Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lybia, Egypt, W Sahara Morocco

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Overview

• Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lybia, Egypt, W Sahara
  (Morocco)
• Culture tied to Middle East, Europe
• Worlds largest desert region
• Atlantic Ocean to Red Sea

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Landforms

• Atlas Mtns Run parallel to Mediterranean and
  Atlantic
• Sahara Desert Worlds largest
• South of coastal plains, Atlas Mtns.
• Natural barrier
• Cycles of wet and dry periods
• 3.5 million square miles
• Size of entire U.S.
• Dunes, shifting sand called ergs
• Gravel covered plains called regs
• Low areas depression
• Below sea level
• Wadis dry streambeds that fill only with
  rainfall
• Nile River Flows north through Egypt to
  Mediterranean
• Long oasis
• Supports agriculture

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Natural Resources

• Oil-most valuable
• Found in every N African country
• Libya has biggest reserves and most unstable
  govt
• Natural Gas
• Iron Ore
• Lead
• Phosphates
• Zinc
• Fishing in Atlantic
• Moroccan Sardines
• Farming (with irrigation)
• Grapes, olives, dates, grains, vegetables
• Egypt cotton, rice

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Arabs and Islam

• Arab armies from Middle East in 600s
• Conquered Morocco in 700s
• Most people in N Africa became Muslim
• Arabic main language
• Centers of culture/education
• Ottoman Empire invaded in 1500s
• Ruled to late 1800s

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Arabs and Islam

• European powers took over region
• France took Maghreb (West)
• Spain took N Morocco
• French, Spanish, Italian people settled N Africa
• 1882 Britain took Egypt
• Suez Canal- important trade link (India)
• Italy took Libya
• Won independence
• 1922 Egypt limited independence
• 1952 Revolution, Egypt and Algeria free
• More after WWII
• 1951 Libya- military dictator

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People and Language

• Almost entirely Arab or Arab-Berber
• Berber cultural group that lived in North Africa
  before Arab armies came
• Bedouins desert nomads
• Live along Sinai Peninsula
• Arabic official language
• Each country has own version
• Berber dialect also common
• Many speak European languages
• French in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia
• Italian in Libya
• English in Egypt

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Land Use

• Most live on coast
• Egypt is exception
• 99 live in Nile Valley or Delta
• 3 of land
• Cairo lies in Delta
• 10 million people
• Urban overcrowding across N Africa
• Cairo, Egypt
• Casablanca, Morocco
• 30,000 migrants/year in growth

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Medina old Arab city

• N African cities developed in forts
• Protective walls called Casbah
• Buildings grew- built higher, closer together
• Space limited
• Streets narrow, twisting at odd angles
• Creates shade from heat
• Europeans built outside of walls- spacious,
  air-conditioned
• Africans did not abandon medinas
• Today a center for shopping, gathering, prayer
• Fes, Morocco

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Religion

• Mostly Muslim
• Christian and Jewish minorities
• Islam
• 5 daily prayers
• Fridays- Muslims meet in mosques for prayer
• Businesses close on Thursday and Friday
• Also close early for religious holidays
• Holidays go on lunar calendar-shift each year
• Id al-Adha
• Muslim families sacrifice a sheep in honor of
  Abrahams willingness to sacrifice only son at
  Gods will

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Traditions/Customs

• Traditional clothing
• Long and loose
• Ideal for hot climate
• Caftans, gallibiya- pants and long shirt-like
  garment
• Women- according to Muslim tradition
• Clothing covers all but hands and face
• Weddings last several days
• Women and men celebrate separately until last day

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Economy

• Center of foreign trade
• Tangiers, Morocco
• Free port almost no taxes paid on goods
  loaded/unloaded there
• Oil/Gas
• Backbone of economy for Libya and Algeria
• Diversifying
• Fellahin peasant farmers
• Work along Nile
• 40 of Egyptian workforce
• Libya imports 75 of food
• Tourism
• Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria
• Terror attacks have lessened tourism recently

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Large Cities

• Casablanca, Morocco
• Cairo, Egypt
• Tripoli, Libya
• Tunis, Tunisia
• Algiers, Algeria
• Mix modern with traditional
• Many migrate to cities for jobs

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Western Sahara

• Political unit, not independent
• Spanish until 1976
• Left with no clear authority to replace
• 3 groups want power
• Morocco
• Mauritania
• Saharawis indigenous nomads who want self rule
• Morocco built sand wall to keep Mauritania out
• UN just wants to maintain cease fire there

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Issues

• Islamic fundamentalists
• Want strict government control based on religion
• Region wants less religion in government
• Leads to clash
• U.S. aid to Egypt
• Desertification
• Pollution (oil refining)
• Health of Nile
• Aswan High Dam
• Needed for irrigation
• Stopped yearly flooding of Nile
• Fishing industry devastated