Northern Africa History Timeline
1980- Muslim terrorists assassinate Anwar el-Sadat (Egyptian leader), in response to his peace agreement with Israel
1986- President Reagan launches an air strike against Libya, accusing Gaddafi of involvement in international terrorism
1991- Expelled from his own country, Saudi Arabia, Osama bin Laden moves to Sudan where he continues to develop al-Qaeda
1999- Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the new president of Algeria, reveals that as many as 100,000 people have died in seven years of civil war and massacre
2011- Inspired by the example of Tunisia, a day of revolt is organized in Egypt, in protest against police methods and to coincide with National Police Day
2012- An Egyptian court sentences former president Hosni Mubarak to life imprisonment
(HistoryWorld - North+Africa+ Timeline, 2017)
Map of Northern Africa from 1980-Present
Northern Africa is considered to be Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.
Brief History of Northern Africa
(Yashayasaves, Short History of North Africa, 2016)
Northern Africa Culture & Religion Present
Jeffery Haynes, the author of Religion and Politics in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa defines religion as, "Religion is either: (1) a system of beliefs and practices related to the ultimate being and beings, or to the supernatural; or (2) that which is sacred in a society including ultimate inviolate beliefs and practices (Haynes. Pgs. 2-3). Through the history of the inhabitants, there have been a variety of people that have assimilated in Northern Africa. Northern Africa is actually said to be majority muslim with a small jewish population, which is shown by the graph (Northern Africa, 1). It is said that the majority of the jewish population emigrated to France and the formation of Israel accounted for a large amount as well.
(Statista, Pew Research Center)
Does Food Drive the Culture?
Food is one of the main aspects that defines culture in Northern Africa. I find this very interesting because food is looked at as a very simple item, but in Northern Africa it is more than that. A Moroccan proverb says: Mâ kainsh el-kalâm cala ettacâm, "Where there is food, there is no talking" (The Foods of North Africa, 1). This phrase somewhat defines it all, when food is out people are frowned upon if they talk. Why is this? People may not speak, but they believe that the food can talk in a metaphorical sense. The North African people believe that food conveys a message about social interactions, religious stories and overall history. This quote from Encyclopedia.com displays what food really does in this culture, "Perhaps more than anything else in North African cultural praxis, food habits constitute a rich language through which the region's history is told, social distinctions are expressed, religious feasts are celebrated, and seasonal changes and transformations in the life cycle are marked" (The Foods of North Africa, 1).
(BattaBox, Nigeria's Best street food, 2016)
Terrible Impact of HIV/AIDS
(Huyla1903, Impact of Aids/HIV, 2014)
This video is a demonstration of how HIV/AIDS is a compounding affect in Northern Africa and how detrimental it can be to a family. HIV/AIDS shortens life expectancy significantly and it even had an extreme affect on the economy according to the video. "In June 2014, Around 270,000 people were living with HIV in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as of the end of 2012, according to the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS). This translates to an overall HIV prevalence of 0.1 percent among adults ages 15 to 49, one of the lowest rates in the world. But other statistics tell a different story. Between 2001 and 2012, the number of new infections in MENA grew by 52 percent—the most rapid increase in HIV among world regions" (Setayesh, 1). HIV/AIDS has been a huge part of Northern Africa's history and has continued to be. This terrible has affected people in a wide range and has made it hard for countries in Northern Africa to become stable especially in the area of education. What do I mean by that? HIV/AIDS is heavy in schools, which overall lowers the rate of educated people because they are put out of school due to this disease and then on top of that they have to pay for any type of recovery.
(Statista, UNAIDS)
Oil Makes History!
Oil is an immense part of not only Northern Africa history but also there economic success and overall well-being. Oil is one of the most highly exported goods from most Northern African countries. Check out Hope's page for more info!
Sources
"Africa North Of the Equator: Countries - Map Quiz Game." Seterra Online Geography Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
BattaBox. "Yummy: Nigeria's Best STREET FOOD." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Feb. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"Culture of North Africa." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"The Foods of North Africa." Specialty Food Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Hamidreza Setayesh, Farzaneh Roudi-Fahimi, Shereen El Feki, and Lori S. Ashford. HIV and AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Haynes, Jeffrey. "Religion and Politics in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
HistoryWorld - North+Africa+ Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Huyla1903. "[Infographic] The Impact Of HIV/AIDS In Sub-Saharan Africa." YouTube. YouTube, 25 June 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"Muammar Gaddafi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"Northern Africa." Northern Africa - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"Osama Bin Laden." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Percentage of population in the Middle East and North Africa that belonged to major religious groups in 2010, by religion . In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/374759/population-in-middle-east-north-africa-by-religion/.
RussiaToday. "Dramatic Video as Thousands Clash with Egypt Riot Police in Cairo." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
UNAIDS. (n.d.). Number of HIV-infected people in selected countries of North Africa and the Middle East in 2009*. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/266063/number-of-hiv-infected-people-in-north-africa-and-the-middle-east/.
Yashayasaves. "An Overview : Short History of North Africa." YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
BattaBox. "Yummy: Nigeria's Best STREET FOOD." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Feb. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"Culture of North Africa." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"The Foods of North Africa." Specialty Food Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Hamidreza Setayesh, Farzaneh Roudi-Fahimi, Shereen El Feki, and Lori S. Ashford. HIV and AIDS in the Middle East and North Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Haynes, Jeffrey. "Religion and Politics in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
HistoryWorld - North+Africa+ Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Huyla1903. "[Infographic] The Impact Of HIV/AIDS In Sub-Saharan Africa." YouTube. YouTube, 25 June 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"Muammar Gaddafi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"Northern Africa." Northern Africa - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
"Osama Bin Laden." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Apr. 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Percentage of population in the Middle East and North Africa that belonged to major religious groups in 2010, by religion . In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/374759/population-in-middle-east-north-africa-by-religion/.
RussiaToday. "Dramatic Video as Thousands Clash with Egypt Riot Police in Cairo." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.
UNAIDS. (n.d.). Number of HIV-infected people in selected countries of North Africa and the Middle East in 2009*. In Statista - The Statistics Portal. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/266063/number-of-hiv-infected-people-in-north-africa-and-the-middle-east/.
Yashayasaves. "An Overview : Short History of North Africa." YouTube. YouTube, 12 May 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.