North Africa
Chapter 21
North Africa includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia,
Libya, Egypt, and Western Sahara (which is
occupied by Morocco.)
North Africa stretches from the Atlantic Ocean
to the Red Sea.
The northern border is the Mediterranean Sea.
Landforms
Coastal plains are the main landforms where North
Africa meets the sea and ocean.
Beyond the coastal plain, the Atlas Mountains run
parallel to the coastal plains.
The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, extends
all across North Africa below the Atlas Mountains
and acts as a natural barrier between North Africa
and the rest of
the African
continent.
The Sahara covers about 3.5 million square
miles (roughly the size of the USA)
ERGS – Basins covered with
high shifting sand dunes
creating a sea of sand.
REGS – Where the wind
has blown the sand and
dust away, leaving a gravel
covered plain.
Other Landforms
• Large, low areas are called depressions. In Egypt, the
Qattara Depression is 440 ft. below sea level and is a
wilderness of quick sand and salt marsh.
• Rainwater also carves out
wadis, which are dry
streambeds that only fill
with water after rain falls.
Other Landforms
• In the eastern Sahara, the Nile River flows north through
Egypt into the Mediterranean. The Nile is a long oasis in
the desert. Water from the river and Nile Delta supports
crops and other vegetation, creating a fertile green strip
across Egypt.
Climates
• Mediterranean climate along the coast – warm, dry
summers and mild rainy winters
• Semiarid between coastal areas and the Sahara
• Arid climate covers most of North America
Natural Resources
Oil and natural gas are the
region’s most valuable
resources.
Oil is found in every country
in North Africa (Libya has
the most).
Morocco is the world’s
largest exporter of sardines
(350,000 tons are caught
each year).
Egypt is an important cotton
and rice producer.
History
The first people in North
Africa were huntergatherers.
About 3000 BC the great
civilization of Egypt grew
along the Nile River.
They depended upon the
Nile flooding for survival
(silt spilling out on the
bank.)
Later, as Egyptian power
weakened, Phoenicians,
Greeks, and the Romans
controlled North Africa.
History
The Phoenicians set up trading colonies such as Carthage
in what is today Tunisia.
Alexander-the-Great founded the city of Alexandria in
Egypt.
The Roman Empire became a great power in North
Africa after it destroyed Carthage.
The Vandals (from Spain) set up a kingdom that became
what is now Libya.
Eventually Arabs swept across North Africa and
conquered Morocco. Most people in North Africa
became Muslim and Arabic became the main language
of the area.
People and Languages
The countries of North Africa share a similar history and
Muslim culture.
Almost all people of North Africa consider themselves Arab
(even tribes like the Berbers and the Bedouins).
Arabic is the official language of every country in North
Africa.
Many people also speak
European languages: French is
widely used in Algeria, Morocco,
and Tunisia. Italian is spoken in
Libya, and English is used widely
in Egypt.
Settlement and Land Usage
Most North Africans live along the Mediterranean
coast or in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.
Exception: Egypt – about 99% of the people live in the
Nile River Valley and Delta.
Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is the largest urban area in
North Africa.
Religion
Most North Africans are Muslims
(except for small Christian and
Jewish minorities).
Islam plays an important role in
North African life – prayer 5 times a
day, many businesses closed on
Fridays, etc.
Wedding celebrations are very
important and can last for several
days. Women’s and men’s
celebrations are held separately
except for the last day of the
wedding.
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