The People

Most of the inhabitants of the Sahara are Arab, Berber, black, or a combination thereof. Generally, the northern Sahara has a greater share of Caucasoid peoples (represented by the Arabs and Berbers); increasing numbers of Negroid peoples occur to the south. Virtually all Saharans are of the Islamic faith.

The Tuareg, nomads of Berber origin, are one of the most populous and widespread of the groups who live in the desert. They are centered in the Air and Ahaggar highlands and range across most of the central and western Sahara in their travels. The Moors, an Arab-Berber mixture living principally in the western Sahara, are another large group. In the Tibesti area are the Toubou, a largely nomadic people. They are predominantly Negroid in appearance and are thought by some authorities to be descended from the Sahara's earliest inhabitants.