Ch.11 North Africa Today
Vocabulary
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Silt
Oasis
Phosphate
Republic
Fellahin
Bazaar
Service industry
Mosque
North Africa
The Nile River is the
world’s longest river
and supplies 85% of
Egypt’s water. The
Nile flows north to
the Mediterranean
Sea where you find its
delta-land formed
from the soil
deposited by a river at
its mouth. For
centuries, the Nile’s
waters would flood in
the spring and drop
silt, or small particles
of rich soil. This has
made land along the
river good for
farming.
A human-made
waterway called the
Suez Canal separates
the Sinai Peninsula from
the rest of Egypt. Ships
use the canal to pass
from the
Mediterranean Sea to
the Red Sea.
Vast deserts cover most
of Egypt. Dotting the
deserts are oases, or
green areas in the
desert fed by
underground water.
East of the Nile is the
Eastern Desert; west is
the much larger Libyan
Desert. Both deserts
are part of the huge
Sahara, which stretches
from Egypt across North
Africa.
Agriculture is
Egypt’s main
economic activity.
The best farmland
lies in the fertile Nile
River valley. Raw
cotton, cotton yarn,
and clothing are
among the
country’s main
exports.
A series of dams have
been built to control the
Nile’s floodwaters. The
largest is the Aswan
High Dam. This control
lets farmers harvest two
or three crops a year.
Unfortunately, the dams
also block the flow of
silt, so the land is
becoming less fertile.
Egypt’s main
resource is oil.
Among Egypt’s other
resources are iron
ore and phosphates.
Phosphate is a
mineral salt used in
fertilizer.
Another important
industry in Egypt is
tourism. Visitors
come to see the
magnificent ruins of
ancient Egypt.
In 641, Arabs from
Southwest Asia took
control of Egypt.
They practiced
Islam, and most
Egyptians became
Muslims. About
94% of today’s
Egyptians are
Muslims.
By the end of the
1800s, all of Egypt
was part of the
British Empire. In
1952, a group of
army officers
overthrew the
British. One of the
army leaders, Gamal
Abdel Nasser,
became Egypt’s
president from 1954
to 1970. He turned
Egypt into a
powerful country.
Egypt is a republic.
The president has
broad powers, but a
legislature makes
the laws.
In the 1990s, some
Islamic groups
opposed the
government. By the
early 2000s, the
government had
stopped their violent
attacks.
Most of Egypt’s
people live within
20miles of the Nile.
More than half live
in rural areas. Most
are peasant farmers
called fellahin who
farm small plots
that they rent. They
raise enough food
for their families. If
any is left over, they
sell it at local
bazaars.
City dwellers live in
high-rise apartments
and have jobs in
manufacturing,
construction, or service
industries.
Cairo, Egypt’s capital, is
the largest city in Africa
and is growing rapidly.
For centuries, it has
been a leading center of
the Muslim world.
There are mosques, or
Islamic places of
worship, throughout
the city.
Because of a high
birthrate and the
fact that many
fellahin are moving
to the city, Cairo is
growing at a rapid
rate. There are not
enough houses,
schools, and
hospitals. Poverty,
snarled traffic, and
pollution have
resulted.
Exit Slip
1. Why is the Nile River important to Egypt?
2. What are the major language and religion
in Egypt?
3. How has the Aswan High Dam helped and
hurt Egypt?