North Africa History & Culture

1. North Africa History & Culture Vocab: silt, pharaohs, hieroglyphs

2. 1st peoples of North Africa were hunter-gatherers. • Population was concentrated along the Mediterranean and Nile river. • Every year the Nile floods spreading silt( finely ground soil) over its banks. History

3. 3000 BC. Egypt was established with pharaohs. • Pharaohs were considered like gods and had ultimate power. • Egyptians developed a writing system called hieroglyphics. • Egyptian astronomers created a 365 day calendar and learned how to predict the Nile floods. Early Peoples

4. 1570 to 1085 BC Egypt ruled Syria, Israel & Libya. • Phoenicians, Greeks & Romans ruled the region later. • The Phoenicians were traders and sailors from today’s Lebanon. • They set up Carthage which later became a rival to Rome Egypt

5. Alexander the Great founded Alexandria, Egypt. • The Vandals set up a kingdom in Libya. • The Byzantine Empire ruled most of North Africa in the 500’s. • Arab armies in the 600’s conquered the area. • By the 700’s most North Africans were Muslim and Arabic was the language of choice. Other Rulers

6. Cairo and other cities became Muslim centers of culture and education. • Marrakech, Morocco became a trade center with Europe, Africa & Asia. • 1500’s the Ottomans ruled the region until the 1800’s. • France ruled much of North Africa. GB took over Egypt & the Suez Canal. Arab & Colonial rule

7. Problems with the Europeans. Were not granted the same rights as the Europeans. • After World War II the region gained independence. • 1952 Egypt • 1956 Tunisia & Morocco • 1962 Algeria • 1951 & 1969 Libya Independence

8. Most of the peoples consider themselves Berber. Berbers lived in North Africa before the Arabs came to the region. • Bedouins or nomads also live in the region. • Arabic is the official language. • French is spoken in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Italian in Libya & English in Egypt. Culture

9. Most people live in the coastal regions & the foothills of the Atlas Mtns. • In Egypt most live along the Nile. • Cairo is the largest urban area in North Africa. • Egypt is the most populated Arab country. • The Medina is the ancient part of the city. Keeps the people and the buildings cool. Land Usage

10. Traditions & Customs Traditional Clothing Men & Women wear caftans. Women dress to Muslim custom . Weddings last several days due to the family is important in the Arab culture. Religion • Most are Muslim with a few Christians & jews. • Fridays are special day of prayer. • Muslims also celebrate Id al-Adha (Abraham willigness to sacrifice Isaac). Culture