This piece of land is often referred to as the "new breath of Islamic civilization", or the main foothold of the modern Arab world. Indeed, these two sub-regions have a lot in common: Southwest Asia and North Africa. EGP, composition, socio-economic and cultural characteristics of the two regions will be discussed in our article.
North Africa and Southwest Asia – what do they have in common?
Although they are located on different continents, they are perceived by many researchers as one large region. By and large, only the rather narrow and very s alty Red Sea separates them geographically.
Why are North Africa and Southwest Asia so often singled out as one region? There are at least four very good reasons for this. Let's list them:
- predominance in all countries of one group of peoples - the Arabs;
- common faith (Islam) and language (Arabic);
- EGPs of North Africa and Southwest Asia have many similarities;
- predominantly resource-based economies (not typical for all states).
The region we are considering at the junction of two continents is often also called the Arab or Arab-Muslim world. It covers the territories of more than two dozen countries with a total population of 350 million people.
Key cultural features of sub-regions
At the very beginning, it is worth mentioning that these two regions became the cradle for many of the known ancient civilizations of our planet (Minoan, Sumerian, Egyptian and others). It was here that centers were formed that for a long time produced ideas that radically changed our world. It would also not be out of place to recall that within Southwest Asia and North Africa, the three most important religions of the Earth were born: Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the Muslim religion. She was surprisingly able to spread her influence over vast territories, from southern Europe to Southeast Asia. At the same time, Islam brought turmoil and division into the once whole peoples, dividing them into hostile camps.
Natural we alth of sub-regions and their use
What else do North Africa and Southwest Asia have in common? Nature has awarded many countries in these regions with the richest deposits of gas and oil. Alas, not all states of the Arab world have learned how to use these resources rationally.
Many countries just pump "black gold", getting super profits and evenwithout thinking about their development prospects in the near future. But not everyone does this. A striking example of a successful and progressive country is the United Arab Emirates (UAE for short).
North Africa and Southwest Asia on the modern political map of the world are 26 independent states. However, it would be a gross mistake to say that the boundaries of the macro-region we are considering coincide with the boundaries of these 26 countries. Moreover, its borders are very blurry and inconsistent.
What makes North Africa special and unique? The EGP of the subregion, its natural resources and economic structure will be discussed further. Which countries in North Africa are the richest?
North Africa: EGP (briefly) and natural resources
The total area of this sub-region is about 10 million square meters. km. True, most of this territory is occupied by the hot and lifeless Sahara desert. North Africa is made up of seven countries (six of which are sovereign and one is partially recognized). This is:
- Morocco.
- Libya.
- Sudan.
- Tunisia.
- Algeria.
- Egypt.
- Western Sahara (SADR).
North Africa's EGP can generally be described as profitable. The subregion has a wide outlet to the Mediterranean and Red Seas, as well as to the Atlantic Ocean, which allows building constructive trade relations with the leading states of the planet.
The bowels of North Africa are extremely rich in various types of minerals. Yes, the most activedeposits of oil, gas, iron and manganese ore, uranium, gold and phosphorites are being developed here.
Characteristics of the EGP of North Africa: pros and cons
The economic and geographical position of any country or region has both its advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes there are more pluses, and sometimes more minuses.
North African EGP is distinguished by several beneficial aspects at once. Firstly, the region has a wide outlet to the Mediterranean Sea. Through it, the countries of North Africa border on the European Union, which gives them an excellent opportunity to build close trade, economic and other relations with the most developed countries of our planet. In addition, the European Union is the world's largest market for the sale of products.
The second advantageous aspect of the region's EGP is the presence of powerful mineral resource bases both within North Africa and in its immediate vicinity.
There are also some shortcomings in the economic and geographical position of the region. First of all, it is worth noting that the population of North Africa is distributed extremely unevenly (due to natural and climatic conditions). The region does not experience a shortage in its "hot spots". Military insurgencies, revolutions and terrorist attacks have already become quite common for many countries in North Africa.
Conclusion
EGP of North Africa and Southwest Asia is quite profitable and promising. The richest mineral resource base, good transport positionand the availability of wide access to two oceans at once - all this lays good prerequisites for the intensive economic development of this macroregion.
It was here, at the junction of Africa and Eurasia, that many of the world's oldest civilizations were born. It is also where two of the three world religions originated. Finally, it was in this region that important discoveries were made that changed our world.
