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NORTHERN AFRICA

North Africa can be divided into two sub-regions: Egypt and the Nile Basin and The Maghreb and its neighbors. Egypt is one of the most populous countries in the Middle East. It is the historic focus of this part of the world and a major political and cultural force. It shares with its southern neighbor, Sudan, the waters of the Nile River. Western North Africa (called the Maghreb) and the areas that border it also form a region, consisting of Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.

After the death of Muhammed in 632 CE, Arab armies carried Islam thoughout North Africa. Islamic and Arab culture has had a significant impact on North Africa. This culture, coupled with the semi-arid and arid climate of the area, and the presence of oil, makes North Africa more similar in nature to Southwest Asia than with the black tribal culture of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa.

ALGERIA

The earliest known inhabitants of Algeria were the Berbers. They were followed by the sea-faring Phoenicians and the Romans who set up colonies along the North African coast. These colonies were overrun by the Arabs in 7th century CE and later became part of the Moorish empire. In the 16th century the area was taken over by the Ottoman Empire. Algiers was a semi-indepenent Ottoman city-state and home of the Barbary Pirates, who preyed on the merchant ships in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1839 France launched an invasion and deposed the Turks and established the French colony of Algeria. Following World War II, Algeria fought a bloody eight-year war of independence from France. Since 1992, Algerian citizens and foreigners have been killed by Islamic fundamentalists who are fighting to oust the secular, military- led government. It is estimated that since 1992, 60,000 people have been killed ;1,100 people have been killed in the last year. (Washington Post Jan. 18, 1998).

ALGERIA AT A GLANCE *

LAND: Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa. It is divided into two contrasting areas by the Atlas Mountains. The coastal land to the north of the Atlas Mountains is called the Tell (meaning "hill"). The western half of this is a relatively dry but fertile area of valleys and plains. South of the Atlas Mountains is the much hotter Sahara, which occupies more than four-fifths of Algeria's land area. In all, only about one-thirtieth of the country has enough water to be arable.

CAPITAL: Algiers was a city-state during Ottoman rule and the home of the Barbary Pirates.

PEOPLE: 29,830,370. 99% Arab-Berber. The official language is Arabic, but French and several berber dialects are also spoken.

RELIGION: The official state religion is Sunni Muslim.

GOVERNMENT: Algeria is a republic. The government cancelled election in 1992 that the Islamic fundamentalists were expected to win and banned all non-religious activities in Algeria's mosques. In 1995 elections were held and Liamine Zeroual won the presidential election. A new constitution banning Islamic political parties and increasing the powers of the president passed in a referendum in 1996.

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES: Algeria has boundary disputes with neighboring Libya, which claims part of the southeastern region. Islamic fundamentalists who are upset with France for supporting the current government of Algeria have been responsible for killings and bombings in France.

LIAMINE ZEROUAL

* Statistics from the 1998 World Almanac

EGYPT

The Greek scholar Herodotus described Egypt as the gift of the Nile, but Egypt was also a product of natural protection. The middle and lower Nile lie enclosed by desert, open to the Mediterranean Sea, but otherwise virtually inaccessible to overland contact. The south, the upstream Nile is interrupted by a series of cataracts that begin near the present boundary of Egypt and Sudan. To the northeast, the Sinai Peninsula has always made crossing from southwestern Asia difficult. To the west, there is the endless Sahara. The ancient Egyptians thus had a natural fortress and were able to convert this isolation and protection into progress.
In 642 CE, Arab conquerors imposed Arabic and Islam on the country and in 1517 the Ottomans seized control which eventually led to the economic and cultural decline of Egypt. This debt gradually led to British control in 1882. Egypt achieved independence under a constitutional monarchy in 1922.
In 1952 the monarchy was overthrown and in 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser became President of Egypt. With Soviet funding he began building the Aswan High Dam, and in 1955 he nationalized the Suez Canal and was able to defeat an invasion by Britain, France, and Israel who tried to prevent the nationalization of the canal. Nasser however lost the Sinai Peninsula to Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.
Nasser's successor, Anwar Sadat pursued friendlier relations with the West and in 1979 signed the Camp David Accord, a peace treaty with Israel which returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. Egypt became an outcast of the Arab world for its recognition of the State of Israel and Sadat was assassinated by his own troops.
Sadat's successor, Hosni Mubarak, has tried to maintain good relations with the West while pursuing recognition of Palestinian rights in Israel.

EGYPT AT A GLANCE *

LAND: Egypt is in northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip. The Nile River, the longest river in the world, has brought fertile alluvial soil to a narrow valley of Egypt that cuts through the surrounding desert. Without the Nile Egypt would be almost entirely desert except for scattered oases. This narrow valley houses 99% of the population of Egypt.

CAPITAL: The capital of Egypt is Cairo, the largest city in Africa and in the Middle East. Cairo is the home of more than a fourth of all Egyptians. Alexandria, Cairo's neighbor to the north is Egypt's second largest city. It was founded in 332 BCE by Alexander the Great. Today, it is Egypt's major port city.

PEOPLE: population: 64,791,891. 99% of the population is of Eastern Hamitic descent: Egyptian, Berber and Bedouin.
The official language is Arabic but English and French are also spoken. Almost half of all Egyptians live in rural areas with most of them living in crowded villages along the Nile. The rural villagers are peasant farmers called fellahin .
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RELIGION: 94% are Sunni Muslim and 6% are Coptic Christians.

ECONOMY: Petroleum from the Gulf of Suez and the Sinai Peninsula account for more than half the value of Egypt's exports. Egypt exports one-third of the world's cotton. Egypt's massive foreign debt is a major concern. The government is heavily dependent on aid from the United States. Revenues from tourism have decreased appreciably since the later part of the 1980's especially since the rise of Islamic militants who have targeted and killed tourist groups in the country.

GOVERNMENT: Egypt is a republic. Since 1971 Egypt has been a single-party republic. Its Head of State is president Hosni Mubarak, who has been in office since 1981.

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES Egypt and Sudan dispute a boundary of barren territory known as the Halaib Triangle. Tensions over this disputed area began to escalate in 1992 and remain high. The building of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave Egypt a strategic importance as it is the shortest sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. . Egypt also controls the Sinai Peninsula which is the land bridge between Africa and Asia and juxtaposes Egypt with Israel.

HOSNI MUBARAK President Mubarak

* Statistics from the 1998 World Almanac

LIBYA

In the 7th century BCE Tripolitania (the northwestern region of Libya ) was an eastern province of the Carthaginian empire and Cyrenaica (the northeastern region of Libya) was a Greek colony. In the first century, the Romans conquered both areas, and when the Arabs invaded in the 7th century CE, the whole of this part of Northern Africa was part of the eastern Byzantine empire. It became a haven for pirates who raided ships in the Mediterranean. In the 16th century the Turkish Sultan annexed the whole area into the Ottoman empire. The Italians invaded the country in 1911 but failed to win full control of the interior until 1939. During World War II, the Italians were ejected from the country and an independent kingdom was created in 1951. In 1969, the monarchy was overthrown in a coup led by Muammar Gadhafi who broke Libyan ties with Britain and the United States.

Libya has very limited natural fresh water resources; the Great Manmade River Project, the largest water development project in the world, is being built to bring water from large aquifers under the Sahara to coastal cities.

LIBYA AT A GLANCE * LAND:   More than nine-tenths of Libya's land area is desert or semi desert, and more than three-fourths of its population live along the narrow coastal strip. Libya's intensely hot desert climate (with very cold nights) is moderated only in the north along the Mediterranean coast.
CAPITAL: The capital, Tripoli is located on the Mediterranean coast. Here lies the Gefara Plain, Libya's most productive farming area.
PEOPLE:   Population 5,648,359. 97% are of Arab-Berber descent. Arabic is the official language, but Italian and English are also spoken.
RELIGION: 97% Sunni Muslim
GOVERNMENT: The President of Libya is Muammar Gadhafi. There is only one political party, the Arab Socialist Union.
ECONOMY: Oil is Libya's chief resource, accounting for more than half of the gross national product. Before the discovery of oil Libya's economy was based on agriculture, but today food must be imported. Manufacturing plays a minor role in the economy.
GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES   Gadhafi has openly supported terrorist organizations, most notably extremist Palestinian groups, in the interests of Arab nationalism. Suspected Libyan involvement in several major terrorist incidents led to an American air raid on Tripoli in 1986.
Libya has had several border disputes with its neighbors: The International Court of Justice ruled in 1994 that the Aozou Strip between Chad and Libya belongs to Chad and that Libya must withdraw. Libya has withdrawn some of its forces but still maintains part of the airfield and a small military presence. Libya also claims part of northern Niger and part of southeastern Algeria and has a maritime boundary dispute with Tunisia.

                                                                                                                             MUAMMAR GHADAFI

* Statistics from the 1998 World Almanac

MOROCCO

Morocco like the rest of North Africa's Mediterranean countries, was a former Carthaginian and later Roman province that was overrun in the 7th Century CE by Muslim Arabs. However, in the 11th century, the indigenous people, the Berbers, established their own empires. The 19th century was a time of weak rule and war between the Berbers and France as it extended it influence into Morocco. In 1896 Spain took over much of Morocco's Saharan territory, and in 1912 Morocco was made a French protectorate though Spain kept control of areas in the north and south. Morocco became independent from France in 1956.

MOROCCO AT A GLANCE * LAND: Most of Morocco is mountainous or plateau. The Atlas Mountains span from the southwest to the northeast. They form three distinct ranges: the High Atlas in the center, the Middle Atlas to the northeast, and the lower Anti-Atlas range in the southwest. In the northwest, they slope away, and broad foothills lead to the Atlantic coastal plain which is the site of the principal towns.

CAPITAL: Rabat is the capital and an important port city. The largest and probably most famous city in Morocco is Casablanca.

PEOPLE: The population is 30,391,423. 99% are Arabic-Berber. Arabic is the official language, but Berber is also spoken

RELIGION: 99% are Sunni Muslim

ECONOMY: Fifty percent of the workforce is employed in agriculture. Many work on government-subsidized cooperatives. The chief crops are barley and wheat, citrus fruits, potatoes nd other vegetables. Although Morocco seems to lack the oil that is held by its neighbors, it does have significant amounts of phosphates and iron ore.

GOVERNMENT: Morocco is a constitutional monarchy. King Hassan died in 1999, He had been the Head of State since 1961. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Mohamed VI.

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES: Morocco's location along the Strait of Gibraltar is strategic. The fate of Western Sahara had still not been determined. A UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since 1991, but Morocco still claims the area. Spain controls the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla which Morocco contests.

* Statistics from the 1998 World Almanac

TUNISIA

Tunisia was part of the Carthaginian then Roman Empires. It was overrun by Muslim Arabs in the 7th Century and then incorporated into the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century. France seized control of Tunisia in 1881. Tunisia gained its independence in 1957.

TUNISIA AT A GLANCE *

LAND: Tunisia lies on the Mediterranean coast between Algeria and Libya. The Atlas mountains run through Tunisia. Along the Mediterranean is a broad coastal plain covered by rich alluvial silts.

CAPITAL: Tunis, the capital of Tunisia is located on the Mediterranean coast. Not far from Tunis lie the ruins of Carthage

PEOPLE: The population is 9,183,097. 99% are Arab-Berbers. Arabic is the official language but French is also spoken.

RELIGION: 98% are Sunni Muslim

ECONOMY: Minerals are the prime source of national wealth, especially phosphates and petroleum with natural gas.

GOVERNMENT: Tunisia is a republic. The Head of the State is president General Zin al-Abidine Ben Ali and the Head of Government is the Prime Minister, Hammed Karoul.

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES Tunisia has a maritime boundary dispute with Libya. Malta and Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf between heir coumties, particularly for oil exploration.

* Satistics from the 1998 World Almanac

SUDAN

Throughout its history Sudan has been divided between its Arab North and African South. Northern Sudan was known as Kush by the ancient Egyptians and very early contact was made between the original Nubian inhabitants of Sudan and the Egyptians, owing mainly to sharing of the Nile River. Arab-Mulsim conquest and rule in the 15th century brought political unity, economic wealth, and educational development to the urban areas of northern Sudan; Blacks in the southern section were carried off by Arabs to be sued as salves. An uprising in the latter half of the 1880s led to British involvement in the area. On January 1, 1956 the independent Republic of Sudan came into being along with a multitude of political, social, and economic problems.

SUDAN AT A GLANCE * LAND: Sudan is the largest country in Africa. It is located on the northeastern section of the continent.

PEOPLE: Population 32,594.128 Throughout its history Sudan has been divided between its Arab heritage in the North and its black heritage in the South. 52% are blacks, 39% are Arab and 6% Baja. Within this large country, there are over 600 different ethnic groups and 400 languages. Arabic is the official language and English is the lingua franca of the South. Ethnic and linguistic differences within Sudan basically are divided along the northern Arab region and the southern Black region.

CAPITAL: Khartoum, the capital, has had a troubled history. It was founded in 1823 by an Edgyptian ruler, later destroyed and then rebuilt.

RELIGION: 70% are Muslims, 25% practice indigenous beliefs, and 5% are Christian.

GOVERNMENT: The president since 1989 has been General Omar Bashir, but it is believed that the real power in Sudan lies with Hassan al-Turabi, the leader of the Islamic fundamentalists. The new Islamic government has established a legal system based on the Koran. The constitution has abolished all suffrage and political parties, and all publications are censored.

ECONOMY: 80% of the population work in agriculture and other primary industries. 10% work in manufacturing. Most industry revolves around primary products: cotton ginning, textiles, distilling, soap, shoes, and oil refinning. Sudan has a large foreign debt and the IMF has declared Sudan "non-cooperative" for its failure to pay its arrears.

GEOPOLITICAL ISSUES: With an influx of Iranians in Sudan and the creation of Islamic military training camps there, the western world believes that Sudan's government is providing weapons, food and money to radical Islamic groups in the region. Sudanese Muslims were arrested as suspects in the World Trade Center bombing.
In 1995 there was an unsuccessful assassination attempts on Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak believed that the assassination attempt was made by two Muslim militants from Sudan. The day after the assassination attempt, Egyptian and Sudanese forces clashed in a disputed border area where Sudan and Egypt come together at the Red Sea. This area is known as the Halaib Triangle. Relations with Egypt are further strained as Sudan has provided asylum to Egyptian Islamic terrorists.
Environmental issues also plague Sudan, as drought and deforestation have led to famine and diseases. The rapid increase in population coupled with refugee infusions from bordering countries has led to population pressures on a fragile environment and on the government. Cultural clashes threaten to tear the country apart.

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