Transcript Modern North Africa

Modern North Africa
Notes #2
Class Objective
 Students will investigate the religion,
ethnicity, customs, language, and
government of North Africa.
Religion
 North Africa’s religions were shaped
by the isolation caused by the Sahara
Desert from the rest of Africa.
 The most dominant religion in the
area is Islam. People that belong to
the Islamic faith are typically called
Muslim.
 The reason Islam is the most
prevalent religion is because of the
proximity to Arabic countries in the
middle east.
 There are also other religions such as
Christianity, and Judaism.
Ethnicity
 Even though the people are located in
Northern Africa they mostly consider
themselves Arab.
 After the collapse of Roman power Arab
armies swept through the area maintaining
control for centuries.
 The Berbers are a group of people who
claim to be descendants from the cultural
group that inhabited the area before the
Arabs took over.
Customs
 Most people wear traditional
clothing. This traditional clothing
serves two purposes.
1. It functions according to Muslim
traditions.
2. It is very functional in the hot desert
climate.
Government
 North African politics have long been
influenced by Islamic beliefs. This
can cause tension on how the
government of a country should
function for it’s people.
 Islamic fundamentalists feel that the
government should operate on the
Islamic beliefs.
 Others want government to limit the
role of Islam in politics.
 In Algeria in 1992, an Islamic party
was going to win the upcoming
election and take power. In response
to this the government shut down the
elections and suspended Parliament
(congress).
 In retaliation to the governments
choice civil war broke out throughout
the country.
 Thousands have died from fighting
over this political decision.
 If the U.S was to get involved which
side would we choose? Which side
would you choose?
 The U.S has became increasingly
involved in North Africa sending both
military and economic aid to the
countries that are not anti-American.
 The President of Libya has pursued
many anti-American policies, and
sees himself as a defender of Arab
causes.
Economy
 Most North African countries would be
considered as developing countries.
 Some countries such as Morocco have
tried to strengthen their economy by
creating ties with Europe.
Natural Resources
 Oil and Natural gas are
the main products of
the Libyan and
Algerian economies.
Egypt and Tunisia also
have oil industries.
 Oil production is yet
another thing that ties
North Africa with the
Middle East.
 Agricultural production is also a
necessity.
 Egypt has millions of farmers
producing agriculture along the Nile
Valley.
 The only country in the region
without strong agricultural production
is Libya, which imports about 75% of
its food.
Cities
 The main cities in the region have a mix of
modern and traditional buildings.
 These cities are becoming increasingly
overcrowded as people move to the cities
to find work.
 Cities such as Cairo do not have enough
housing for the migrants. People crowd
into slums, or live in tents on rooftops.
 People also have converted tombs into
bedrooms and kitchens.