Moroccan genetics encompasses the genetic history of the peoples of Morocco, and the genetic influence of this ancestry on world populations. It has been heavily influenced by geography. The Sahara desert to the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the north were important barriers to gene flow in prehistoric times. However Eurasia and Africa form a single land mass at the Suez. At the Straits of Gibraltar, Africa and Europe are separated by only 15 km (9 mi).