Maghreb

The Maghreb is a region in the western part of North Africa. It includes countries such as Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia, as well as the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

Historically, the Maghreb has been influenced by many cultures. It was once part of the kingdom of Numidia and later came under the rule of the Roman Empire. Different groups, such as the Vandals and various Islamic caliphates, also controlled the region at different times.

In more recent history, European powers ruled much of the Maghreb during the 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, these countries worked toward independence. Today, the countries of the Maghreb formed the Arab Maghreb Union in 1989 to work together on shared goals.

Terminology

The word "Maghreb" comes from the Arabic language. Early Muslim Arab settlers used this name for the lands west of Damascus in the 7th century AD. It means "the western place" or "the place where the sun sets." This name describes the area from Alexandria to the Atlantic Ocean.

Long ago, writers split the Maghreb into three parts: the near Maghreb, the middle Maghreb, and the far Maghreb. Some people thought Egypt should be included, but others did not agree. Today, the term Maghreb often refers to Morocco, and some leaders hope to unite the North African countries into something called the Greater Maghreb.

History

Further information: History of North Africa

Prehistory

Main article: Prehistoric North Africa

Long ago, the land we now call the Maghreb looked very different. The tilt of Earth changed, making the Sahara Desert grow and separate the Maghreb from Africa to the south. For thousands of years, the Berber people have lived in this western part of North Africa.

Antiquity

Main articles: North Africa during classical antiquity and Ancient Carthage

The Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert helped protect the people living in the north, but they still traded and shared culture with people across the Mediterranean Sea. Long ago, traders from places like Southern Europe and Western Asia visited these lands. The Phoenicians were among the first to settle here, founding cities like Carthage around 800 BC.

The Phoenicians and later the Carthaginians became important traders in the Western Mediterranean. But then Rome defeated Carthage and took control of many ports. Rome ruled most of the Maghreb north of the Atlas Mountains, though some mountain areas stayed independent. Later, new groups like the Vandals took over, but the Byzantines came back to rule for a time.

Middle Ages

Main articles: Ifriqiya, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Idrisid dynasty, Almoravid dynasty, Kingdom of Africa, Almohad Caliphate, Hafsid dynasty, Marinid dynasty, Ziyyanid dynasty, and Wattasid dynasty

When Islam arrived in the 7th century, new groups of people from Arabia came to the Maghreb. They brought their culture and religion, changing the land. New kingdoms formed, and trade across the Sahara Desert grew. Many people in the Maghreb became part of these new cultures.

Over time, more people from Arabia arrived, especially in the 11th century. They settled in rural areas and changed the culture to become more Arab. The Berber people moved to the mountains, while the plains became home to Arab farmers and nomads. The Maghreb was often split into smaller states, but sometimes it was united under powerful leaders.

Early modern history

Main articles: Barbary Coast, Saadi dynasty, Alaouite dynasty, Kingdom of Ait Abbas, Kingdom of Kuku, Ottoman Algeria, Ottoman Tunisia, and Ottoman Tripolitania

Modern history

Further information: Spanish Morocco, Spanish Sahara, French protectorate of Morocco, French Algeria, French Protectorate of Tunisia, and Italian Libya

Further information: Military operations in North Africa during World War I, North African campaign, and Western Desert campaign

Further information: Western Sahara War, Algerian War of Independence, History of Algeria since 1962, History of modern Tunisia, Kingdom of Libya, and Libya under Gaddafi

In the 19th century, European countries like France, Spain, and later Italy took control of parts of the Maghreb. Today, many people from the Maghreb live in France, and their culture has become part of life there.

Geography

The Maghreb has two main climate areas: a Mediterranean climate in the north and the arid Sahara in the south. The Mediterranean area, between the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, has forests, woodlands, and scrub with plants and animals from other parts of the Mediterranean Basin.

The Sahara covers much of northern Africa. The northern part of the Sahara gets occasional winter rains. The coast gets moisture from ocean fog, which helps plants and animals grow. The central Sahara is very dry with little rainfall, mainly featuring sand dunes, stone plateaus, and dry valleys.

Demographics

The Maghreb is mainly home to people with Arab or Berber roots. In Algeria, most people have Arab backgrounds, while in Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia, both Arab and Berber groups are large. Smaller groups include people with French, Spanish, West African, and Jewish heritage. Over many centuries, people from different places moved into the region, changing its makeup.

The Maghreb has been shaped by many different groups over time. People from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa all added to the mix. Even today, the genetic history of the region shows links to many parts of the world. Studies of family history show strong ties to both nearby areas and more distant places.

Religion

The original beliefs of the people in the Maghreb were about fertility and tied to strong cultural traditions. These ideas were shaped by ancient Amazigh cultures before other groups arrived.

Historic records show that the Maghreb became part of the Classical World when coastal areas were settled by Phoenicians, some Greeks, and later Romans. By the 2nd century, the area was a center for a form of Christianity where leaders spoke and wrote in ancient languages. Important Christian figures came from this region.

Islam arrived in the year 647 and began to change the religious landscape. The first lasting Muslim settlement was built in 667 at Kairouan in what is now Tunisia. Over time, more areas became Muslim. By the 10th century, Islam was the main religion there. Small groups of Christians and Jews stayed in the area.

Today, there are still Christian groups in parts of the Maghreb, such as in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, and Tunisia. Many of these Christians have ancestors from France, Spain, or Italy.

Jewish people have lived in the Maghreb since ancient times. They grew in numbers during Roman times and lived in many parts of the region. Today, the largest Jewish communities in the Maghreb are in Morocco and Tunisia.

Culture

Further information: Culture of Morocco, Culture of Algeria, Culture of Tunisia, and Culture of Libya

The countries of the Maghreb share many traditions. Food is very important, and bread or couscous is a main dish. In 2020, couscous was named important cultural heritage by UNESCO.

People in the Maghreb also make special jewellery, especially silver pieces for women.

Economy

Maghreb countries by GDP (PPP)

The Maghreb countries have different sizes and levels of wealth. This table shows their economies ranked by how much money people would make if goods and services were paid for fairly.