Physical Geography - North Africa
The countries of North Africa are Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.
Make sure you can locate these countries on the map. You also need to know the names of North
Africa's major landforms and water systems and where they are located.
The physical geography of North Africa affects life in this region in many ways.
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The Atlas Mountains affects climate in the region and the ways people make their livings.
Farming techniques are adapted to the mountain environment. Herders move livestock
between elevations to find food for their herds. The mountains create a rain shadow that
prevents moisture from reaching lands to the south.
The Nile River creates fertile areas that have become population centers and support
agriculture.
The Sahara, the world's largest desert, is known for its inhospitable terrain. Still, the
desert is not all sand. Small pockets of fertile land called oases dot the arid desert. Here,
farmers grow crops, herders graze livestock, and travelers stop to rest.
The Mediterranean Sea, in the north, provides a favorable climate that supports
population centers, farming, and tourism.
Petroleum and natural gas are the region's most valuable resources. They are unevenly
distributed throughout the region. These resources have benefited the economies of
countries with an abundant supply, such as Egypt, Libya, and Algeria.
Physical Geography - Southwest Asia / the Middle East and the Arabian
Peninsula
This part of the world is often in the news. You may have heard it referred to as the Middle East.
The countries discussed in this lesson are generally considered Middle Eastern countries.
However, due to the imprecise nature of the term, we will use Southwest Asia when referring to
this part of the world.
The major countries in this lesson are Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria, and Turkey. Make sure you can locate these countries on the map.
The physical geography of Southwest Asia affects life in this region in many ways. The Iranian
and Anatolian Plateaus are prone to earthquakes. The land surrounding the Euphrates and Tigris
Rivers is the most productive farmland in the region. It is known as the Fertile Crescent. The two
most important resources here are petroleum—which supports the region's economic
development, and water—which is fundamental to basic survival.
Southwest Asia: The Arabian Peninsula
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen are the
countries occupying the Arabian Peninsula. Make sure you can locate these countries on the
map.
The Arabian Peninsula forms a huge sloped plateau in the region. The Arabian Desert, also
known as the Rub-al-Khali Desert and the Empty Quarter, covers most of the Peninsula. As a
result, the climate in the region is mostly dry. Little precipitation falls and, due to the lack of
cloud cover, temperatures reach extreme highs and lows.
The Persian Gulf separates the Arabian Peninsula from nearby Iran. The Gulf and its surrounding
countries supply much of the world's petroleum. Oil has made the nations of the Arabian
Peninsula quite wealthy.
Human Geography - Locale and Culture
Settlement and Movement
You probably already know that a place's physical characteristics play a major role in where
people live. North Africa and Southwest Asia are no exception. Because much of the region is
desert, you can imagine that water resources greatly influence where people live. Water is a basic
survival need and so people generally live where they have access to this valuable resource.
Technology has increased the number of places people are able to live by making water more
accessible through improved storage and delivery systems and better drilling and pumping
techniques. Technology has affected life in a number of other ways too, such as mechanized
agricultural methods.
Two main settlement patterns have emerged in the region— rural and urban. Rural settlements
are primarily agricultural communities. These communities include pastoral nomads who move
from place to place to sustain themselves and their herds. Other farming communities have
grown up in desert oases and in fertile river valleys. In fact, one of the oldest civilizations began
in this region in the area known as Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq).
Rural settlements are dwindling as people move to urban areas seeking employment
opportunities and modern conveniences. Urbanization presents a number of challenges for the
region including:
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water quality and availability;
city services such as transportation and sanitation;
housing shortages; and
pollution.
Culture
Culture has played a significant role in the human geography of the region for centuries. Ethnic
identities, religion, and language have influenced land use as well as the political and economic
operations of the region. These factors are still at the forefront of developments in this region
today. Evidence can be found in the news on an almost daily basis. Understanding the cultural
complexity of this region will help you comprehend its economic, political, and social decisions.
This knowledge will provide insight into regional conflicts as well as areas where diverse groups
have learned to peacefully coexist. Additionally, the region's cultural heritage helps explain why
many here are opposed to the region's increasing globalization.
Ethnicity. Although most countries in the region are multiethnic, Arabs are the dominant ethnic
group. Other ethnic groups include Armenians, Azeris, Berbers, Greeks, Iranians (also known as
Persians) Jews, Kurds, Nubians, and Turks. Although ethnic diversity adds much to the region's
culture, it is also a source of political conflict.
Religion. Religion is central to the lives of most people in the region. Religious practices shape
their lives and are woven into their daily activities. This region was the origin for three of the
world's main monotheistic religions— Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, Islam is the
region's dominant religion. Observers of Islam are known as Muslims.
Look at the map below to view the religious diversity of the region.
Language. The number of different languages spoken in North Africa and Southwest Asia further
attests to its cultural diversity. The main language groups represented in the region are AfroAsiatic, Indo-European, and Altaic. Arabic is the dominant language.
Look at the map below to view the linguistic diversity of the region.
Globalization promises to be a major player in the cultural life of Southwest Asia and North
Africa. The region's role in the global economy presents a challenge to its traditional cultural
values. Further, technological advances such as the Internet, e-mail, and cell phones have made
foreign cultures more accessible and communication much easier. Even in Islamic nations,
Western drinks, foods, fashions, and entertainment have found their way into regional cultural
practices. This region is becoming increasingly intertwined with the network that makes up the
global community. It will surely be the site of very interesting future developments.
Human Geography - Economics and Politics
The region's petroleum resources place it in the global spotlight. Many countries in the region
benefit from their large petroleum deposits. Most of the wealthiest nations of the region owe
their prosperity to petroleum. Although this region holds the world's largest supply of petroleum,
some nations, such as Israel and Turkey, have been able to develop strong economies without the
benefit of oil. Despite the region's vast oil wealth, pockets of extreme poverty exist throughout
the region.
Politics
The region of Southwest Asia and North Africa is one of the more politically unstable regions of
the world. A number of conflicts trouble it. One such conflict is the Arab-Israeli conflict, which
is basically about Israeli security and Palestinian autonomy.
The politics of Islam have also played a role in regional unrest. There has been a resurgence of
Islam in regional politics. Political Islamists believe that the Muslim world is in a state of decline
because followers have been lax in following its teachings. To turn this around, leaders advocate
incorporating the principles of Islam into personal and political life. They feel that in this way,
Islamic identity, values, and power will be restored. Additionally, political Islamists believe that
technological advances and the introduction of western culture have done much to compromise
Islamic values. As a result, they seek to limit and/or control the extent of this exposure.
Uses of Geography - Environment and Society
People and their environment are interrelated. People depend on their environment for their very
survival. The environment supplies the food and water they need to survive. In this region,
increasing population growth is presenting a number of environmental concerns. The most
pressing of these concerns is food security.
The earth's spheres in the region—its land, water and its atmosphere—have been adversely
affected by people's activities. Although the region is making progress in dealing with its
environmental issues, future actions will need to balance the sustainable use of resources with its
growing population, economic development, and food security.
Use the table below to review the environmental issues discussed in this lesson.
Environmental
desertification
Issue Importance
inability of the land to grow
crops to feed the population
Human Activity
population growth;
clearing the land;
overgrazing;
urbanization
population growth;
free or cheap irrigation leads to
soil lacks nutrients needed to
increased usage and
soil degradation
grow crops to feed the
salinization;
population
lands are farmed until soil
nutrients are used up
coastal development;
increased groundwater
extraction;
increased use of surface water;
degradation and loss of
increased agricultural
biodiversity threatened extinction
valuable ecosystems
activities;
of species endemic to the region;
population growth;
irrigation;
salinization;
oil spills;
introduction of non-native
species
water is necessary for basic population growth;
water availability
survival
increased demand and use
agricultural operations;
clean water is essential to the oil production and related
water quality
public health
activities;
deep mining of aquifers
migration of people to coastal
urban areas;
coastal development for
sensitive ecosystems are
housing, industry, and tourism;
marine and coastal ecosystems
being degraded
oil production and
desalinization plants;
waste disposal;
wars
burning of fossil fuels;
urbanization;
air quality affects public
oil-related industries;
air pollution
health
increased car ownership;
old and poorly maintained cars;
use of unleaded gas
Uses of Geography - Looking Back and Forth
Historical Perspectives
The role of geography in shaping history is evident in this part of the world. The region's
physical characteristics have played a major role in its human geography.
The key to survival for any group of people is finding—and keeping—a constant supply of food
and water. For early hunter-gatherers, finding food and water decided whether they lived or died.
Once discovered, both were worth fighting for.
Early civilizations developed in fertile river valleys. The Egyptian civilization centered on the
Nile River. The Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Hittite, and Persian civilizations grew up in
Southwest Asia in an area known as the cradle of civilization, or Mesopotamia, in the TigrisEuphrates River valley. An abundance of water and food allowed them to grow. Additional
natural resources such as ores and precious metals gave them the ability to prosper even further.
North Africa is home to Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco. Each of these were
controlled in succeeding generations by the Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Muslim Arabs,
Ottoman Turks, and various European nations before gaining their independence. Each of the
invading powers used the fertile river valleys and coastal areas as important sources of food and
trade.
Nations will fight one another because of natural resources, a thirst for power, religion,
protection, or a perceived offense. All of these have been responsible for ongoing conflicts in
Southwest Asia. Today, the two principle reasons for conflict are over religion and natural
resources, particularly petroleum.
Looking Ahead
History and the events of today shed some light on the complex issues that will most likely shape
the region's future. It is certain that globalization and sustainability will be major concerns.
The region's abundant supply of petroleum makes it an important player in the world's
marketplace. The most serious economic challenge will be ensuring the stability of its oil
industry.
Population growth is putting intense pressure on the region's available resources. Competition for
land, water, and employment may well lead to future unrest. Membership in extremist groups is
on the rise. Many skilled, educated individuals are leaving their countries to find better
employment elsewhere.
Past resource management over the last few decades has added to the problem. Additionally, the
region's political situation fraught with conflict and war puts its economic development, security,
and environment at risk.
Sustainability is a serious issue that threatens the land, the freshwater supply, and marine and
coastal environments. Sustainable resource use, particularly water, is vital to the region's future.
Cooperation, coordination, and enforcement will be essential to ensuring future sustainability.
Although its future is uncertain, this volatile region is sure to play a leading role on the global
stage in the years to come. It will be interesting for you to watch this story unfold in the future.