North Africa Cultural, Historical, and Political Geography Egypt Libya Tunisia Algeria Morocco

Roots of Civilization The Nile River made possible the great civilization of ancient Egypt. The river flooded at roughly the same time every year, providing the people with water and alluvial soil. Egypt was known as the “gift of the Nile.”

What is Alluvial Soil? It is mineral rich fine-grained fertile soil deposited by water flowing over flood plains or in river beds.

Roots of Civilization Egyptians lived in farming communities around the Nile River since 3300 BC. Each village had its own customs and rituals until around 3100 BC when a strong king united all of Egypt and established the first Egyptian dynasty.

Roots of Civilization The history spanned 2600 years and around 30 dynasties. Ruling monarchs were called pharaohs. They built huge, elaborate temples to worship their gods and pyramids to house their deceased rulers.

Luxor Temple Pyramids at Giza

Cultural Diffusion Movement influenced ancient Egypt and the Nile valley. Their ideas about farming, the building of their cities, and their system of glyphs may have come from Southwest Asia. Egyptians pioneered the use of geometry in farming and their medicine was famous throughout the ancient world.

What are glyphs? They are small graphic symbols that represent words or ideas. The ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics.

Cultural Diffusion The religion of Islam was brought into North Africa when the Ottomans invaded. It remains the dominant religion of the region today.

What is Islam? It is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion that follows the revelations and teachings of the prophet Muhammad.

Other Cultural Groups The Berbers are the nomadic, indigenous people of North Africa.

Other Cultural Groups The Bedouins are the Arab-speaking people who migrated to North Africa from Southwest Asia.

The Economics of Oil What began with an economy based on agriculture, over history, it evolved into cash crops and mining. Oil transformed the economies of Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, contributing to greater wealth.

The Economics of Oil Even though oil has helped the economies, the labor force cannot keep up with the demands of the oil industry. The high-paying jobs tend to go to foreign workers due to the locals lack of training and education.

Population Patterns The majority of the population of North Africa lives along the Mediterranean Coast and the Nile River.

Souks These are the markets of North Africa. They are very common all over.

Rai It developed in Algeria in the 1920s by poor urban children and was originally carefree and centered around topics for youths. By the 1960s, it had turned into a means of communicating resentment toward French colonials. Today, it is used as a form of rebellion against Islamic fundamentalists due to its western pop elements.

Women in Tunisia Although the society has been patriarchal and continues to be that way, women’s roles are changing slowly. Recently, they abolished the practice of polygamy, and also increased the penalty for spousal abuse. Women may also seek divorce, preteen girls cannot be in an arranged marriage, and women have gained equal pay in the workforce.

Women in Tunisia 20% of the parliamentary seats are held by women. There are also a growing number of women managing businesses.