North Africa Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt

Africa is a very large and diverse land We will begin by taking a look at the Northern region, which has a lot in common with the Middle East in Asia

Industries - Oil, phosphates, cotton textiles, tourism Climate - Desert covers the majority of North Africa, and they experience very little rainfall. Sand storms are very common. Geo. Features Sahara Desert (covers 90% of this region) Atlas Mountains Ahaggar Mountains Nile River Industries - Oil, phosphates, cotton textiles, tourism

Language – Arabic (in most countries) Religion – Mostly Islam People - The largest ethnic groups in North Africa are the Arabs and Berbers (1st people known to live in North Africa).

Egypt Cairo is the capital of Egypt and one of the largest industrial centers It is the largest city in all of Africa The Nile River supplies 85% of Egypt’s water and is the longest river in the world. The river is considered the country’s lifeline because 95% of Egypt is desert

In ancient Egypt, the Egyptian rulers had the title of Pharaoh (meaning “great house”). Many pharaohs were buried in pyramids. These tombs were built to protect the pharaoh’s body from natural forces and grave robbers The Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Pharaoh Khufu, is the largest pyramid in Egypt. It is the only one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World to be left standing

Egyptian Contributions Ancient Egyptians are well known for their form of writing known as hieroglyphics which uses pictures for words. Egyptians used a plant called papyrus to make an early form of paper.

They invented mummification to preserve dead bodies for the afterlife

Current Events Egypt is one of the most important countries to change government as a result of the “Arab Spring” movement The former president, Hosni Mubarak, stepped down in 2011after charges of corruption, brutality, and oppression The military continues to oversee things as the people transition to a more representative government

Tunisia The ruins of Carthage (Rome’s ancient rival) are located in Tunisia Kairouan, a great center of Islamic learning and culture, is the fourth most important city in the Islamic world after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. The “Tatooine” scenes in Star Wars were shot in Tunisia A democratic revolution in Tunisia helped spark the “Arab Spring” movement we learned about in our Middle East unit.

Morocco Casablanca is a very popular city for visitors to come to in Morocco. The Hassan II Mosque is one of the largest mosques in the world. Its minaret is more than two football fields high (the largest minaret in the world) Their government is a constitutional monarchy They grow lots of saffron (the most expensive spice in the world)

Libya Oil has brought great wealth to Libya. They have one of the highest GDP’s in Africa There are places in the Libyan Desert where it only rains once every 10 or more years! Moammar Khadafy was the leader of Libya from 1969-2012. He was a military officer who overthrew the king and set up a dictatorship. At one time he supported terrorism He was kicked out of power and killed by his people in 2012 as the “Arab Spring” swept across Africa and the Middle East

Review  Let’s play “20 Questions” First, write down 5 or 6 key terms that you think are “study guide” worthy terms (people, places, things, events) Mr. H will do a sample, round with you 1st Now get in small groups and play!