PENNSVALLEY
84
COPYRIGHT
Northern Africa
Lesson 43:
Natural Resources and Economy
of Northern Africa
Themajor farmingareas of NorthernAfricaare located in the fertile
valleys of theAtlasMountains, along the coastal plain bordering the
MediterraneanSea, and in theNileRiverValleyanddelta. Inland, the
arid Sahara Desert dominates the landscape. Without sources of
water and irrigation, agriculture is limited to grazing livestock on the
borders of the desert, and raising dates, peaches, figs, grapes, and
vegetables in oases areas.
ACTIVITY 1:
Use the information above and the Industry Chart to answer the
questions on the next page. Major economic activities of Northern
Africa are boldfaced.
INDUSTRY CHART FORNORTHERNAFRICA
Agriculture
Minerals
Manufacturing/ Services
Morocco cereal grains, vegetables,
phosphates
,
processingphosphates
citrus fruits, dates,
cork
,
coal, iron ore,
agricultural produce
grapes,
fishing
, goats, sheep zinc
iron/steel,
tourism
Western
phosphates
Sahara
Algeria
cereal grains, figs,
dates
oil
,
natural gas
,
steel, petroleum
citrus fruits, grapes, olives,
iron ore
tobacco,
cork
, fishing, sheep phosphates, zinc, lead
Tunisia
cereal grains, olives,
oil, iron ore,
textiles, carpets,
fishing, dates, citrus fruits,
phosphates
iron/steel,
grapes, sheep tourism
Libya
olives, dates, sheep
oil, natural gas
textiles
, chemicals
food processing,
Egypt
cotton
, dates, goats, grapes
oil
, phosphates
Suez Canal, textiles,
sugar cane, rice
tourism, iron/steel
chemicals, finance
hydroelectric power
Mauritania
fishing
, sheep, goats
ironore
, phosphates
Mali
rice, peanuts, cotton, goats,
textiles
cattle
food processing
Niger
rice, peanuts, cotton
uranium
Chad
rice, peanuts, cotton, cattle
Sudan
sugar cane, cotton, goats,
sugar refining, textiles
sheep, cattle
hydroelectric power
An
oasis
is a fertile
area in a
desert createdwhenwater
rises to the earth’s surface.
People who live in villages
that spring up around an
oasis relymostly on small
farming and trading to
make a living.
