Berbers or Imazighen (singular: Amazigh), meaning "free people" or "free and noble men" (the word has probably an ancient parallel in the Roman name for some of the Berbers, "Mazices") are the indigenous peoples of North Africa. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic linguistic family. In Morocco today, a colloquial Arabic is spoken by a large portion of Berbers besides the Berber language itself. Foreign languages like French and Spanish are also used by educated people. This presence of European languages was due to Europe's occupation and colonization of the Berber world.

The presence of the Arabic language and dialects is due to the spread of Islam and to the immigration of some Arab tribes to the region centuries ago. A Berber is not necessarily only someone who happens to speak Berber. The Berber identity is usually wider than language and ethnicity, and encompasses the entire history and geography of North Africa. Berbers are not a homogenous ethnic group and encompass a range of phenotypes, cultures and ancestries. The one unifying force is the Berber language and an identification with the Berber heritage and history.