Northern Africa

Geography

Split into three distinct regions; the Sahara, the Nile Valley and the Maghreb, Northern Africa incorporates both inhospitable and garden climates as well as people that practice ancient ways of life amongst those dwelling in modern cities. The region consists of Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara, with a population of 200 million. It is bordered by the Northern Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to its east. The Sahara Desert dominates the northern portion of the area and spills into each of the nations, dividing the continent into sub-Saharan Africa below its southern most reach. To the northwest of the Sahara are the Atlas Mountains soaring to over 10,000 feet and prone to earthquakes. This region is called the Maghreb and is populated by Muslim people of Arab or Berber background; Algiers, Rabat, Tripoli and Tunis are all cities within the Maghreb. The Nile, reaches south into Sudan and then splits into two tributaries running into Middle Africa.

Politics,Economics and Religion

Egypt's population is deeply religious and nearly all Muslim while in Sudan about one-quarter is Christian, one-tenth traditionalist and the remainder Sunni Muslim. The Atlas mountains yield plentiful mineral treasures to the economies of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

History

For tens of thousands of years the population in the Nile Valley region has been entirely dependant on its waters to provide sustenance and travel. From around five thousand years ago the ancient Egyptian civilization was based around the Nile delta where it flourished and made a lasting impact upon the world. There are many relics of the Pharaohs that can be visited in Egypt such as the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx outside the city limits of Cairo and the Valley of the Kings to the west of the Nile.

Climate

The Sahara is the driest hot desert in the world with daytime temperature soaring past 130 degrees Fahrenheit and then dropping below zero at night. Droughts can last for years.