ABSTRACT
Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, the three North African Maghreb countries 1 treated in this chapter, share similar geographical, ethnic, religious, and historical characteristics. Geographically, they occupy the northwest corner of Africa, forming some thing of an "island" between the Mediterranean sea and the Sahara desert, both of which have played major roles in determining the economic and cultural destinies of these countries. This geographical situation accounts for the influences from the north and the east. while the south has long been a route for trans-Saharan trading. Ethnically, the original Berbers (i.e., Berberophones) remain in the mountainous regions of the Maghreb. mainly in Morocco and Algeria. while the plains are occupied by Arabophones. Morocco has the largest proportion of Berberophones (close to 50 percent) followed by Algeria; Tunisia. whose geography is dominated by an expansive coastal plain, has very few. The religion of close to 100 percent of the population in of all three countries is Islam, which has official status as the state religion in all three. Claiming descendance from the Prophet, the king of Morocco exercises both spiritual and temporal leadership in his country. In Algeria and Tunisia, the personal status of the presidents is only temporal. Historically, all three countries have similar pasts. The three had links to the eastern Mediterranean during the time of the Phoenicians. and were the site of important Roman colonies throughout the period of the Roman empire. A succession of invaders followed the fall of Rome. culminating with an Arab domination that linked the three countries with the Islamic east and especially with Moorish Spain. After a Turkish presence limited to the major coastal cities. French colonization of the region began in 1830 in Algeria, in 1881 in Tunisia. and in 1912 in Morocco (which was also colonized by Spain in the north). French colonial presence was much more intense in Algeria than in its two neighbors. Administratively, Algeria was part of France. whereas the other two had "protectorate" status. granting them symbolic appearances of autonomy. This fact had a large impact on the school systems of the three countries. especially regarding the use of Arabic in the schools-outlawed in Algeria. but allowed in Morocco and Tunisia. Also. Algeria was much more of a settlement colony than its neighbors, with as much as 10 percent of its population European. Morocco and Tunisia attained independence in 1956; independence came for Algeria only in 1962 after a brutal war that lasted almost eight years. Since independence Algeria has (until very recently) followed the path of a centrally planned. socialist economy. whereas its neighbors have allowed varying degrees of private initiative and investment. Compared to other third world countries. all three countries have experienced relative stability; since independence, Algeria has had three heads of state. Morocco and Tunisia two.
