The term "Moor" historically referred to various groups of people and does not describe a specific ethnicity or race. It has been used to describe the Muslim populations of the Maghreb, al-Andalus (Iberian Peninsula), Sicily, and Malta during the Middle Ages. The Moors were of mixed Arab, Spanish, and Amazigh (Berber) origins and created the Islamic Andalusian civilization. Over time, the term was increasingly applied to Muslims living in Europe. The term has also been used in a broader sense to refer to Muslims in general, especially those of Arab or Berber descent, whether living in al-Andalus or North Africa
. In modern times, the term has been coopted by the Moorish sovereign citizen movement in the United States, where members claim to be descendants of Moors who predated white settlers in North America
. Additionally, there is a subset within the sovereign citizen movement known as "Moorish" sovereigns, who hold pseudo-historical beliefs specific to African-American heritage and claim to be exempt from normal laws and regulations based on a Treaty of Peace and Friendship with the US in 1786
