The citizens of the Northern part of Africa are predominantly Muslim and speak Arabic, identifying more with the Middle East than Africa. These norther countries are “more economically successful than their Sub Saharan counterparts”, this is due in part to the discovery of oil and natural gas in Algeria and Libya and the tourism industry in Egypt (New World …show more content…
For example in 2008 48% of the population was living on less than $1.25 a day. Ethiopia, Rwanda and the Sierra Leone are some of the poorest countries in the world (Harrison). The difference in economy between the rest of Africa and the Sub Sahara may be the result of several factors including climate. The Sub Saharan countries experience more severe weather than the rest of Africa, some areas experience heavy rain fall and others suffer from droughts. These climates make economic development more challenging. Northern and Southern Africa are the most prosperous regions in Africa and they are also the regions that enjoy the most temperate weather.