Originally settled by Berbers (roaming North African tribes), Siwa was still practically independent only a few hundred years ago.

BBC: Siwa: An Egyptian oasis

In this climate, some Berbers fear their cultural rights may not receive the constitutional protections they seek.

CNN: A rebirth of Berber culture in post-Gadhafi Libya

Berbers were the first inhabitants of North Africa, and many still follow older customs and practice ancestral crafts.

CNN: This month on Inside the Middle East

After six months among the Berbers, she returned to Paris and then continued on to New York City, where she became part of the Studio 54 set.

WSJ: Constant Gardeners

In spite of the harshness of the landscape, the Berbers who live in villages such as Tagoudiche still manage to grow the mountain staples of wheat, barley, olives, figs and almonds.

BBC: Trekking the unexplored mountains of Morocco

Algerians may have become depoliticised, as Berbers and Islamists have been bought off with minor concessions and as public spending, paid for by oil and gas profits, has soared.

ECONOMIST: A general election has made almost nobody any happier

And, on the other side of their empire, they conquered the Berbers of North Africa but alienated them through the brutalities of the slave trade, which sparked the great Berber rebellion of 741.

ECONOMIST: Arab conquests

Berbers wanted Libya's new leaders to accord Tamazight a similar status to that which it held in Morocco, where it is estimated more than half of the country's 32 million people speak Berber dialects.

CNN: A rebirth of Berber culture in post-Gadhafi Libya