The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range across a northern stretch of Africa extending about 1,500 miles through Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The Atlas ranges separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert.  The population of the Atlas Mountains are mainly Berbers.

The Berbers lived in north Africa long before the arrival of the Arabs, and their culture probably dates back more than 4,000 years. Berber states known as Mauritania and Numidia existed in classical times.  Between the 11th and 13th centuries, two great Berber dynasties – the Almoravids and the Almohads – controlled large parts of Spain, as well as north-west Africa.

Today, there are substantial Berber populations in Morocco and Algeria, plus smaller numbers in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. In Morocco, about 40% acknowledge a Berber identity, though many more have Berber ancestry.  Berbers are identified primarily by their language, which until recently, was only spoken but not written, but also they are distinguished by traditional customs and culture – such as the distinctive music and dances.