NORTH AFRICA SOUTHWEST ASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA CHAPTER

NORTH AFRICA, SOUTHWEST ASIA, AND CENTRAL ASIA

CHAPTER 15: NORTH AFRICA

ATLAS MOUNTAINS • 4 Tectonic Plates interacting: African, Arabian, Anatolian, and Eurasian • Atlas Mts. is Africa’s longest range • From SW Morocco to NE Tunisia

DESERTS • Northern edge of Sahara Desert • Ergs: sandy dune covered areas • Regs: stony plains with rocky gravel (“desert pavement”) • Hamadas: flat, sandstone plateaus

AHAGGAR • A large, mountainous plateau region in northcentral Sahara • Highest mt: Mt. Tahat (9, 573 ft) in SE Algeria • Extend into Niger (S) and Libya (N)

TIBESTI MOUNTAINS • NE Niger and S Libya • Range is 300 miles long • Highest summit in the Sahara: Emi Koussi (Chad)---11, 204 ft.

NILE RIVER • Nile: world’s longest river (4, 160 mi. ); flows north from Ethiopia/Uganda • Nile Delta: very fertile; home to ancient Egypt • Regular flooding spreads ALLUVIAL SOIL: sand mud deposited by flowing water

ASWAN HIGH DAM • Built in the 1950 s to control flow and flooding of Nile • Also provide irrigation and hydroelectric power • Prevents spread of alluvial soil thus diminishing soil fertility • WADIS: streambeds that remain dry until heavy rains

WATER BOUNDARIES • Mediterranean Sea separates Africa from Europe • Sinai Peninsula, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden separate N. Africa from the Arabian Peninsula

CLIMATE • Desert (arid)and Steppe (semi-arid) • Plant life: cacti and shrubs; olive trees, date palms • Small-level farming around oases

SAHEL • Flat plain stretching for 3, 300 miles across south Sahara • Semi-arid (steppe) • Forms the transition zone from desert to savanna

NATURAL RESOURCES • PHOSPHATES: natural mineral with chem compounds used in fertilizers • Natural gas and petroleum as well

SECTION 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AFRICA

EARLY PEOPLES • Settled around 10, 000 yrs ago by hunter/gatherers • First to domesticate plants and animals

EGYPT • Developed 6, 000 yrs ago around the Nile River valley • Used sophisticated irrigation • Created a 365 -day calendar • Developed HIEROGLYPHICS: writing system in which pictures and symbols represent words or sounds • Brilliant in mathematics and engineering

ARAB INFLUENCE • A. D. 600 s: Arab armies move in from Arabian Peninsula • Bring Islam • Maintain control of region until 1500 s • Ottoman Empire takes over • Ottoman control ends in 1918

EUROPEAN INFLUENCE • Mid-1800 s: French invade Algeria • Italy colonizes Libya • Disagreements over who ruled North Africa • European colonials drew GEOMETRIC BOUNDARIES: fixed limit that follows straight lines • No consideration for natural or cultural features

INDEPENDENCE • Mid-1800 s: educated middle class develops in Africa • Nationalist feelings arise • Demand for self-rule • Egypt gains in 1922 • Algeria in 1962

LIBYA • Gained independence from Italy in 1951 • Ruled by Western-friendly monarchy • 1969: Overthrown by a coup, led by Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi • 2010: violent protests overthrow and kill Qaddafi • This sets off the “Arab Spring”---movements in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia against oppressive, nondemocratic govts

POPULATION PATTERNS

BERBERS • Indigenous people of N. Africa • 15 million today • Mostly farmers • Had been NOMADS: groups of people who move from place to place, following herds

BEDOUINS • Def: member of the nomadic desert peoples of N. Africa and SW Asia • Came with Arab invasions of 600 s • Arabic speaking • Vast majority are Sunni Muslim

NEED FOR WATER • Availability of water has biggest influence on settlement • Major population centers arise around water sources

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

RELIGION • Islam is predominant • Prayer 5 times a day • Muezzin (crier) calls for prayer from local mosque • Imam (prayer leader) leads prayer • Bow and kneel before Mecca

LANGUAGE • Arabic • Different dialects and accents • Algeria speaks French

ECONOMICS • Oil and natural gas are main exports • Tourism • Small level farming • High rates of unemployment leads to civil unrest