Chapter 16: North Africa

The most important feature of North Africa is the Sahara. Egypt lies in Africa's northeast corner. The Nile River, which supplies 85 percent of the country's water, is Egypt's lifeline. Most of the people live along the river or in its delta. About 40 percent of Egypt's people are farmers. Egypt's industry has grown in recent years. Ancient Egyptians developed a complex civilization and built some of the world's best known structures—the Pyramids. Today's Egyptians are part of the Arab culture region that stretches across North Africa and into Southwest Asia.

The other countries of North Africa are Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The landscape of these countries is mostly desert and mountains. Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria all border the Mediterranean Sea. Morocco has coasts on both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Oil, natural gas, and phosphates are important resources in these countries.