Benefits of Doing Business in North Africa

• A framework for understanding business culture in North Africa
• Analysis of cultural values and behaviors prevalent in North Africa and their impact on doing business
• Opportunities to discuss potential issues involved in establishing business in North African countries
• Practical strategies and tools for working more effectively with counterparts in North Africa
• Breaking down stereotypes and perceptions of North Africa
• Commonalities and contrasts across the region
• Key cultural values in North Africa
• Communication styles in North Africa
• Interpreting non-verbal communication
• Working virtually with counterparts in North Africa
• Business and social etiquette when doing business in North Africa
• Dealing with culture clash: what happens when different cultures meet
• Developing concrete strategies for more effective working across North Africa

Agriculture & Food

       Agriculture is still one of the most important sectors of the economies of North Africa, both for feeding the population and for export. The number of people employed in agriculture varies by country: about 50% in Morocco, 40% in Egypt, 25% in Algeria and probably even fewer in Libya which imports close to 75% of its food. The region depends on its fertile areas to grow crops, including oranges and other citrus fruits; grains like barley, wheat, oats and even corn; vegetables, including tomatoes that are shipped to the U.S., onions, peppers and eggplants; legumes like lentils and chickpeas; and other Mediterranean and arid produce, like nuts, olives, grapes (for eating and to produce wine), dates and figs in abundance. In the Nile Valley, Egyptians also cultivate crops that need more water, including sugarcane, cotton and even rice.

Economic Challenges

         North Africa has long been closely linked to the economies of Europe and the Middle East. It is one of the wealthiest regions of Africa, due both to its proximity to European markets and its natural resources. Libya often has the highest GDP per capita of the continent since it produces large amounts of petroleum. There is great diversity of wealth within North African countries even tho the region’s nations (with the exception of Libya, which is slightly higher due to oil revenues) all have GDP per capita of $1000-$2000. This disparity of wealth and significant poverty, both in urban slums and in rural areas, are some of the factors that have led to increasing anti-government movements, including fundamentalism.

Background of North Africa

North Africa is the northern most region of Africa that is why it got the name; The North of Africa aka North Africa.

Countries In North Africa

• Algeria
• Egypt
• Libya
• Morocco
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Tunisia
• Western Sahara

The Total Population of the Complete North Africa is about 195,637,341

History

After the Middle Ages the area was loosely under the control of the Ottoman Empire, except Morocco. After the 19th century, it was colonized by France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. During the 1950s, 1960s and into the 1970s, all of the North African states gained independence, except for a few small Spanish colonies on the far northern tip of Morocco, and the Western Sahara, which went from Spanish to Moroccan rule.

Culture

The culture in North Africa is not as diverse as you would think. The natives or traditional groups and dialects make up a small percent of the population. The Arab and Berber people with the Islamic faith make up over 95 percent of the population. The Islam faith, as well as the two major sect Sunni and Shiites, strongly contributes to the culture.

Languages

The main language is Arabic. Secondary languages in North Africa include French, English and Italian.

Introduction

Hey ENGL 227 Class. I have remade my post since I noticed that half the class was using blogger where for as I was using blog.com and that website was ALOT more confusing. I hope you enjoy and learn something new in the process!