The Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Libya and the Sahara. There are numerous tribes found in East Libya, West Libya and across the entire Sahara desert where they have been since the beginning of civilization.

Their number is difficult to ascertain, since by their nomadic nature the Tuareg of the Sahara were not fully included in any census. However it was widely estimated that the Berbers constitute between 10% and 23% of the population of Libya, and therefore assuming an average of 17% would give just under one million Berbers.

The Berbers are a Hamitic group of tribes, who share their linguistic ancestry with ancient Egyptian, Chadic and Omotic languages of East Africa. Hamitic languages and Semitic languages (like Phoenician, Akkadian, Hebrew and Arabic) are both members of the Afrasiatic phylum, originally called Hamito-Semitic Phylum. The majority of the Berbers belong to the Khariji or the Abadite sect of Islam.

The Berbers of Libya can be subdivided into three tribal groups:

The Berber tribes of Libya are made of hundreds of tribes, each of which is made of several clans and sub-tribes. The following summary is only a general description of the main tribal groups, as the divisions and clans of each group require a dedicated study of its own, which is beyond the scope of this summary.

(1) - The Western Berbers:

• Ait Willoul: those tribes inhabiting the coastal city of Zwara or Zuwarah, comprising a group of 12 sub-tribes. The name Zwara is found in various forms including Zuwarah, Zowara, Zuwara, Zwagha and Zouara; and therefore its association with the ancient Zwawa and Hawwara tribes of Tripolitania, as stated by various historians (al-Bakari, 11 century AD), who also asserted that the territories of Zuwarah traditionally included most of Tripolitania, from Tripoli all the way to the Tunisian border. Currently, the Zuwara territories extends from al-Manqoub (about 20 km east of Zuwara) to the Tunisian border (about 60 km west of Zuwara), where the fishing village of Abu-kemmash is still inhabited today by various tribes from Zuwara city.
• Nafousah: a massive group of tribes inhabiting the Western Mountain, also known as Nafusa Mountain, including the towns of Yefren, Kabaw, Jado and Nalut, as well as other small villages and settlements found across the mountain tops. Al-Yaqubi (9th century) informs us that the territory of the Nafousa extended from southern Tripolitania to the neighbourhood of Kairouan (in Tunisia).

(2) - The Eastern Berbers:

• The Eastern Berbers: those tribes inhabiting the oasis of Jalo & Aujila (Awjla or Awjilah) in Eastern Libya, in Cyrenaica. These tribes were part of a larger group of tribes inhabiting the various oasis in the Libyan desert of which only Siwa in nearby Egypt survives to this day.

(3) - The Southern Berbers:

• Tuareg: Tuareq, Twareq, Twareg, Imushagh, Imuhaq: the Tuareg tribes comprise a large and complex group of nomadic Berber tribes and clans, native to the Sahara desert and its various oases like Ghadames and Ghat. The Tuareg people speak a Berber language, which they call Tamasheght or Tamaheqt, and hence their name Kel Tamaheqt means "the Speakers of Tamazight" meaning: "the Speakers of Berber Language".

The Tuareg tribes are nomadic by nature and as such their traditional home is the great Sahara herself. The largest towns (or oases) inhabited by the Tuareg in Libya include Ghadames and Ghat. The Tuareg are also called the "Blue People of the Sahara" simply because of the indigo fabric which stained their skin blue. The most distinguishable feature of Tuareg people is the "veil", or tagelmoust in Tamasheght, which sadly is slowly disappearing from the lives of modern city Tuareg. The origin of the veil is not understood, but it is possible that its original use was to protect against desert sand and wind during travel from one caravan station to another, and that after few generations it became part of the culture where Tuareg men wear it even while eating inside their tents - they pass food and drinks under the veil. This hypothesis may explain why Tuareg women do not wear the veil, as they do not take part in these caravans and hence they are not exposed to desert sand and wind as their men are.

The name Tuareg, according to the historian Ibn Khaldun and other sources, comes from Berber Targa, the ancient name of Fezzan and a subdivision of Sanhaja Berber group, who were still inhabiting Fezzan during the time of Ibn Khaldun. The Tuareg people refer to themselves by various names including "Kel Tamashegh" or "Kel Tamaheq" (the People of Berber) and "Kel Tagelmoust" (the people of the Veil). The typical tall Tuareg nomad is highly dignified, grave, walks with long, slow steps, in unison with his camel, and, like all spearmen, carries himself erect. Their eyes are generally dark and piercing. Captain Denham describes the Tuareg women as having a copper complexion, large black eyes, finely shaped noses, and long plaited hair. Like his forefathers in the days of Herodotus, the modern nomad is conspicuously robust and healthful, eats and drinks sparely by necessity, and can walk 60 miles in two days on a handful of dried dates and a few cupfuls of water. The loneliness of the Sahara tends to intensify the sense of liberty to which the nomad is born heir. This sense of freedom is now in serious danger of becoming extinct.

An old Targi passing by a team of young dancers, at first he fails to imitate them, but then he succeeds in out-performing their best; and so, out of shame, forcing the youngsters to leave the place, one by one. Experience and subtlety is the theme of the dance. The Tuareg are highly spirited nomadic Berber people who originally controlled the whole of the Sahara, including parts of Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Tuareg language "Tamasheght" is a member of Berber (Tamazight) which includes about 40 major languages. Only a handful of families still live a nomadic life in the Acacus region, but their peace and privacy are now threatened by tourists who seek them as a tourist attraction. Some eco-conscious tourists, however, do show some signs of respect and support, like offering help, fuel, buying some of their traditional hand-made jewellery, and asking them if they can take photos before doing so.

Berber Tuareg Confederacies:

The Tuareg territories are divided into various federations in Libya, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso; each of which originally had its own traditions and tribal laws. The following map lists the Tuareg confederacies as Saltanate or Sulthanate, meaning "Emirates". Please click on the map for a list of these Tuareg confederacies and political groups (http://www.temehu.com/tuareg-confederacies.htm).

The Garamantes of Ancient Libya:

The ancient Berber Garamantes tribes are widely considered as the ancestors of the current Tuareg tribes of Fezzan (Fazzan) in southern Libya. They had control over a wide area, spanning the entire region from Tibesti to Acacus including the enigmatic Messaks and Wadi Metkhandoush. They initially run their kingdom from the nearby capital Zinchecra then from Germa or Garama (today's Jerma or Germa) in the first century AD, so named after their eponymous ancestor Garamas. Please click on the following link for the full article about Germa and the Garamantian civilisation of ancient Libya.

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