PENNSVALLEY
82
COPYRIGHT
Northern Africa
Lesson 42:
Political Features of Northern Africa
Northern Africa includes ten independent nations and one disputed land area south of Morocco
known as theWestern Sahara. For more than 25 years, Morocco has been fighting a war with local
desert tribesman for control ofWesternSahara.
NorthernAfrica has a rapidly growing population of more than 235million people.People from the
region are from diverse backgrounds. The region includes many African tribal groups, nomadic
herdsman, Arabs from the Middle East, and Europeans. Beginning in the 7th century, Arab invaders
from the Middle East brought their customs, language, and the Islamic religion to Northern Africa.
Today, Arab culture dominatesNorthernAfrica.
Northern Africa includes the two largest countries in land area in Africa. Sudan is the largest and
Algeria the second largest. Egypt is themost populated country inNorthernAfrica. It is often referred
toas the “gift of theNileRiver.”Egypt ishome to thepyramids, oneof thesevenwondersof theancient
world. The pyramids were built as tombs for the pharaohs. They were rulers of a civilization in Egypt
more than 4,000 years ago.
ACTIVITY:
The countries and capital cities of NorthernAfrica are listed in the chart below. 1) Use the numbers in
the chart tohelp you locateandwrite thenameof each country on the regional mapon thenext page.
2) Next, use the letters to locate and label each country’s capital city. 3) After you have located and
labeled the countries and capital cities, use colored pencils to trace the borders of the countries that
make upNorthernAfrica.Use the political map of Africa in your classroom atlas as a resource.
Countries of NorthernAfrica
GridCoordinates
1.Morocco
a. Rabat
2. Algeria
b. Algiers
3.Tunisia
c. Tunis
4. Libya
d. Tripoli
5. Egypt
e. Cairo
6. Sudan
f. Khartoum
7.Mauritania
g. Nouakchott
8.Mali
h. Bamako
9.Niger
i. Niamey
10.Chad
j. N’Djamena
11.WesternSahara
k. Laayoune
(Remember,WesternSahara is presently not an independent country.)
Two
groups of
nomadic
people, the
Tuaregs and Bedouins,
still use camels for
transportation in the Sahara
Desert. Camels are able to
travel in the hot desert for
long periods of time without
water. A camel’s heavy eye
lids and nostrils that close
are special features that also
protect them from the fierce
sandstorms of the Sahara.
