North Africa

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North Africa

• Preview
• Section 1 Natural Environments
• Section 2 History and Culture
• Section 3 The Region Today
• Chapter Wrap-Up

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Section 1 Natural Environments

• Read to Discover
• What landform regions are found in North Africa?
• What factors influence the regions climates?
• What natural resources does the region have?

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Section 1 Natural Environments
Landforms and Rivers

• Coastal plains along Mediterranean Sea and
  Atlantic Ocean
• Atlas Mountains parallel to the coast
• The SaharaErgs (sand areas), regs (gravel
  plains), depressions (quicksand, salt marshes,
  dry lakebeds), wadis (dry streambeds)
• Nile River

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Section 1 Natural Environments
Question What factors affect the climate of
North Africa?
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Section 1 Natural Environments
Causes
Effects
Atlas Mountains
Rain shadow
Harmattan
Arid climate
Subtropical high-pressure system
Sandstorms
Mediterranean climate
Coastline
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Section 1 Natural Environments
Climate Factors

• Coastal ZoneMediterranean 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

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Section 1 Natural Environments
Natural Resources

• Oil and natural gasEspecially in Libya
• MineralsIron ore, lead, phosphates, zinc
• Fishing off Moroccan coast
• Water from irrigation and oasesProduces grapes,
  olives, dates, grains, vegetables
• Nile DeltaRich farmland, cotton and rice

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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?

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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.

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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 1800sFrench, Spanish,
  Italians, British.
• Independence came after World War II.

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Section 2 History and Culture
Question What languages, religions, peoples,
and types of clothing are found in North Africa?
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Section 2 History and Culture
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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?

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Section 3 The Region Today
Economic Activities

• Issues typical of developing countriesGovernment
  spending, inflation, trade
• Oil and natural gasKey in several countries
• Agriculture also important
• TourismEspecially important in Egypt, Morocco,
  Tunisia
• Unemployment causes migration

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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

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Section 3 The Region Today
Question What political and environmental issues
currently exist in North Africa?
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Section 3 The Region Today
Environmental Desertification Pollution from oil
refining Polluted water supplies Fertilizer
pollution in the Nile Nile Delta shrinking
Political Political unrest Clashes between
government and religious groups Civil war in
Algeria Clashes between Libyan government and
United States
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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
   Africas 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?