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The name Sahara comes from the Arabic word for “desert”
One impact of the very dry Sahara is that few people live there -- Small settlements are
located near a water source such as an oasis
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The Sahara covers most of North Africa
Oasis: a wet, fertile area in a desert where a natural spring or well provides water
The Sahara covers 3,500,000 square miles; overall area is as large as the United States
The Sahara is one of the hottest places on Earth and daytime temps may rise to 136-degrees
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Sahara desert is the 2nd largest desert in the world, after Antarctica,
and the largest hot desert in the world
Cultures of North Africa
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Egyptians, Bedouins and Berbers make up most of the population of Egypt
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Berbers – an ethnic group native to North Africa; lived there before Arab invasions
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Most Europeans left North Africa when those countries gained
independence, but many today in those North African countries still
speak those European languages
Religion
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Nearly all of North Africa practices the religion of Islam
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5-6% of Egypt is actually Christian or other religions
North African Population Facts
• Most North Africans live in cities along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
• Many of these cities have large marketplaces called Souks
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The most urbanized country in North Africa is Libya
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99% of Egypt’s population lives in the Nile River Valley and delta region
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One city in North Africa exists as a Free Port city, where people can buy goods that are tax-free
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The North African countries in the west are collectively known as the
Maghreb; the word means “West” in Arabic