Amazigh

The Berber Culture in North Africa is incredibly diverse and colorful. Their people in Morocco live in harsh environments, from the frigid alpine conditions of the High Atlas to the impossible heat of the Sahara Desert. They are Muslim and this adds a piousness to their lives that is ever present. Both the languages and written forms of Tamazight Berber are an enigma. They are difficult and impenetrable, even by other Berbers. One Berber might not understand a fellow countryman just a few hours down the road, and dialects from across the country are nearly indecipherable. Roughly 40 percent of the nation’s population claims Berber heritage. Berber populations can also be found in Mali, Mauritania, Algeria and Tunisia. The BerberTribes first arrived in Morocco in the second millennium BCE. The name, Berber, is likely derived from the Roman word for barbarian, while they refer to themselves by the term Amazigh, or ‘free people.’