North Africa

Region: North Africa

There are several ways of defining North Africa.

The Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) covers many countries, including most of West Africa, but includes neither Algeria nor Liberia, which is a member of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.

An effort began in 1988 to create the Arab Maghreb Union to strengthen ties between five states on the northern coast of Africa, but not including Egypt. It never got off the ground.

The member States of CEN-SAD are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, the Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, the Sudan, Togo and Tunisia. The population of the CEN-SAD area was estimated at 553-million in 2016 (UNCTAD).

The Sahel-Sahara region experienced waves of instability after the Libyan revolution with armed Islamist groups rising in Mali and northern Nigeria. The G5 Sahel Joint Force was established in response in 2017. A CEN-SAD counterterrorism centre is based in Cairo.

Climate

The three outstanding features of North Africa help to define its climate: the Nile River in the east, the Atlas Mountains in the west and the Sahara Desert to the south, the largest sand desert on earth. Mediterranean conditions occur along the coast, bringing rain in winter and relatively mild temperatures. Crops include onions, figs, olives, oranges, cauliflower and tomatoes. The hot desert and semi-arid regions are located further inland. Temperatures range widely and can reach 130°. Desert crops include cotton and date palms.

Economy

The Arab Spring and falling oil prices had a significant impact on the economies of North Africa. Libya’s political turmoil had a huge impact on the region’s GDP. Oil production levels rose after 2016 but are still only a fraction of levels achieved before the revolution.

North Africa contributes disproportionately to African GDP growth figures, up to 40% (African Development Bank). Most of the economies of North Africa have diversified production systems and manufacturing and industrial capacity.

Morocco receives about 11-million tourist arrivals. Egypt experienced a significant drop in revenue from tourism after the political upheavals of 2011. By 2017, a recovery was underway and Egypt earned $21.1-billion and Tunisia earned $5.17-billion (World Travel and Tourism Council).

Casablanca Finance City has been established in Morocco in an attempt to attract investors to Africa. Tunisia has plans to privatise large parts of its economy and Egypt is building a mega-city to ease the overcrowding in Cairo.

Morocco and Tunisia have integrated supply chains which are linked to the European market. Other countries in the region have focussed on the upstream side (AfDB).

Resources

Oil, natural gas, phosphates, iron ore.