NORTH AFRICA

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NORTH AFRICA

• MOROCCO, ALGERIA, LIBYA, TUNISIA EGYPT AND
  WESTERN SAHARA

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NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

• Borders Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic
  Ocean
• Atlas Mountains
• Northwest section, creates an orographic effect
  for Morocco
• Nile River
• Longest river in world and creates life for
  Egyptians
• Sahara Desert
• Worlds largest desert, creates natural boundary
  between North Africa and rest of Africa

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ATLAS MOUNTAINS

• 1500 miles long
• Part of European Alpine system
• Rich in minerals
• Provide rain shadow on western side creating
  arable land and farming capabilities

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SAHARA DESERT

• 3.5 million square miles (about size of U.S.)
• Erg Shifting seas of sand dunes that cover a
  basin
• Reg gravel plains left over when erg blows away
• Currently growing in size

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NILE RIVER

• Longest river in world, starts in Lake Victoria
  and flows 4,160 miles
• Pollution becoming problem as is damming upstream
• Delta and silt is lifeblood of farmers, but
  flooding isnt occurring regularly anymore

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CLIMATE

• Northern coast is Mediterranean due to Atlas
  mountains
• Some semi-arid regions
• Most of region is arid
• Morocco and Egypt have greatest amounts of water
  because of Atlas mountains and Nile River

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NATURAL RESOURCES

• Oil found in every country, Libya has greatest
  amount
• Morocco is famous for fishing, especially
  sardines
• Irrigation has allowed farming through Northern
  area of region
• Egypt exports cotton and rice
• Many desert oasis export dates and olives

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HISTORY

• Ruled by many different groups
• Egyptians first major civilization, created
  cultural hearth
• Conquered by Arabic Muslims
• Ottoman Turks ruled after Muslims
• British took over after Turks
• Independence gained in 20th Century
• Islamic influence
• All countries predominately Muslim
• Some countries, like Libya, starting to see big
  increase in fundamentalism

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ISSUES TODAY

• Region is very different than rest of Africa
  linguistically, ethnically and religiously
• Sahara provides natural boundary between North
  Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa
• Cities growing
• Desertification Sahara is growing and moving
  North
• Pollution air and water becoming polluted, Nile
  is one of most polluted rivers in world
• Damming of Nile limits annual flooding of Delta
  creating soil depletion, lack of water downstream
  and erosion along coast

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SOURCES OF CONFLICT

• Morocco and Spain
• Fighting over who will control Strait of
  Gibraltar
• Currently under British control
• Libya and United States
• U.S. accused Muammar Khadafy of supporting
  terrorist actions in 1986. Reagan responded with
  an attack on Libya
• Khadafy still in power and pursuing anti-American
  policies, but U.S. focused on other issues

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CONFLICT, cont.

• Algeria and France
• Algeria had been controlled by France, but in
  1962 after a long bloody war, Algerians won
  independence led to great turmoil between two
  nations, even today
• 1992 Islamic Party tried to win elections and
  take control when civil war broke out. War is
  not being fought now, but impact is lasting
• Western Sahara
• Left by Spanish in 1976 and claimed by Morocco,
  Mauritania and Saharawis (indigenous group)
• Mauritania pulled out in 1979 but fight between
  Saharawis and Moroccan still going on

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THATS ALL FOR TODAY? TEST ON FRIDAY!