North Africa

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North Africa according to UN

Countries geographically within North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of Africa. The United
Nations definition of "North Africa" includes seven countries and
territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.
[1]
The countries of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya are often collectively referred to as
the Maghreb, which is the Arabic word for "sunset". Egypt lies to the northeast and encompasses
part of West Asia, while Sudan is situated on the edge of the Sahel, to the south of Egypt.
Egypt is a transcontinental country because of the Sinai Peninsula, which geographically lies
in Western Asia.
North Africa also includes a number of Spanish possessions (Ceuta and Melilla and tiny Spanish
islets off the coast of Morocco). The Canary Islands and Madeira in the North Atlantic
Ocean northwest of the African mainland are included in considerations of the region.
The distinction between North Africa and much of Sub-Saharan Africa is historically and
ecologically significant because of the effective barrier created by the Sahara Desert for much of
modern history. From 3500 BC, following the abrupt desertification of the Sahara due to gradual
changes in the Earth's orbit, this barrier has culturally separated the North from the rest of the
continent.[2] As the seafaring civilizations of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims and
others facilitated communication and migration across the Mediterranean Sea, the cultures of
North Africa became much more closely tied to Southwestern Asia and Europe than Sub-
Saharan Africa. The Islamic influence in the area is also significant, and North Africa is a major
part of the Muslim world.
Some researchers have postulated that North Africa rather than East Africa served as the exit
point for the modern humans who first trekked out of the continent in the Out of Africa migration.[3]
[4][5]

Contents
 [hide]

1Geography

2Territories and regions

3People

4Culture

5History

o 5.1Early history

o 5.2Antiquity and ancient Rome

o 5.3Arab conquest to modern times

6Transport and industry

7See also

8Notes

9External links

Geography[edit]
The Atlas Mountains extend across much of Morocco, northern Algeria and Tunisia, are part of
the fold mountain system that also runs through much of Southern Europe. They recede to the
south and east, becoming a steppe landscape before meeting the Sahara desert, which covers
more than 75 percent of the region. The sediments of the Sahara overlie an ancient plateau
of crystalline rock, some of which is more than four billion years old.

North Africa, consisting of the Sahara and north, in the northern red climatic zone and northwards

Sheltered valleys in the Atlas Mountains, the Nile Valley and Delta, and the Mediterranean coast
are the main sources of fertile farming land. A wide variety of valuable crops including cereals,
rice and cotton, and woods such as cedar and cork, are grown. Typical Mediterranean crops,
such as olives, figs, dates and citrus fruits, also thrive in these areas. The Nile Valley is
particularly fertile, and most of the population in Egypt andSudan live close to the river.
Elsewhere, irrigation is essential to improve crop yields on the desert margins.

Territories and regions[edit]

 Density
Area GDP p
Countries andterritories Population (per Capital GDP (Total)
(km) capit
km)
$7,400
$254.7 billion
Algeria 2,381,741 [6]
40,400,000 (2016) 15.9 Algiers (2010
(2010 est.)[6]
est.)
$500.9 billion $6,200
Egypt 1,001,451 [7]
94,642,000 (2016) 84 Cairo
(2010) (2010)

Libya $89.03 billion $13,800

1,759,540 5,658,000 (2006) 3.55 Tripoli
(2010)[8] (2010)
446,550
or 710,850 (including $153.8 billion $4,900
Morocco [9]
33,848,242 (2014) 73.1 Rabat
the disputed Western (2010)[10] (2010)
Sahara)

Sudan $85.272 billion $2,984

1,886,068 30,894,000 (2008) 16.4 Khartoum
(2013) [11] (2013)
10,982,754 $125.1 billion $11,400
Tunisia 163,610 63 Tunis
(2014)[12] (2014)[13] (2014)

Western Sahara 548,000 (most

El-Aain(controlled $900 million $2,500
(mostly under Moroccan 266,000 carrying Moroccan 1.2
byMorocco) (2007)[14] (2007)
administration) passports)

Total, North Africa 8,935,659 192,080,996 22.3 $1.189 trillion $7,026

Source:

The World Factbook, United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 11 February 2011.[15]

People[edit]
Main articles: Berbers, Maghrebis, Egyptians, and Nubians
The inhabitants of Saharan Africa are generally divided in a manner roughly corresponding to the
principal geographic regions of North Africa: the Maghreb, the Nile valley, and the Sahara.
The Maghreb or western North Africa on the whole is believed to have been inhabited
by Berbers since at least 10,000 B.C.,[16] while the eastern part of North Africa or the Nile Valley
has mainly been home to the Egyptians. The edge of the Sahel, to the south of Egypt has mainly
been inhabited by Nubians. Ancient Egyptians record extensive contact in their Western desert
with people that appear to have been Berber or proto-Berber, as well as Nubians from the south.
As the Tassili n'Ajjer and other rock art findings in the Sahara have shown, the Sahara also
hosted various populations before its rapid desertification in 3500 B.C and even today continues
to host small populations of nomadic trans-Saharan peoples.
In the eleventh century, the Banu Hilal invaded the North African plains and plateaus, but not the
mountains (Rif, Kabylie or Aures) and bring with them Hilalian dialects of Arabic, which over the
centuries have been in significant contact with other languages, including languages of Europe.
They have contributed to the Arabized Berber populations.
The official language or one of the official languages in all of the countries in North Africa is
Arabic. Today the largest ethnic groups in North Africa are Berbers, Arabs and West Africas and
is predominantly Muslim with a Jewish minority in Morocco and Tunisia and significant Christian
minority - the Copts - in Egypt, Algeria,[17] Morocco[18] and Tunisia.[19]
Culture[edit]
Main article: Culture of North Africa

Market of Biskra in Algeria, 1899

The people of the Maghreb and the Sahara regions speak Berber languages and
several varieties of Arabic and almost exclusively follow Islam. The Arabic and Berber languages
are distantly related, both being members of the Afroasiatic language family. The Tuareg Berber
languages are notably more conservative than those of the coastal cities.
Over the years, Berbers have been influenced by contact with other
cultures: Greeks, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs,Europeans and sub-Saharan
Africans. The cultures of the Maghreb and the Sahara therefore combine indigenous Berber,
Arab and elements from neighboring parts of Africa and beyond. In the Sahara, the distinction
between sedentary oasis inhabitants and nomadicBedouins and Tuaregs is particularly marked.

The kasbah of At Benhaddou in Morocco

The diverse peoples of the Sahara are usually categorized along ethno-linguistic lines. In the
Maghreb, where Arab and Berber identities are often integrated, these lines can be blurred.
Some Berber-speaking North Africans may identify as "Arab" depending on the social and
political circumstances, although substantial numbers of Berbers (or Amazighen) have retained a
distinct cultural identity which in the 20th century has been expressed as a clear ethnic
identification with Berber history and language. Arabic-speaking Northwest Africans, regardless
of ethnic background, often identify with Arab history and culture and may share a common
vision with other Arabs. This, however, may or may not exclude pride in and identification with
Berber and/or other parts of their heritage. Berber political and cultural activists for their part,
often referred to as Berberists, may view all Northwest Africans as principally Berber, whether
they are primarily Berber- or Arabic-speaking.
Egyptians over the centuries have shifted their language from Egyptian (in its late form, varieties
of Coptic) to modern Egyptian Arabicwhile retaining a sense of national identity that has
historically set them apart from other people in the region. Most Egyptians are Sunni Muslim,
although there is a significant minority of Copts.
In Nubia, a region straddling Egypt and Sudan, a significant number of people speak a Nubian
language. In North Sudan, the main spoken language is Arabic, while approximately 144 native
Sudanese languages are also spoken. The Sudan is home to a predominately Arab Muslim
population, although there remains significant non-Arab (though Muslim) populations in the far
north (Nubians), far west (Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa) and far south (Nuba peoples) of Sudan.
The Maghreb formerly had a significant Jewish population, almost all of whom emigrated to
France or Israel when the North African nations gained independence. Prior to the modern
establishment of Israel, there were about 600,000-700,000 Jews in Northern Africa, including
both Sephardi Jews (refugees from France, Spain and Portugal from the Renaissance era) as
well as indigenous Mizrahi Jews. Today, less than fifteen thousand remain in the region, almost
all in Morocco and Tunisia, and are mostly part of a French-speaking urban elite. (See Jewish
exodus from Arab and Muslim countries.)

History[edit]
Main articles: Prehistoric North Africa and History of North Africa
Early history[edit]
Due to the recent African origin of modern humans, the history of Prehistoric North Africa is
important to the understanding of pre-hominid and early modern human history in Africa. The
earliest inhabitants of central North Africa have left behind significant remains: early remnants of
hominid occupation in North Africa, for example, were found in Ain el Hanech, near Sada (c.
200,000 BCE); in fact, more recent investigations have found signs of Oldowan technology there,
and indicate a date of up to 1.8 million BC.[20]
The cave paintings found at Tassili n'Ajjer, north of Tamanrasset, Algeria, and at other locations
depict vibrant and vivid scenes of everyday life in central North Africa during the Neolithic
Subpluvial period (about 8000 to 4000 BCE). Some parts of North Africa began to participate in
the Neolithic revolution in the 6th millennium BC, just before the rapid desertification of the
Sahara around 3500 B.C. due to a tilt in the Earth's orbit. [2]
While Egypt and Sudan due to the early civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Nubia entered
historicity by the Bronze Age, the Maghreb remained in the prehistoric period longer.
Some Phoenician and Greek colonies were established along the Mediterranean coast during
the 7th century BC.
Antiquity and ancient Rome[edit]

The first Roman emperor native to North Africa wasSeptimius Severus, born in Leptis Magna in present-
day Libya.

The most notable nations of antiquity in western North Africa are Carthage and Numidia. The
Phoenicians colonized much of North Africa including Carthage and parts of present-day
Morocco (including Chellah, Essaouira and Volubilis[21]). The Carthaginians were
of Phoenicianorigin, with the Roman myth of their origin being that Dido, a Phoenician princess,
was granted land by a local ruler based on how much land she could cover with a piece of
cowhide. She ingeniously devised a method to extend the cowhide to a high proportion, thus
gaining a large territory. She was also rejected by the Trojan prince Aeneas according to Virgil,
thus creating a historical enmity between Carthage and Rome, as Aeneas would eventually lay
the foundations for Rome. Ancient Carthage was a commercial power and had a strong navy, but
relied on mercenaries for land soldiers. The Carthaginians developed an empire in the Iberian
Peninsula and Sicily, the latter being the cause of First Punic War with theRomans.
Over a hundred years and more, all Carthaginian territory was eventually conquered by the
Romans, resulting in the Carthaginian North African territories becoming the Roman province of
Africa in 146 B.C.[22] This led to tension and eventually conflict between Numidia and Rome. The
Numidian wars are notable for launching the careers of both Gaius Marius, and Sulla, and
stretching the constitutional burden of the Roman republic, as Marius required a professional
army, something previously contrary to Roman values to overcome the
talented military leaderJugurtha.[23]
North Africa remained a part of the Roman Empire, which produced many notable citizens such
as Augustine of Hippo, until incompetent leadership from Roman commanders in the early fifth
century allowed the Germanic peoples, the Vandals, to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, whereupon
they overcame the fickle Roman defense. The loss of North Africa is considered a pinnacle point
in the fall of the Western Roman Empire as Africa had previously been an important grain
province that maintained Roman prosperity despite the barbarian incursions, and the wealth
required to create new armies. The issue of regaining North Africa became paramount to the
Western Empire, but was frustrated by Vandal victories. The focus of Roman energy had to be on
the emerging threat of the Huns. In 468 AD, the Romans made one last serious attempt to invade
North Africa but were repelled. This perhaps marks the point of terminal decline for the Western
Roman Empire. The last Roman emperor was deposed in 476 by
the Heruli general Odoacer. Trade routes between Europe and North Africa remained intact until
the coming of Islam. Some Berbers were members of the Early African Church (but evolved their
own Donatist doctrine),[24] some were Berber Jews, and some adhered totraditional Berber
religion. African pope Victor I served during the reign of Roman emperor Septimius Severus
Arab conquest to modern times[edit]

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, founded by Arab general Uqba ibn Nafiin 670, is the oldest and most
important mosque in North Africa;[25] city ofKairouan, Tunisia.

The early Muslim conquests included North Africa by 640. By 670, most of North Africa had come
under Muslim rule. Indigenous Berbers subsequently started to form their own polities in
response in places such as Fez and Sijilmasa. In the eleventh century, a reformist movement
made up of members that called themselves the Almoravid dynasty expanded south into Sub-
Saharan Africa.
North Africa's populous and flourishing civilization collapsed after exhausting its resources in
internal fighting and suffering devastation from the invasion of the Banu Sulaym and Banu Hilal.
Ibn Khaldun noted that the lands ravaged by Banu Hilal invaders had become completely arid
desert.[26]
1803 Cedid Atlas, showing the Ottoman held regions of North Africa

After the Middle Ages the area was loosely under the control of the Ottoman Empire,
exceptMorocco. After the 19th century, the imperial and colonial presence of France, the United
Kingdom, Spain and Italy left the entirety of the region under one form of European occupation.
In World War II from 1940 to 1943 the area was the setting for the North African Campaign.
During the 1950s and 1960s all of the North African states gained independence. There remains
a dispute over Western Sahara between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front.
In 2010 - 2011 massive protests swept the region leading to the overthrow of the governments in
Tunisia and Egypt, as well as civil war in Libya. Large protests also occurred in Algeria and
Morocco to a lesser extent. Many hundreds died in the uprisings.[27]

Transport and industry[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please
help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011) (Learn how and when
to remove this template message)

Thousands of people in North Africa depend on date palm trees for a living. Tunisia in 1960

The economies of Algeria, Libya, and Sudan were transformed by the discovery of oil and natural
gas reserves in the deserts. Morocco's major exports are phosphates and agricultural produce,
and as in Egypt and Tunisia, the tourist industry is essential to the economy.Egypt has the most
varied industrial base, importing technology to develop electronics and engineering industries,
and maintaining the reputation of its high-quality cotton textiles.
Oil rigs are scattered throughout the deserts of Libya, Algeria and Sudan. Libyan oil is especially
prized because of its low sulfur content, which means it produces much less pollution than other
fuel oils.

See also[edit]

Geography portal
 Africa portal

European Digital Archive on Soil Maps of the World

Sudan Military Railroad

List of modern conflicts in North Africa

Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ According to UN country classification here: [1] The
disputed territory of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) is
mostly administered by Morocco; the Polisario Front claims the
territory in militating for the establishment of an independent
republic, and exercises limited control over rump border territories.

2. ^ Jump up to: "Sahara's Abrupt Desertification Started by

a b

Changes in Earth's Orbit, Accelerated by Atmospheric and

Vegetation Feedbacks". Science Daily. 1999-07-12. Archived
from the original on 2013-10-29.

3. Jump up^ Was North Africa the Launch Pad for Modern Human
Migrations? Michael Balter, science 7 January 2011: 331 (6013),
20-23. doi:10.1126/science.331.6013.20

4. Jump up^ A Revised Root for the Human Y Chromosomal

Phylogenetic Tree: The Origin of Patrilineal Diversity in Africa.
Fulvio Cruciani, Beniamino Trombetta, Andrea Massaia, Giovanni
Destro-Bisol, Daniele Sellitto, Rosaria Scozzari, The American
Journal of Human Genetics - 19 May 2011

5. Jump up^ Earliest evidence of modern human life history in North

African early Homo sapiens, Tanya M. Smith, Paul Tafforeau,
Donald J. Reid, Rainer Grn, Stephen Eggins, Mohamed
Boutakiout, Jean-Jacques
Hublin, doi:10.1073/pnas.0700747104 PNAS April 10, 2007 vol.
104 no. 15 6128-6133

6. ^ Jump up to: "Dmographie (ONS)". Retrieved 26

a b

December 2015.

7. Jump up^ "Population in Censuses by Sex & Sex Ratio (1882

2006)" (PDF). Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
Retrieved 26 December 2015.

8. Jump up^ "LIBYA". The World Factbook. CIA.

9. Jump up^ "Note sur les premiers rsultats du Recensement

Gnral de la Population et de l'Habitat 2014". HCP. Retrieved 26
December 2015.

10. Jump up^ "MOROCCO". The World Factbook. CIA.

11. Jump up^ "SUDAN". The World Factbook. CIA.

 12. Jump up^ Recensement de 2014

13. Jump up^ "TUNISIA". The World Factbook. CIA.

14. Jump up^ "WESTERN SAHARA". The World Factbook. CIA.

15. Jump up^ "The World Factbook". CIA. Retrieved 2011-02-11.

16. Jump up^ Hsain Ilahiane, Historical Dictionary of the

Berbers (Imazighen)(2006), p. 112

17. Jump up^ *(French) Sadek Lekdja, Christianity in Kabylie, Radio

France Internationale, 7 mai 2001

18. Jump up^ Morocco: General situation of Muslims who converted

to Christianity, and specifically those who converted to
Catholicism; their treatment by Islamists and the authorities,
including state protection (2008-2011)

19. Jump up^ Fahlbusch, Erwin (2003). The Encyclopedia of

Christianity: J-O. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-
2415-8.

20. Jump up^ Sahnouni 1998

21. Jump up^ C. Michael Hogan (December 18, 2007). "Volubilis -

Ancient Village or Settlement in Morocco". The Megalithic Portal.
Retrieved 2010-05-23.

22. Jump up^ The Punic Wars 264-146 BC, by Nigel Bagnall

23. Jump up^ Sallust, De Bello Iugurthino

24. Jump up^ The Berbers BBC World Service: The Story of Africa

25. Jump up^ Kng, Hans (2006). Tracing The Way: Spiritual
Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. ISBN 978-0-8264-
9423-8., page 248

26. Jump up^ Populations Crises and Population Cycles, Claire

Russell and W.M.S. Russell, Galton Institute, March 1996

27. Jump up^ Essa, Azad (February 21, 2011). "In search of an
African revolution". Al Jazeera.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Northern
Africa and North Africa.

Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples

 North Africa's Weather Forecasts and Weather Conditions

North Africa news and analysis

Africa Interactive Map from the United States Army Africa

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Countries and territories of North Africa

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