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the world’s largest desert; it dominates much of North Africa
Sahara
the longest river in the world; located in North Africa
Nile River
the major river of West Africa
Niger River
finely ground fertile soil that is good for growing crops
silt
This religion is the most popular in the Sahel Region
Islam
the capital of Egypt
Cairo
organized by zone
Zonal
the spread of desert-like conditions
desertification
an area of tall grasses and scattered trees and shrubs
savanna
a canal in Egypt that links the Mediterranean and Red seas
Suez Canal
a wave of pro-democracy uprisings that spread throughout Northern Africa and Southwest Asia in 2011
Arab Spring
a regional version of a language
dialect
a disease spread by mosquitoes that causes fever and pain
malaria
a marketplace or bazaar in the Islamic world
souk
Following a series of protests in 2011, this country's government made reforms. It lifted a 19-year state of emergency.
Algeria
a generally flat region surrounded by higher land such as mountains and plateaus
Basin
an important Central African kingdom founded in the 1300s near the mouth of the Congo River
Kongo Kingdom
a region in North Africa that includes western Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco; it means “west” in Arabic
Maghreb
From 1969 to 2011, this country was ruled by a dictator, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. In 2011 pro-democracy protests broke out here.
Libya
By January 2011 protesters had forced longtime President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali from power.
Tunisia
a strip of land that divides the Sahara from wetter areas
Sahel