North Africa is a relatively thin strip of land between the
Sahara desert and the
Mediterranean, stretching from
Moroccan Atlantic coast to
Egypt. The region comprises the modern countries,
Morocco,
Algeria,
Tunisia,
Mauritania,
Libya and Egypt. The history of the region is a mix of influences from many distinct cultures. The development of
sea travel firmly brought the region into the
Mediterranean world, especially during the
classical period. In the
first millennium AD the
Sahara became an equally important area for trade as the
camel caravans brought goods and people from the south. The region also has a small but crucial land link to the
Middle East, and that area has also played a central role in the history of
North Africa.
Prehistory
The earliest known
hominids in
North Africa arrived around 200,000 BC. Through most of the
Stone Age the
climate in the region was very different than today, the Sahara being far more moist and
savanna like. Home to
herds of large
mammals, this area could support a large
hunter-gatherer population and the
Aterian culture that developed was one of the most advanced
paleolithic societies.
Various populations of
pastoralists have left paintings of abundant wildlife, domesticated animals, chariots, and a complex culture that dates back to at least 10,000 BC in Northern
Niger and neighboring parts of......
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