What does the word "Bedouin" mean?

The Bedouin are a grouping of nomadic Arab peoples who have historically inhabited the desert regions in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and the Levant.

The English word "Bedouin" comes from the Arabic "Badawi", which means "desert dweller". It is traditionally contrasted with hadir, the term for sedentary people. Bedouin territory stretches from the vast deserts of North Africa to the rocky sands of the Middle East. They are traditionally divided into tribes, or clans and share a common culture of herding camels and goats.

While many Bedouins have abandoned their nomadic and tribal traditions for a modern urban lifestyle, many retain traditional Bedouin culture such as retaining the traditional clan structure, traditional music, poetry, dances.