North Africa

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North Africa

• Involved are the countries of Egypt, Morocco,
  Libya, Tunisia, Algeria

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Physical Geography

• The Big Idea
• North Africa is a dry region with limited water
  resources.
• Main Ideas
• Major physical features of North Africa include
  the Nile River, the Sahara, and the Atlas
  Mountains.
• The climate of North Africa is hot and dry, and
  water is the regions most important resource.

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Main Idea 1 Major physical features of North
Africa include the Nile River, the Sahara, and
the Atlas Mountains.

• The Nile River is the longest river in the world.
• Flows more than 4,000 miles northward through the
  desert
• Formed by the union of two rivers, the Blue Nile
  and the White Nile
• Empties into the Mediterranean Sea
• The land along the Nile is very fertile.
• Floods on the river deposit silt, or finely
  ground fertile soil, all along the river.
• Before it reaches the sea, the Nile fans out into
  a huge fertile delta.
• The Aswan High Dam controls flooding on the Nile.
  
• Because of the lack of silt, farmers need to use
  fertilizer to grow crops.

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Other Physical Features of North Africa
The Sinai and Suez Canal

• The Sinai Peninsula is east of the Nile. It is
  mostly rocky and barren.
• The Suez Canal separates the Sinai peninsula from
  the rest of Egypt. Ships carry oil and goods from
  the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea through the
  canal.

Mountains

• Several mountain ranges can be found in the
  Sahara.
• The highest mountains are the Atlas Mountains in
  the northwest, near the Mediterranean Sea. They
  rise to 13,600 feet (4,160 m) above sea level.

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Sinai Penisula
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The Sahara
Largest desert in the world, covering most of
North Africa
Very dry, so very few people live there
Nearly every settlement in the Sahara is located
near an oasis, a wet and fertile area in a desert
where a spring or well provides water.
Common features in the Sahara include broad
gravel plains, tall sand dunes, and dry
streambeds.
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Main Idea 2The climate of North Africa is hot
and dry, and water is the regions most important
resource.

• Climate
• Three main climates
• Desert very dry, with temperatures ranging from
  mild to very hot
• Mediterranean found along the coast mild
  winters and warm summers
• Steppe found between the coast and the desert

• Resources
• Because rain is rare, water is a valuable
  resource.
• Oil and gas are found in Libya, Algeria, and
  Egypt.
• Morocco has iron ore.
• Coal, oil, and natural gas are found in the
  Sahara.

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History and Culture

• The Big Idea
• North Africa is rich in history and Islamic
  culture.
• Main Ideas
• North Africas history includes ancient Egyptian
  civilization.
• Islam influences the cultures of North Africa and
  most people speak Arabic.

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Main Idea 1 North Africas history includes
ancient Egyptian civilization.

• Egyptian civilization began after 3200 BC.
• The Egyptians are most famous for building huge
  stone monuments, especially pyramids.
• The pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs, or
  Egyptian kings.
• The largest pyramid is called the Great Pyramid.
  It is still standing today.
• The Egyptians also developed a writing system
  called hieroglyphics.
• Used pictures to represent words or ideas
• Often carved on monuments to record pharaohs
  deeds

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Later North African History
Greek and Arab Influence

• The Greeks under Alexander the Great invaded
  Egypt.
• They built a city, Alexandria, that became a
  center of trade and culture.
• In the 600s the Arabs conquered much of North
  Africa.
• They brought the Arabic language and Islam to the
  region.

European Influence

• By 1912 European countries such as Britain,
  Spain, France, and Italy had taken over North
  Africa.
• North Africa regained independence beginning in
  the 1920s. The last country to become free was
  Algeria in 1962.

Modern North Africa

• Since independence the countries of North Africa
  have tried to build stronger ties with other Arab
  countries.

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Main Idea 2Islam influences the cultures of
North Africa and most people speak Arabic.
People and Language

• Egyptians, Berbers, Bedouins, and people of mixed
  ancestry live in North Africa.
• The majority of people in the region speak Arabic.

Religion

• Most North Africans are Muslims, people who
  practice Islam.
• Islam influences many aspects of life in North
  Africa.
• A small percentage of people in the region
  practice Christianity or other non-Islamic
  religions.

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North African Culture

• Foods
• Grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts are common.
• Couscousdish made from wheat served with meat or
  vegetables
• FuulEgyptian dish made from fava beans, olive
  oil, garlic, and lemons

• Holidays and Customs
• Most holidays are religious.
• Cafes are gathering places.
• People greet each other by shaking hands and
  touching their hearts.
• Traditional clothes are long and loose.

• The Arts and Literature
• Traditional arts include wood carving and
  weaving.
• Egypt has a movie industry.
• Music is very popular.
• Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel
  Prize in 1988.

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North Africa Today

• The Big Idea
• Many people of North Africa are farmers, and oil
  is an important resource.
• Main Ideas
• Many of Egypts people are farmers and live along
  the Nile River.
• People in the other countries of North Africa are
  mostly pastoral nomads or farmers, and oil is an
  important resource in the region.

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Main Idea 1Many of Egypts people are farmers
and live along the Nile River.
Egypt is the most populous country in North
Africa with more than 75 million people. Most of
them are poor farmers.
Government Egypt is a republic, though its
government is influenced by Islamic law. People
are torn over how much influence Islam should
have and how much the government should
participate in foreign affairs.

• Society
• Most people are very poor and do not have clean
  water.
• Disease is common.
• About half of all Egyptians cannot read or write.
• The Egyptian government has made great progress
  in improving peoples lives.

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Egypt Today

• Resources and Economy
• Limited resources
• Nearly all farming takes place along the Nile.
  The land is very fertile and good for growing
  cotton.
• Shipping through the Suez Canal brings money to
  Egypt.
• Petroleum exports and tourism also make money.
• Many Egyptian families depend on money sent by
  relatives in other countries.

• Cities and Rural Life
• Close to 99 percent of Egypts population lives
  in the Nile Valley and Delta.
• Cairo is the largest city and capital. It has a
  mixture of modern buildings, historic mosques,
  and mud houses. The city is very crowded.
• Alexandria, the second-largest city, is also poor
  and crowded.
• More than half of all Egyptians live in villages
  and rural areas.

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Main Idea 2People in the other countries of
North Africa are mostly pastoral nomads or
farmers, and oil is an important resource in the
region.

• Together, western Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and
  Morocco are called the Maghreb, from the Arabic
  for west.

Government

• Governments are torn over how much influence
  Islam should have in the running of countries.

Economy

• Oil is the most important resource in Libya and
  Algeria. Money from oil pays for schools, health
  care, and military equipment.
• Farmers in the region grow wheat, olives, fruits,
  and nuts.
• Tourism is also an important activity.

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North African Cities

• Large marketplaces called souks.
• Merchants in souks sell goods like spices,
  carpets, and copper products.
• A souk is located in the old section of a city
  called the Casbah.
• Cities in Libya and Tunisia are mostly on the
  coast.
• Benghazi and Tripoli(Libya) and Tunis, (Tunisia)
• Moroccos largest cities are Casablanca and
  Tangier. Both are tourist attractions, and
  Tangier is a free port, a city in which goods are
  not heavily taxed.

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The Countries of North Africa

• Libya
• Ruled since 1969 by General Muammar al-Gadhafi,
  a dictator, or ruler with complete power
• Gadhafi supported violence against Israel, so
  many other countries limit their relations with
  Libya.

• Algeria
• In the 1990s violence broke out between the
  government and Islamic groups.
• Today Algeria is working to recover from the
  violence and strengthen its economy.

• Morocco
• Only country in North Africa with little oil
• Important producer and exporter of fertilizer

• Tunisia
• Close economic relations with many European
  countries
• Tunisian women have more rights than others in
  the region.

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