(Redirected from North African)
'North Africa' or 'Northern Africa' is the
northernmost region of the
African
continent, separated by the
Sahara from
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Geopolitically, the
UN definition of Northern Africa includes the following seven territories:
★ The disputed territory of
Western Sahara is administered by Morocco; the
Polisario Front also claims it.
The
Spanish ''plazas de soberanía'' (exclaves) are on the southern coast of the
Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by Morocco on land.
The Spanish
Canary Islands and
Portuguese Madeira Islands in the
North Atlantic Ocean are northwest of the
African mainland and sometimes included in this region.
Geographically,
Mauritania and more rarely the
Azores are sometimes included.
The
Maghreb includes Western Sahara (claimed by Morocco), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. North Africa generally is often included in common definitions of the
Middle East, as both regions make up the Arab world. In addition, the
Sinai Peninsula of Egypt is part of
Asia, making Egypt a
transcontinental country.
Landscape
The
Atlas Mountains, which extend across much of
Morocco, northern
Algeria and
Tunisia, are part of the fold mountain system which 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 90% 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.
People
Distribution of Berbers in Northwest Africa
The inhabitants of North 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.
Northwest Africa on the whole is believed to have been inhabited by
Berbers since the beginning of recorded history, while the eastern part of Northern Africa has been home to the
Egyptians, Abyssinians (
Ethiopians) and
Nubians (
Sudanic descent), although ancient Egyptians record extensive contact in their Western desert with peoples that appear to have been
Berber or proto-Berber. Following the Muslim-Arab conquest in the 7th century AD, the region underwent a process of
Arabization and
Islamization that has defined its cultural landscape ever since. Questions of ethnic identity usually rely on an affiliation with
Arabism and/or
Islam, or with indigenous cultures and religions. Northern Africans exhibit a wide range of phenotypical characteristics from fair to dark-complexioned.
Culture
The people of the
Maghreb and the
Sahara speak various dialects of
Berber and
Arabic, and almost exclusively follow
Islam. The Arabic and Berber groups of languages are distantly related, both being members of the
Afro-Asiatic family. The Sahara dialects are notably more conservative than those of coastal cities (see
Tuareg languages). Over the years,
Berber peoples have been influenced by other cultures with which they came in contact:
Nubians,
Greeks,
Phoenicians,
Egyptians,
Ethiopians,
Romans,
Vandals,
Arabs, and lately
Europeans. The cultures of the Maghreb and the Sahara therefore combine indigenous Berber, Arab and elements from neighboring parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. In the Sahara, the distinction between sedentary
oasis inhabitants and nomadic
Bedouin and
Tuareg is particularly marked.
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 ''Imazighen'') 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 (see also
Arabized Berber).
The Nile Valley through northern
Sudan traces its origins to the ancient civilizations of
Egypt and
Kush. The
Egyptians over the centuries have shifted their language from
Egyptian to modern
Egyptian Arabic (both
Afro-Asiatic), while retaining a sense of national identity that has historically set them apart from other people in the region. Most Egyptians are
Sunni Muslim and a significant
minority adheres to
Coptic Christianity which has strong historical ties to the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church. In
Nubia, straddling Egypt and Sudan, a significant population retains the ancient
Nubian language but has adopted
Islam. The northern part of the
Sudan is home to the largely Arabized Muslim population, but further down the Nile Valley, the culturally distinct world of the largely non-Muslim
Nilotic and
Nuba peoples begins. Sudan is the largest and most diverse of all North African countries.
North Africa formerly had a large
Jewish population, many of whom emigrated to France or Israel when the North African nations gained independence. A smaller number went to Canada. Prior to the modern establishment of
Israel, there were about 600,000–700,000 Jews in North Africa, including both
Sfardīm (refugees from France, Spain and Portugal from the Renaissance era) as well as indigenous
. Today, less than fifteen thousand remain in the region, almost all in Morocco and Tunisia. (See
Jewish exodus from Arab lands.)
History
Main articles: History of North Africa
Antiquity and Ancient Rome
The most notable nations of antiquity in western North Africa are
Carthage and
Numidia. The Carthaginians were of
Phoenician origin, with the Roman myth of their origin being that queen
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. The Carthaginians were a commercial power and had a strong navy, but relied on mercenaries for land soldiers. The Carthaginians developed an empire in
Spain and
Sicily, the latter being the cause of
First Punic War with the
Romans. 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.. 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 leader
Jugurtha. 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 barbarian tribe, the
Vandals, to cross the straights of Gibraltar, where upon 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 and that the focus of Roman energy had to be on the emerging threat of the
Huns. In 468 A.D., the last attempt by the Romans, with
Byzantine aid, made a serious attempt to invade North Africa but were repelled. This is placed as the point of no return for the western Roman empire in a historical sense and the last Roman Emperor was deposed in 475 by the
Ostrogoth generalissimo
Odoacer who saw no purpose in regaining North Africa. Trade routes between Europe and North Africa remained intact until the coming of the Moslems.
Arab Conquest to modern times
The Arab Islamic conquest reached North Africa in 640 A.D. By 670, most of North Africa had fallen to Muslim rule. Indigenous Berbers subsequently started to form their own polities in response in places such as Fez, Morocco, and Sijilimasa. In the eleventh century a reformist movement made up of members that called themselves
Almoravids, launched a
jihad against the kingdoms to the south in the Savanna. This movement solidified the faith of Islam, and allowed for penetration into sub-sahara Africa. After the
Middle Ages the area was loosely under the control of the
Ottoman Empire, except Morocco. After the
19th century, it was colonized by
France,
the United Kingdom,
Spain and
Italy. 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.
Land and Sea
Sheltered valleys in the Atlas mountains, the Nile valley and delta, and the Mediterranean coast are the main sources of good 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 Egypt's population lives close to the river. Elsewhere, irrigation is essential to improve crop yields on the desert margins.
Many North African nomads, such as the
Bedouin, maintain a traditional pastoral lifestyle on the desert fringes, moving their herds of sheep, goats and camels from place to place – crossing country borders in order to find sufficient grazing land.
Transport and industry
The economies of Algeria and Libya 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 and Algeria. Libyan oil is especially prized because of its low
sulphur content, which it means it produces much less pollution than other fuel oils.
External links
★
The North Africa Journal Analytical magazine
:
★
Energy and Mining
:
★
Industries and Markets
:
★
Politics and Diplomacy
:
★
Finance and Banking
:
★
Agriculture and Tourism
:
★
Corporate Affairs
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Social and Labor Affairs
★
North-of-Africa.com News and culture
See also
★
European Digital Archive on Soil Maps of the World
★
Northern Africa Railroad Development
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