homework encyclopedia

240 People and Places

The Sahara desert is vast and covers most of

north and west Africa, stretching from the

Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea

in the east. Few people live in this desert

area, which separates the Arab and Berber

peoples of the north coast from the mainly

Black African peoples to the south. Most of the

290 million Africans who inhabit this region live on

the narrow coastal plain where the climate is milder.

North and West Africa

4 MINARET

Beside every mosque is a thin

minaret, or tower, from which

the muezzin (crier) calls all

Muslims to prayer five times a

day. Minarets are often

beautifully decorated with

engravings and elaborate stone

work. They are usually the tallest

buildings in a Muslim town.

WHO LIVES IN THE SAHARA?

Few people live in the Sahara because it regularly has

temperatures of over 50°C (122°F) and water is very

scarce. People such as the Tuareg have learned how

to survive in these extreme conditions, and live by

trading salt and other goods across huge distances.

Camels are their transport and also provide them with

milk, meat, and hides. However, long droughts and

other hardships have led many to give up desert life.

WHAT IS DESERTIFICATION?

The growth of the world’s deserts is called desertification.

This occurs when people extract too much groundwater

and divert river water to towns and industries, and also

due to overgrazing. Good farmland turns into wasteland,

causing famine. Crops still grow but the soil becomes

infertile. As plants die, the soil turns to dust. With the

Sahara spreading south, huge areas are under threat.

WHAT INFLUENCE HAS ISLAM HAD?

During the 7th century CE, Arabs from the Arabian

peninsula swept across north Africa bringing their

new religion of Islam with them. Today, most north

and west Africans are Muslims, speak a common

Arabic language, and share a culture based on the

Islamic faith. Every town has at least one mosque,

where the faithful are called to prayer.

DATES FROM ALGERIA 3

The giant date palm is found near the oases

(watering holes) scattered across the hot, dry

Sahara, and its sweet fruit is known as the “bread

of the desert”. Highly nutritious, dates provide food

for people and animals, while every part of the palm

tree itself has some use.

1 CAIRO, EGYPT

The Egyptian capital of Cairo is the largest city in Africa, and has a

population of about 7 million people. This huge, modern city on the

River Nile is also the site of historic monuments built during its long

history, such as the colossal statue of Rameses II.

TUAREG NOMADS 3

The Tuareg are a nomadic

(wandering) tribe who live in

the Western Sahara. In the past

they travelled in great camel

trains that crossed the desert

to the Mediterranean,

carrying slaves, ivory, gold,

and salt. Today, some still

follow this way of life, but

most have now become

settled farmers.

Distinctive

blue robes are

specially dyed

north Africa