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The Berbers are the descendants of the pre-Arab inhabitants of North Africa. Scattered in tribes across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and in the northern regions of Mauritania, Mali and Niger; they are primarily concentrated in the more isolated mountain and desert regions. Berber languages and dialects, although they have been greatly influenced by Arabic and to some degree French, constitute their own branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.
The Kabyle, Tuareg, Rif, Shawia, Shluh and Beraber are among the largest Berber tribes. In general, Berbers are well communally organized and do not have a sense of collective Berber identity across borders as Arabs do. They typically organize themselves at the local tribal level, which has allowed them to maintain their culture and language in remote areas, but has limited their ability to protect their cultural rights on a political level.
Most Berbers are sedentary farmers. However, some cultivate the lowlands in winter and graze their heards in mountain meadows during the summer. Others are year-round pastoral nomads. Their main crops are wheat, barley, fruits, vegetables, nuts and olives. Cattle, sheep and goats are maintained in herds, together with oxen, mules, camels, and horses for draft and transportation. Today many Berbers are migrant laborers working in Spain or France, and many have migrated to large cities in their native countries to seek employment.
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