North Africa is a geographic and political subdivision of Africa, consisting of eight nations: Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Map of North Africa
Not only is North Africa separated physically from the rest of Africa, it is also politically and culturally set apart.
Defining the Region
But Sub-Saharan Africa is physiographically, culturally, and linguistically distinct from the African countries north of the Sahara.
Historically, this perhaps awkwardly named region of North Africa and Southwest Asia was commonly called the “Middle East.” Referring to the region as the “Middle East” seems to privilege the European perspective, so what alternatives exist?
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Perhaps you could call it the Islamic World? You might have heard people refer to this area as the Arab World, but this would not apply to Iran, much of Israel, or Turkey.
Whatever its name, this region is the hearth area for several of the world’s great ancient civilizations and modern religions.
The landscape of North Africa and Southwest Asia, as its naming difficulties imply, is marked by regional differences: in culture, in language, in religion, in resources, and in precipitation.
The Sahara Desert and Climate
One of the most recognizable features of North Africa and Southwest Asia are its deserts. The Sahara, from the Arabic word ṣaḥrā‘ meaning “desert,” is the largest hot desert in the world, stretching across 9.4 million square kilometers (3.6 million square miles) of the North African landscape.
Sahara Desert
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The prevailing climatic feature of North Africa and Southwest Asia is a lack of precipitation. From 10°to 30°north is a particular band of dry air that forms the region’s hot desert climate zone (BWh in the Köppen climate classification system) and is clearly apparent on a map of global climate regions.
Most of the region receives less than 30 cm (12 in) of rain each year.
There are exceptions to this arid environment, however. The region has a number of fertile river valleys and oases. The Nile River, for example, creates an arable floodplain in an otherwise extremely dry area.
While part of Iran is desert, northern Iran is actually home to dense rainforests and there are a number of scenic lakes.
Coastal Turkey along the Mediterranean is often called the Turquoise Coast owing to its scenic blue waters.
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In a realm largely defined by its arid and hot climate, global changes in climate could have profound effects.
Climate and physical geography have already significantly constrained human settlement and development patterns in North Africa and Southwest Asia.
Rising temperatures could exacerbate droughts, and heat waves and dust storms will likely become more frequent.
In some areas, conflicts over limited water resources have already begun.
The Nile River, for example, runs through ten different states and 40 percent of the entire population of Africa lives within its floodplain. Egypt consumes 99 percent of the Nile’s water supply, though, putting pressure on other countries, like Sudan, to keep water flowing downstream.
The climate and physical geography of North Africa and Southwest Asia have shaped population patterns and culture in the region.
People in the region are generally clustered around the region’s sparse water resources reflecting ancient patterns of human settlement.
Ancient Civilizations and Innovations
Over 10,000 years ago, the earliest humans in North Africa and Southwest Asia settled in the Fertile Crescent, the area surrounding the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile rivers.
Here, humans first domesticated crops and animals and created the first farming settlements.
In Mesopotamia, in particular, the river valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, innovations occurred that would change the trajectory of human existence.
This was where the wheel was first invented, the first system of mathematics was created, and the first cereal crops, such as barley and wheat, were planted.
Mesopotamia was also the site of the first urban civilization, called Sumer.
Uruk, a city of Sumer, had a population of over 50,000 people by 2500 BCE making it the most populous city in the world at the time.
The people of this region have developed a number of adaptations to living in such a dry climate.
Buildings are commonly designed with high roofs. Since hot air rises, having a higher ceiling allows the living area to remain relatively cool.
Rooms are also often arranged around a common, shaded courtyard. This allows for maximum privacy, but also provides air flow throughout the living spaces.
The traditional style of dress in parts of this region is also distinctive and reflects the physical landscape.
Men might wear a cotton headdress to provide protection from the sand and sun as well as a long, flowing robe.
For some cultural groups in the region, adapting to the physical environment means migrating to cooler areas during the hottest parts of the year.
The Berbers, for example, an indigenous group in North Africa, traditionally herd livestock and migrate seasonally seeking water, grazing land, and shelter.
The Persians, from modern-day Iran, devised an innovative way to transport water known as a qanat.
Qanat System
Qanats are underground tunnels used to extract groundwater from below mountains and transport it downhill, where it is used to irrigate cropland.
In such a harsh, arid environment, agricultural potential is fairly limited.
Oil Resources and Economic Impact
River valleys and coastal areas provided small stretches of fertile land, but in the absence of widespread agricultural development, what other resources could bring this region wealth?
Today, Saudi Arabia remains the world’s leading oil exporter, shipping over 7.3 million barrels per day as of 2015.
Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates are also among the top seven global oil exporters.
Oil revenues have been able to increase development in these countries, financing industrialization, infrastructure, and providing high incomes.
Qatar, for example, a small, former British protectorate on the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, has the highest GDP per capita in terms of purchasing power parity of any country in the world (as of 2018, according to the International Monetary Fund), at over $130,000 per person, largely due to its expansive oil and natural gas reserves.
The tallest building in the world is now the Burj Khalifa, located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Countries in the developing world with oil resources have often been prone to authoritarian rule, slow growth, corruption, and conflict.
Oil wealth has been used to finance armies, and corrupt governments have pocketed oil revenue rather than reinvesting it in social programs or infrastructure.
Furthermore, placing such a high emphasis on exporting one resource, like oil, has made this region vulnerable to changes in global energy demand.
In an effort to coordinate oil production and prices, five countries including Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia formed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1960.
Today, OPEC has 14 member states and covers over 40 percent of global oil exports.
OPEC Member States
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