The Barbary coast is the somewhat dated term for the coast of North Africa from the western border of Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean. It was known by Europeans as a haven for pirates, and many expeditions were undertaken to scour the area and make it less hospitable for these scourges of Mediterranean commerce.

The term Barbary is a form of the more modern adjective Berber, which refers to the dominant tribe in the area. The term Barbary states refers to Tunisia, Tripoli, Algeria, and sometimes Morocco.