Who are they?
The Berbers are a diverse group of people who have inhabited the northern part of Africa for 1000s of years. They can be found from the Siwa Oasis in Egypt, across to the Canary Islands, and from the Mediterranean in the north, to the Niger River delta south of the Sahara Desert.
Now, before we continue to tell you about these incredibly interesting people we should be using the more appropriate term of Amazigh. The term Berber comes from the term "barbari" which was originally used to refer to those who couldn’t speak Greek. Amazigh people have tried to distance themselves from this term and prefer the term Amazigh.
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Throughout history, the Amazigh have played an extremely important role in trade between numerous empires in Africa and the Mediterranean. It is estimated that their routes in this region can be traced back around 12,000 years, however, the first written mention we have of them goes back to ancient Egypt to around 3000 years ago. These people who inhabit some of the harshest parts of the Sahara were key in forming trade routes across this hostile environment.
Numerous empires from the Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Mamluks, and the French have tried to conquer the Amazigh, all of whom came up against strong resistance. While all of these empires managed to conquer the northern areas along the Mediterranean, they were not able to make it into the more hostile areas where the Amazigh thrived. Usually, Amazigh peoples would retreat into the mountains and desert and simply wait out various empires. Even when the French invaded Algeria, it took them 30 years longer to conquer Amazigh areas in the north than the other parts of Algeria (namely Algiers).
What makes them different?
To start with, one of the main differences is their language. Anyone who has traveled to Morocco or Algeria may be familiar with seeing a different alphabet alongside Arabic and French. This language is 1000s of years old and maintains several different dialects that are still widely spoken today. Recent tensions between Amazigh peoples and their local governments (mainly in Morocco and Algeria) have led to the official recognition and status of the Amazigh language and the beginning of it being taught in schools.
While the majority of Amazigh peoples are now Muslim, they still maintain many cultural practices that are very different from that of the "Arabised" peoples of North Africa. This is particularly evident in the style of clothing, celebrations, and of course their language.
Types of Amazigh Peoples
With a group that covers such a wide area, there are going to be different subgroups. The main groups that you will hear about are the Kabylie who are spread through the Atlas mountains in northern Algeria, the unique Mzab people of Ghardaia, and the Tuareg who inhabit central parts of the Sahara. Each one of these people speak their own dialect and has their own unique style of dress and cultural practices.
Many people think of the Amazigh people as nomads, however, this is largely incorrect as most of the Amazigh groups have been settled for many centuries and it is only really the Tuareg of the south that maintain a nomadic lifestyle.
Their flag
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The Amazigh people have a unique flag. This flag doesn’t represent a single part of a country but rather represents the group of people as a whole. The flag consists of three stripes - blue (representing the Mediterranean), green (representing the green mountains), and yellow (representing the Sahara). In the center of the flag, you can find a symbol from the Amazigh language which stands for freedom. All in all, great colours and we think it’s a top-notch flag!
Recent developments for the Amazigh
The recognition of Amazigh as an official language in both Algeria and Morocco is a fairly new development with it finally gaining official status in 2016 and 2011 in each country respectively.
Amazigh people also celebrate their own New Year which takes its beginning date from the first mention of their peoples. Since 2006 this has become an official holiday in Algeria and according to their calendar, it is now the year 2974.
These developments are extremely welcome for the Amazigh after many years of persecution across North Africa. As an example, Ghadafi completely banned the Amazigh script under his rule. While there is still tension between these people, it does seem that Amazigh people are getting more and more recognition on the world stage, and initiatives such as Moroccan schools beginning to teach students the Amazigh language are steps in the right direction.
We don’t know exactly how many Amazigh people exist because census data is hard to come by but estimates put it between 15-50 million people across Africa and Europe of Amazigh descent.
If you do decide to venture to Libya, Algeria or Morocco there’s no doubt you will encounter this amazing, interesting, and different culture!