Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
The countries of North Africa share a common ethnic, cultural and linguistic
identity that is unique to this region. North west Africa has been inhabited by
Berbers since the beginning of recorded history, while the eastern part of North
Africa has been home to the Egyptians. Following the Muslim conquest in the seventh
century C.E., the region underwent a process of Arabization and Islamization that
has defined its cultural landscape ever since.
The distinction between North Africa and 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.[1] 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.[2][3][4]
Contents [hide]
1 Geography
2 Countries, territories and regions
3 People
4 Culture
5 History
5.1 Early history
5.2 Antiquity and ancient Rome
5.3 Arab conquest to modern times
6 Transport and industry
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External 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 live close to the river. Elsewhere, irrigation
is essential to improve crop yields on the desert margins.