Kabyle Mountains
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Kabylia Tamurt n Iqvayliyen ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵉⵇⴱⴰⵢⵍⵉⵢⴻⵏ |
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|---|---|
| Kabylie | |
| Coordinates: 37°49′N 4°50′E / 37.817°N 4.833°E | |
| Country |
 Algeria
|
| Provinces - Wilayas | Tizi Ouzou, Béjaïa, Sétif, Bouïra, Jijel, Boumerdès, Bordj Bou Arréridj, Skikda, Mila, M'Sila |
| Area | |
| • Total | 25,000 km2 (10,000 sq mi) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 7,575,643 |
| • Density | 300/km2 (780/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) |
Kabyles Iqvayliyen |
| ISO 3166-2 | DZA |
| Area code | +213 (Algéria) |
| Languages |
Kabyle French language Algerian Arabic Literary Arabic |
Kabylia or Kabylie (Berber: ⵜⴰⵎⵓⵔⵜ ⵏ ⵉⵇⴱⴰⵢⵍⵉⵢⴻⵏ, Tamurt n Iqvayliyen), is a natural and historical region in the north of Algeria.
It is part of the Tell Atlas mountains and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia (Bgayet), most of Bouira (Tubirett) and parts of the wilayas of Boumerdes, Setif, Bordj Bou Arreridj and Jijel. Gouraya National Park and Djurdjura National Park are also located in Kabylia.
Kabylia was a part of the Kingdom of Numidia (202 BC – 46 BC). It was later taken over by the Roman Empire, and became split between the provinces of Africa and Mauretania Caesariensis. In AD 289, the Quinquegentiani, a Berber tribe from Kabylia, rebelled against Roman rule; the rebels were defeated in a year-long Roman offensive in the years 297-298, in which the Quinquegentiani were driven from their homeland in Kabylia, into the Sahara.
The Kabyle country remained as unconquerable as it was inaccessible to the Ottoman deys. They generally established a few coastal military settlements and some in valleys, where they imposed the rule of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. The mountainous core land, however, remained independent. Islam was gradually adopted through peaceful means, namely the Marabout movement. Some scholars argue that this is the reason of the Kabyles' indifference towards Islam. The Ottoman threat disappeared with the arrival of the European and American navies to conquer North Africa.
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Wikipedia