iberian people, Moorish people, Haratin people

Berbers or Imazighen (also called Ilibiyen, traduction : "free people") are an ethnic group found natively in the countries of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa, and also found as immigrants in many countries, especially France.[1] Berbers usually speak a Berber language, of which there are many dialects. Berbers were both nomadic and land owners according to the region they live in. Most Berbers are Muslim and follow the Sunni branch and school of Maliki.

Gallery

This map shows where Berber is spoken.
An old Amazigh room in Morocco.
Berber flag
Berbers performing traditional dance.

Groups

Zinedine Zidane, born to Berber parents from Algeria (Kabyle; Berbers in France)

Although most Maghrebis are of Berber ancestry, most now speak Arabic and only some scattered Berber ethnicities still speak the native Berber Afroasiatic languages.

Main Berber groups
Group	Country	Notes
Blida/Médéa Atlas Berbers	Algeria	In Central Algeria.
Chaoui people	Algeria	Found mainly in Eastern Algeria.
Chenini and Douiret Berbers	Tunisia
Chenoui Berbers	Algeria	Ouarsenis and Mount Chenoua (Western Algeria).
Chleuhs	Morocco	The High Atlas, Anti-Atlas and the Sous valley.
Djerba Berbers	Tunisia	Speakers of the Djerbi language.
Ghomaras	Morocco	Only two berber speaking tribes left. Found in the western Rif between Tetouan and Jebha.
Guezula	Mauritania
Kabyles	Algeria	In Kabylie.
Matmata Berbers	Tunisia	In Southern Tunisia.
Mozabites	Algeria	In the M'zab Valley (southern Algeria).
Nafusis	Libya	In western Libya.
Riffians	Morocco	Primarily in northern Morocco, with some also in Beni Snous, Northwestern Algeria
Sanhaja	Morocco	Found in the Rif bordering Riffian speaking tribes.
Siwi	Egypt	In the Siwa valley of Egypt.
Beni Snous	Algeria	Aït Snouss villages of western Algeria. Closely related to the Riffians in Morocco.
Tuareg	Algeria, Libya, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso	Sahara (southern Algeria and north of the Sahel).
Zayanes	Morocco	Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco.
Zenaga	Mauritania
Zuwaras	Libya	In northwestern Libya.
Benha	Egypt	A family called Al-Barbary lives in Benha.

References

"Berber". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 May 2015.

Other websites

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[:0-1] "Berber". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2 May 2015.