World Geography Today
North Africa
Preview
Section 1: Natural Environments
Section 2: History and Culture
Section 3: The Region Today
Chapter Wrap-Up
Chapter 21
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Read to Discover
• What landform regions are found in North
Africa?
• What factors influence the region’s
climates?
• What natural resources does the region
have?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Landforms and Rivers
• Coastal plains along Mediterranean Sea and
Atlantic Ocean
• Atlas Mountains parallel to the coast
• The Sahara—Ergs (sand areas), regs (gravel
plains), depressions (quicksand, salt marshes,
dry lakebeds), wadis (dry streambeds)
• Nile River
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Question
What factors affect the
climate of North Africa?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Factors Affecting North
African Climate
Causes
Effects
• Atlas Mountains
• Harmattan
• Subtropical highpressure system
• Coastline
• Rain shadow
• Arid climate
• Sandstorms
• Mediterranean
climate
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Climate Factors
• Coastal Zone—Mediterranean climate, with warm
dry summers and mild rainy winters
• Sub-tropical high pressure keeps region dry
• Rain shadow caused by Atlas Mountains
contributes to dryness
• Hot dry wind (harmattan) sweeps south across
Sahara causing violent sandstorms
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 1: Natural Environments
Natural Resources
• Oil and natural gas—Especially in Libya
• Minerals—Iron ore, lead, phosphates, zinc
• Fishing off Moroccan coast
• Water from irrigation and oases—Produces
grapes, olives, dates, grains, vegetables
• Nile Delta—Rich farmland, cotton and rice
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 2: History and Culture
Read to Discover
• What peoples have settled in and ruled
North Africa?
• What are the people and culture of the
region like today?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 2: History and Culture
Settlers and Rulers
• Egyptian civilization arose along the Nile around
3000 B.C.
• Phoenicians established trade colonies like Carthage
by 800 B.C.
• Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 332 B.C.
• Roman Empire controlled the area after 146 B.C.
• Vandals set up a kingdom in Libya in the A.D. 400s.
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 2: History and Culture
Settlers and Rulers (continued)
• The Byzantine Empire claimed North Africa in
A.D. 500s.
• Arab Muslims conquered the region in 600s.
• Ottoman Turks ruled from 1500s to late 1800s.
• Europeans came in 1800s—French, Spanish,
Italians, British.
• Independence came after World War II.
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 2: History and Culture
Question
What languages, religions, peoples,
and types of clothing are found
in North Africa?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 2: History and Culture
Religions
Peoples
Mostly Muslim, some
Christians and Jews
Mostly Arab and
Arab-Berber,
some Bedouins
North African
Culture
Languages
Clothing
Mostly Arabic,
also Berber, French,
Italian, English
Caftans, hooded robes,
gallibiya, women mostly
covered
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 3: The Region Today
Read to Discover
• What are the economies and cities of North
Africa like?
• What challenges do the people there face?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 3: The Region Today
Economic Activities
• Issues typical of developing countries—
Government spending, inflation, trade
• Oil and natural gas—Key in several countries
• Agriculture also important
• Tourism—Especially important in Egypt, Morocco,
Tunisia
• Unemployment causes migration
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 3: The Region Today
Cities
• Largest cities are Casablanca and the capitals: Cairo,
Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, Rabat
• Mix of modern and traditional architecture
• Becoming crowded with population growth and migration
from rural areas
• Older cores surrounded by rings of crowded slums
• Lack of housing; people living in tents, boats, tombs
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 3: The Region Today
Question
What political and environmental issues
currently exist in North Africa?
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Section 3: The Region Today
Issues in North Africa
Political
Political unrest
Clashes between
government and
religious groups
Civil war in Algeria
Clashes between Libyan
government and United
States
Environmental
Desertification
Pollution from oil refining
Polluted water supplies
Fertilizer pollution in the
Nile
Nile Delta shrinking
World Geography Today
Chapter 21
Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding the Main Ideas
1.
How have wind and water shaped important physical
features of the Sahara?
2.
Why are plants and animals in Egypt limited mostly to areas
along the Nile Valley and Delta?
3.
Which ethnic group makes up the majority of North Africa’s
population? When did this ethnic group first move into North
Africa?
4.
What is the main religion of North Africa? What are two
minority religions there?
5.
Why have many people in the region left to find work
elsewhere? What has made the problem worse?