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.