Mauretania was a Roman province which existed from 27 BC to 431 AD and from 533 to 698 AD, encompassing the Mediterranean coasts of Morocco and Algeria. It was named for the tribal Mauri people, and its inhabitants were Berber nomads affiliated with the Masaesyli and Mauri before the Roman Republic vassalized them in 27 BC. In 44 AD, the region was annexed by Rome, and much of Mauretania became independent as a result of the Vandal invasion in 429 AD. Christianity spread rapidly through Mauretania, and the Byzantine Empire reconquered the region in 533 AD. However, in 698 AD, the Muslim Umayyad Caliphate conquered North Africa from the Byzantines and converted the Moors to Islam.