White Africa

In the regionalization of Africa based on ethnic and cultural factors, the continent was geographically divided into White Africa and Black or Sub-Saharan Africa.

The African White – also known as North Africa or North – is the portion of the continent that is located above the Sahara, marked by the predominance of white people of Caucasian origin, and the hegemony of Islam. It comprises the following countries: Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania.

The population of this region is over 160 million, equivalent to less than 20% of the entire African population. The main ethnic trunks are the Israelis, the Camitas and the Turks. The predominant climate is desert, with the exception of coastal areas and the proximity of large rivers.

In many ways, this region is compared to the Middle East which, in some approaches, also includes North Africa. Such similarities occur due to the proximity between the Arab countries of Asia and the Africans, separated only by the Suez Canal.

The similarities between the two regions are in the ethnic trunks, in religion, in languages, in some customs and even in the climate. Economies are also a common point, as they are based on the export of oil and the practice of tourism. Another issue is the frequent territorial conflicts that occur in both regional bands, such as the recent events that marked the Arab Spring.