2. Physical Features
 Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and
Egypt
 Stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Red Sea; Mediterranean Sea is off the
northern coast; Sahara desert is to the
south

3. The Nile
 World’s longest river
 Flows northward through the eastern
Sahara
 Empties into the Mediterranean Sea
 Blue Nile and White Nile merge to form
the Nile
 Water from Nile irrigates farmlands and
forms a large river delta where it empties
into the Mediterranean Sea
 Flooding of the Nile has left silt (finely
ground soil good for growing crops) in
surrounding fields
○ Aswan High Dam was built to control
flooding
○ Trapped water formed Lake Nasser in
southern Egypt
○ Dam traps silt and now farmers must
use fertilizers to enrich their fields

4. The Sinai Peninsula and Suez
Canal
 Sinai Peninsula
 East of the Nile
 Barren, rocky mountains, and desert cover
the peninsula
 Suez Canal was built by the French in
1860s
 It is a strategic waterway that connects the
Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea

5. The Sahara
 Covers most of North Africa
○ Largest desert in the world
○ Few people live here
○ Some settlements near oasis
○ Windswept gravel plains and sand dunes
cover much of desert

6. Mountains
 Some sand dunes reach 1,000 feet
 Mountains
 Ahagger Mountains located in central
Sahara
○ Highest peak is 9,842 feet
 Atlas Mountains located on northwestern
side of Sahara
○ Rise to 13,671 feet

7. Climate& Resources
 3 climate types:
 Desert Climate covers most of region; temperatures
from mild to very hot (136 degrees F); low humidity
causes temperatures to drop rapidly after sunset
 Mediterranean Climate (A climate characterized by moist, mild winters and hot, dry
summers):
○ Northern coast west of Egypt
 Steppe Climate (found in the middle of continents and in the lee of high mountains. The mountains block
moist air from oceans or tropical climates from reaching the steppe )
○ Between the Mediterranean climate and the Sahara
 Resources:
 Oil and gas most important
 Iron ore and minerals to make fertilizers
 coal

8. Section 2

9. history
 Nile River home to world’s oldest
civilizations
 3200 B.C. Egyptian kingdom was formed
along northern Nile
 They also built pyramids, other monuments,
and writing system
 Later invaded by Greeks and Arabs

10. The Ancient Egyptians
 Built pyramids as tombs for pharaohs
 Workers cut large blocks of stone far away
and rolled them on logs to the Nile, moved
on barges, and carved at building site

11. Egyptian Writing
 Developed hieroglyphics
 Pictures and symbols stood for ideas or
words
 Carved into temples and monuments
○ Record words and achievements of pharaohs

12. Greek and Arab Civilizations
 Open to invaders due to long
Mediterranean coastline
 Greeks and Romans
○ Alexander the Great: founded city of
Alexandria, Egypt
 Became important seaport and trading center
 Arab armies
○ Invaded; brought Arabic language & Islam
○ Cities became centers of learning, trade, and
craft making

13. European Control
 1800s European countries began taking over region
 1912 controlled all of North Africa
 1922 Egypt gained limited independence
 British kept military bases & control of the Suez Canal
until 1956
 Region a major battle ground during WWII
 1950s Libya, Morocco, & Tunisia each gained
independence; Algeria in 1962 after bitter war with
France
 Modern North Africa
 After gaining independence, countries have tried to build
stronger ties with Arab countries

14. Culture
Language & Religion
 Common aspects of culture
 Language, religion, foods, holidays, customs, & art and literature
 People and Language
 Egyptians, Berbers, & Bedouins (nomadic herders who travel
throughout deserts of Egypt and Southwest Asia) make up
nearly all of Egypt’s population
 Arab & Berber ancestry
 Berbers: an ethnic group who are native to North Africa and
speak Berber language
 French, Italian, & English still spoken in some areas
 Religion
 Most are Muslims
○ Pray 5 times a day
 6% of Egyptians are Christians

15. Food & Festivals
 Grains, vegetables, fruits, & nuts are
common
 Couscous: made from wheat and looks
like small pellets of pasta; steamed over
boiling water or soup; served with
vegetables or meat, butter, & olive oil
 Fuul is a popular dish in Egypt
 Made from fava beans mashed with olive oil,
salt, pepper, garlic, & lemons

16. Holidays
 Birthday of the prophet of Islam,
Muhammad
 Marked with lights, parades, and special
sweets of honey, nuts, & sugar
 During holy month of Ramadan,
Muslims abstain from food and drink
during the day

17. Art & Literature
 North Africa is know for its architecture,
wood carving, & other crafts
 Women weave textiles (carpets with
geometric designs and bright colors)
 Important writers and artists in this region
 Egyptian poetry and other writings date back
thousands of years
 Naguib Mahfouz: 1st Arab writer to win Noble
Prize in literature
 Also has growing movie industry
 Popular music based on singing and poetry is
enjoyed by North Africans

18. North Africa Today

19. Egypt
 Most populous of North Africa’s countries
 Gov’t face challenges
 Most Egyptians are poor farmers
 Limited resources & few jobs
 Gov’t and Society
 Republic gov’t
○ Influenced by Islamic law
 Constitution; elected officials; power shared between president &
prime minister
 Debate over role of Islam in country
○ Some believe laws should be based on Islam law, some fear this would cause
fewer personal freedoms; some violence has resulted
 Little clean water and disease are common in larger cities

20. Resources & Economy
 Few resources
 Farmland limited to Nile River valley &
delta
 Fertilizer must be used in soil (expensive)
 Over watering has brought salt to the surface of the soil,
which is bad for growing crops
 Have caused increase in importing of foods
 Had to import much of its food recently
 Suez Canal is another sources of income;
ships pay a toll to pass through it
 Economy dependent on:
 Agriculture, petroleum exports, and tourism

21. Other Countries of North Africa
 Western Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, &
Morocco called Maghreb
 Arabic for west
 Mostly covered by Sahara
 Cities & farmland along the coast

22. Government & Economy
 Conflict over role of Islam in society
 Oil, mining, and tourism
 Oil most important
 Money from oil pays for schools, health care, other social
programs, & military equipment
 Large deposits of natural gas, iron ore, & lead as well
 Agriculture is important
 Wheat, other grains, olives, fruits, & nuts
 Desert climate & poor soil limit farming
 Food is generally imported

23. The Countries Today
 Share similar challenges
 Violence: under dictator ships
 Trying to strengthen trading relationships w/
U.S. & Europe

24. Algeria
 Violence between gov’t & Islamic groups
killed thousands in1990s
 Today
 Trying to recover from violence & strengthen
economy w/ exports

25. Tunisia
 More rights granted to women recently
 Close economic relationships w/ Europe

26. Morocco
 Only North African country w/ little oil
 Important producer and exporter of
fertilizer