Barbary States

There are four states that make up the Barbary States. All located on the continent of Africa, the Barbary States include...

• Algeria
• Morocco
• Tripolitania
• Tunisia

Back in the day, the Barbary States were comprised of populations of Berber people. European nations and people alike used to call the place where Berbers lived the Barbary Coast. It was a way of referring to the four different countries that made up, and still make up, the Barbary States.

People living in the countries that made up the Barbary States were named in quite a derogatory way. See, the term Berber, which was the original name for the particular group of people, directly translates to mean barbaric in Arabic, as well as in Greek.

Along the coastlines of the Barbary States, many pirates and people involved in the common act of slave trading would hang out in the surrounding waters. Whenever foreign ships would sail through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Barbary States pirates and Berber slave traders would plan seiges.

They would hop aboard the ships passing through nearby waters and take command of the vessels. The goal was not only to show that the Berbers would always protect and defend their region, but they also attacked ships because they were overflowing with slaves, foreign goods, money, and other valuable items that the Berbers would steal.

Eventually, people from Europe, the Americas, and other parts of Africa would know to expect the attacks as a part of their trips. Over time, after the attacks became consistent, they became known as the Barbary Wars. These wars lasted from the sixteenth century all the way through the nineteenth century.

Algeria

Located in northern Africa, Algeria is home to a population of people known as Arab-Berbers. The country is home to ninety-nine percent native people, with only one percent of non-native individuals. The religion practiced in Algeria is Islam, and the most commonly spoken languages in Algeria are Berber and Arabic, though many people also speak French, as well as Algerian Arabic, or Darja.

The government system of Algeria is known as a unitary semi-presidential republic. The country is run by a president, and the leader of Algeria is currently a man by the name of Abdelkader Bensalah. The prime minister who acts alongside the president is someone by the name of Noureddine Bedoui.

The system of government in Algeria is made up of two houses, both of which collectively make up the Parliament of Algeria. Like the government in America, which has a House of Representatives and a Senate, Algeria has two levels as well. The Council of the Nation and the People's National Assembly make up the legislative branch of Algerian government.

Morocco

Otherwise known as the Kingdom of Morocco, the Barbary State of Morocco is classified as a unitary parliametary constitutional monarchy. As such, Morocco is a country with a king and a prime minister in charge of the government. The current king of Morocco is King Mohammed VI while the current prime minister is a man by the name of Saadeddine Othmani.

The Parliament makes up the legislature of Morocco, and it is made up of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. The most commonly spoken and official languages in Morocco are Arabic and Berber, with Hassaniya Arabic and Moroccan Arabic Berber being two other languages you are likely to come across in Morocco. While some people do speak English, French, and Spanish, these three languages are recognized as foreign languages in Morocco.

Morocco was first establish as a dynasty under the control of Isrisid family members back in the year 788. In 1631, Morocco became ruled by the Alaouite Dynasty. It wasn't until April 7th of 1956 that Morocco became a completely independent country.

Tripolitania

Tripolitania is a Barbary State that was once part of the African country of Libya. Back in the early to mid 1990s, Tripolitania was part of Libya during a time when the country was ruled by Italian officials from across the water.

Cyrenaica and Fezzan were the two other administrative region of Libya at the time. Tripolitania eventually pulled away from Italian rulers in 1963, at which point various groups claimed control over the region for years to come.

Nowadays, Tripolitania is comprised of various governorates, which are similar to districts. The five current governorates of Tripolitania are...

• Jabal al Gharbi
• Khoms
• Misrata
• Tarabulus
• Zawiya

Of the three provinces in Libya, Tripolitania has always remained more populated than the areas of Cyrenaica and Fezzan. People who live in Tripolitania are, for the most part, descendants of Arab-Berber families. The most heavily concentrated Arab-Berber locations in Tripolitania are Ghadames, Jebel Nafusa, and Zuwara.

Tunisia

Known more officially as the Republic of Tunisia, the Barbary State of Tunisia is situated in a part of Africa known as the Maghreb region. The capital city of Tunisia is a city called Tunis, which is located at GPS coordinates of 36°49′ N and 10°11′ E.

Just like Algeria, the population of Tunisia is home to predominatly Arab-Berbers. Ninety-eight percent of the population is made of native residents, while the other two percent of people are Jewish and European. Most people in Tunisia speak Arabic, but the Tunisian Arabic Berber language is also very popular. Some residents speak French as well. The most practiced religion in Tunisia is Islam, and there are also many groups of Sunnis, Christians, and Jews.

The country was founded on July 15 of 1705. The legislative branch of the Tunisian government is known as the Assembly of the Representatives of the People. The government of Tunisia as a whole is known as a unitary semi-presidential republic, which is headed by both a president and a prime minister. The standing president of Tunisia is named Beji Caid Essebsi, and the prime minister of the country is currently Youssef Chahed.