المغاربيون al-Māghāribiyyun | |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Maghreb | |
 Algeria | 45,917,000[1] |
 Morocco | 38,670,000[2] |
 Tunisia | 12,135,000[3] |
 Libya | 7,112,000[4][5][6] |
 France | 5,326,000[7] |
 Mauritania | 4,975,000[8] |
 Israel | 750,000[9]–950,000[10] |
 Canada[c] | 274,425[11] |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
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a WithoutCeuta andMelilla.
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Maghrebis orMaghrebians (Arabic:المغاربيون,romanized: al-Māghāribiyyun) are the inhabitants of theMaghreb region ofNorth Africa.[13] It is a modernArabic term meaning "Westerners", denoting their location in the western part of theArab world. Maghrebis are predominantly ofArab andBerber origins.
Maghrebis were known in ancient and medieval times as theRoman Africans orMoors. The wordMoor is ofPhoenician origin.[14] The etymology of the word can be traced back to the Phoenician termMahurin, meaning "Westerners", from which theancient Greeks deriveMauro, and from whichLatin derivesMauri.[15]
The Arabic termmaghrib (Arabic:مغرب) was given by the first Muslim Arab settlers to therecently conquered region located west of theUmayyad capital ofDamascus in the 7th century AD.[16] It initially referred to the area extending fromAlexandria in the east to theAtlantic Ocean in the west.[17]
Historic records of religion in the Maghreb region show its gradual inclusion in theClassical World, with coastal colonies established first byPhoenicians,Greeks, and later extensive conquest and rule by theRomans. By the 2nd century common era, the area had become a center of Latin-speaking Christianity. Both Roman settlers and Romanized Berbers converted to Christianity. The region produced figures such as Christian Church writerTertullian (c. 155 –c. 202); and Christian Church martyrs or leading figures such asSt Cyprian of Carthage (c. 210 – 258);Saint Monica; her son the philosopherAugustine of Hippo (354 – 430); andJulia of Corsica (5th century). The region was a birthplace of many Christians movements such asArianism andDonatism, which have since been abandoned.[citation needed]
The domination of Christianity ended when Arab invasions brought Islam in 647. Carthage fell in 698 and the remainder of the region followed in subsequent decades. Gradual Islamization proceeded, although surviving letters showed correspondence from regional Christians to Rome up until the 9th century. Christianity was still a living faith. Christian bishoprics and dioceses continued to be active, with relations continuing with Rome. As late asPope Benedict VII (974-983) reign, a new Archbishop of Carthage was consecrated. Evidence of Christianity in the region faded through the 10th century.[18]
During the seventh century, the region's peoples began their nearly total conversion toIslam. There was a small but thrivingLocal Jewish community, as well as a smallLocal Christian community. Most Muslims follow theMaliki school ofSunni Islam. SmallIbadi communities remain in some areas. A strong tradition of veneratingmarabouts and saints' tombs is found throughout regions inhabited by Berbers. Any map of the region demonstrates the tradition: the proliferation of "sidi"s show places named after the marabouts. Like some other religious traditions, this has substantially decreased over the 20th century. A network ofzawiyas traditionally helped perpetuate basic literacy in Arabic and knowledge of Islam in rural regions.
Recently, the Christian community of Berber or Arab descent has grown significantly. Conversions to Christianity, especially toEvangelicalism, is common inAlgeria,[19] especially in theKabylie,[20]Morocco,[21] andTunisia.[22] A 2015 study estimates 380,000 Muslims converted toChristianity in Algeria.[12]
Maghrebis have settled mainly in the industrial regions in France, especially in theÎle-de-France and Mediterranean regions. Many famous French people likeÉdith Piaf,[23]Isabelle Adjani,Arnaud Montebourg,Alain Bashung,Dany Boon,Gérald Darmanin and many others have Maghrebi ancestry.
According toMichel Tribalat, a researcher atINED, there were more than 4.6 million people of Maghrebi origin (with at least one Maghrebi grandparent from Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia) living in France in 2011 (3 million in 1999).[24][25] Below is a table of population of Maghrebi origin in France in 2011, numbers are in thousands:
| Country of origin (2011) | Immigrants | 1st generation born in France | 2nd generation born in France (aged under 60 only) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 737 | 1 170 | 563 | 2 470 |
| Morocco | 679 | 698 | 130 | 1 507 |
| Tunisia | 246 | 280 | 129 | 655 |
| Total Maghreb | 1 662 | 2 148 | 821 | 4 631 |
Note: for second generation born in France only individuals under 60 are taken into account.
According toInstitut national de la statistique et des études économiques (the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies), 16% of newborns in France between 2006 and 2008 have at least one Maghrebi grandparent born in the Greater Maghreb.[26]
In 2005, the percentage of young people under 18 of Maghrebi origin (at least one immigrant parent) were about 7% inMetropolitan France, 12% inÎle-de-France, 13% inLyon, 21% inPerpignan, 22% in thedepartment ofSeine-Saint-Denis, 37% in18th arrondissement of Paris and 40% in several arrondissements ofMarseille.[27][28]
| 2005 | Seine-Saint-Denis | Val-de-Marne | Val-d'Oise | Lyon | Paris | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Maghreb | 22.0% | 13.2% | 13.0% | 13.0% | 12.1% | 6.9% |
According to other sources between 5 and 8 million people of Maghrebin origin live in France, and between 150,000 and 300,000 people of Maghrebin origin live in Canada.[29][30]
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The North African part of the Arab World to the west of Egypt and Sudan is known as the Maghreb (gharb meaning west).
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