• The Barbary cost of North Africa takes its name from the Berber people.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa and live mainly in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. They are also known as "Amazigh," literally meaning "free men." Berber culture is apparent in many parts of North Africa today, as tribes have settled in many different regions. Berbers are mainly in the Atlas mountain regions, although settlements also exist as far south as the Sahara Desert.
  
  

Language

• Berbers speak variations of the ancient language of Tamazight, a member of the Afroasiatic family of languages. The Berber language has at least 300 dialects. The language only has three vowels -- a, i and u -- but a total of 38 consonants. Some Berbers are campaigning to have Tamazight declared an official language in Morocco, alongside Arabic and French. Although Berber is taught in some schools in Morocco and Algeria, it is not universally acknowledged.
  
  

Music

• Berber music is diverse and has been kept alive over the years by bands of musicians who travel between villages. These bands play music, sing and also dance at weddings and other festive occasions. Some Berbers in Tunisia play the "Mizwad," an instrument similar to Western bagpipes.
  
  

Religion

• Berbers are not traditionally Islamic, but assimilation with the Arab population in countries such as Morocco and Algeria has led to many following Muslim practices. In common with many other Muslims in North Africa, many Berbers believe in the continuous presence of certain spirits or "djinns." Berbers are not, however, exclusively Muslim and some follow Christianity or even Judaism.
  
  

Dress

• Traditional Berber dress is colorful and decorative but it has also sustained influences over many years from neighboring and invading cultures. Today, many Berbers wear the "haik," a large cloth wrapped around the body, similar to a Roman toga. In areas where the Arab influence is stronger, Berbers wear clothes that accord with the strict Muslim dress code, including ankle length trousers and head-coverings.
  
  

Cuisine

• Berber cuisine varies according to region, but traditional dishes include couscous and tagine. Couscous, a blend of steamed semolina wheat now eaten throughout the world, is thought to have originated with Berber people. Tagine is a form of stew cooked in a heavy clay pot. Berber tagines usually consist of lamb, apricots and dates, cooked with a blend of spices such as cinnamon and cumin. Pastilla is another traditional Berber dish: a complex pie, made from the meat of young pigeons and crisp pastry.