Egypt

EGYPT Nile River

World’s longest river

Flows North 4, 187 miles

Branches into 2 rivers: Blue Nile & White Nile

EGYPT’S PEOPLE 99 percent of

Egyptians live in the Nile delta or valley

Fellaheen, Egyptian peasants, grow crops without modern machinery

Major cities: Cairo & Alexandria

Fellaheen Drawing Water—Gerome, Jean-Leon

ANCIENT EGYPT Civilization arose over 5,000 years ago

Arabic is official language & Islam official religion (80 percent Muslim today)

Pyramids of Giza

Ruled by Greeks, Romans, Arabs

SUEZ CANAL Important for trade & transportation Fight for control

1956: Egypt seized canal—International crisis

Israel, Britain, France invaded U.S. & Soviets supported UN cease fire Britain withdrew in 1957—1st time Egypt

ruled by Egyptians! Egypt & Israel fought—peace in 1979

ASWAN HIGH DAM Nile would flood every year Project to store floodwater in reservoir:

Lake Nasser Water used to irrigate year round & for

hydroelectricity completed in 1970

URBANIZATION Population growth & urbanization are

straining the economy outstripping food supply

Industrial growth limited by lack of skilled workers & capital (money invested in building & supporting new industries)

LIBYA AND THE MAGHREB Maghreb is “land farthest west”

Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Western Sahara

Majority of people are Arabic-speaking Muslims

Historically controlled by France & Italy

LANDSCAPE Mediterranean climate on coast

Desert (Sahara) inland

Travel was difficult & people on the coast found it easier to have contact with other countries than the interior regions of their own countries

RURAL VS. URBAN Rural (farmers):

Live in houses of mud or stone Water must be carried from the well Work all day with 3 hr. break during mid-day

(hot!) Urban:

Over half of the population lives in cities Medinas—older Arab sections of the cities Souks—markets New oil wealth

NORTH AFRICA TODAY Libya

Oil is 99 percent of exports used to modernize the country

Algeria Oil & natural gas have raised standard of

living Tunisia & Morocco

Lack oil Spend a lot of money on education