World Geography

 Maghreb nations: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco  Close ties to Middle Eastern, Arab nations  Major similarities:  Arabic-speaking Muslims  Live along Mediterranean Coast  Inland: arid, form northern edges of Sahara

 What do you imagine the climate is along the Mediterranean coast?  Near the Sahara?

 On the interior… little contact with other cultures!  No rivers to travel on… mountains and desert = barriers  Less cultural diffusion means what?

gZ20AG8CuSK9vJ0u5k7Hn-gEDIE=&h=581&w=723&sz=93&hl=en&start=43&zoom=1&tbnid=r40mr09TEzTURM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=166&ei=0-JwTcfMDc- ztweF_6WADw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsahara%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D610%26tbs%3Disch:10,1600&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=412&vpy=258&dur=3328&hovh=201&h ovw=250&tx=119&ty=135&oei=wOJwTdHGDY2ltweii8HwDg&page=4&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:43&biw=1024&bih=610

 5000 BCE: Berbers transitioned from nomads to herders and farmers  Camels: allow transport in desert conditions  Caravans: large groups of merchants  What advantages would they have traveling in groups?  Carried salt south and gold north, transported wild animals

 Mid-600s CE Arab armies invade N. Africa  Cultural Diffusion: language, religion  Region becomes important trade center between Europe, Asia, and Africa  Arab majority throughout N. Africa  17% Berbers in Algeria  Elsewhere, minority population of Berbers

 1830: France invades Algeria (rebels battle for 70 years, but are defeated)  Late 1800s: France expands empire to Tunisia  1912: France gains control of Morocco, Italy conquers Libya  1951: Italy defeated in WW2, Libya declared independent by UN  Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco (fight for independ.)

 Rural Life:  Small villages  Mud or stone houses  Water must be carried from village well each day  Rest time midday, when temperatures are hottest (adapt to physical environment!)  Subsistence farming

 Small groups travel throughout Sahara  Tuareg  Own language (only Berber lang written)  Unique form of Islam (incorporates traditional religion)  Droughts force many to create permanent settlements… why?

 Undergoing rapid urbanization (cannot be supported… housing/jobs scarce)  More than ½ population lives in urban areas  Medinas:  Older, Arab sections of N. African cities  Souks:  Market areas that begin at a mosque

Tunis, Tunisia

 Oil = 99% of exports  Oil $$$ pays for roads, schools, housing, hospitals

 1969 overthrew pro-Western King  Socialism, mixing Islamic tradition with modern political and economic reforms  Goals:  Equally distribute wealth (no Libyan could have more than one house, or 1000 dinar, $3,400, in savings)… extra was seized  Root out Western influences: closed bars, banned jeans for men, short skirts for women

 Let us discover the most recent events in Libya!