The Maghreb is a region in Africa. The term originated in the days of Islam's great expansion; it means 'the west' in Arabic, and referred to all the Islamic areas beyond Egypt.

Today the term is applied to all of the Mediterranean coast of Africa except Egypt, plus the Atlas mountains inland from there and some areas along the Atlantic coast. In European histories, much of the region is often called the Barbary Coast; names for its people include Berbers and Moors. When the Moors ruled them, Gibraltar and much of Spain and Portugal would have been counted as part of the Maghreb.

The Arab Magreb Union

There is an organisation called the Arab Magreb Union. It includes:

• Algeria
• Libya
• Mauritania
• Morocco
• Tunisia
• Western Sahara