[[Arabic phrasebook|Arabic]] is without a doubt the dominant language, and is the offical language in every North African country. However the dialect of Arabic spoken in Algeria, Tunisia and Morroco is nearly incomprehensible to Arabic speakers from the Gulf. However, all educated people would have been taught standard Arabic in school, and while not the first language of choice, would be competent enough to communicate.
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[[Arabic phrasebook|Arabic]] is without a doubt the dominant language, and is the official language in every North African country. However the dialect of Arabic spoken in Algeria, Tunisia and Morroco is nearly incomprehensible to Arabic speakers from the Gulf. However, all educated people would have been taught standard Arabic in school, and while not the first language of choice, would be competent enough to communicate.
[[French phrasebook|French]] is also widely spoken due to much of the area's history as a French colony, with the exception of Libya and Egypt. In Libya and Egypt, [[Italian phrasebook|Italian]] and English are the dominant second languages respectively, reflecting their colonial past. However, they are not as widely spoken as French is in the rest of the region.
[[French phrasebook|French]] is also widely spoken due to much of the area's history as a French colony, with the exception of Libya and Egypt. In Libya and Egypt, [[Italian phrasebook|Italian]] and English are the dominant second languages respectively, reflecting their colonial past. However, they are not as widely spoken as French is in the rest of the region.
Egypt Home of the ancient Egyptian civilization, with its temples, hieroglyphs, mummies.
Libya (Tripoli) Large open spaces with more than 90% of the country being desert or semidesert.
Morocco (Rabat) Situated on both the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
Tunisia (Tunis) Located in the very centre of Mediterranean Africa
Western Sahara Governance is in dispute between Morocco and Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), but the majority of the region is occupied by Morocco.
Marrakech — this historic Moroccan city close to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains is an extraordinary meeting of the ancient and modern
Tripoli — Libya's capital was long off-limits to most travellers but is experiencing a real resurgence of interest
Tunis — the capital of Tunisia is a relatively small and sleepy city but is the gateway to the remains of Carthage and other very notable historical sites.
Other destinations
Abu Simbel — a very remote area in far south Egypt, with some beautiful ancient temples
Carthage — Phoenician colony in Tunisia and the biggest trade metropolis of the antique world; famously razed by the Romans and the remnants are now encased in a museum
El-Oued — in Algeria with its domed architecture & nearby Grand Erg Oriental — the Sahara's second largest dune field
Ghat - an ancient settlement in southwest Libya with prehistoric rock paintings and very challenging desert trekking
High Atlas — hiking, skiing and Berber culture amongst these peaks and valleys in Morocco.
Matmata — desert village in Tunisia of cave abodes, where Star Wars's Tatooine was filmed
Merzouga and M'Hamid — from either of these two settlements in Morocco at the edge of the Sahara, ride a camel or 4x4 into the desert for a night (or a week) among the dunes and under the stars
Arabic is without a doubt the dominant language, and is the official language in every North African country. However the dialect of Arabic spoken in Algeria, Tunisia and Morroco is nearly incomprehensible to Arabic speakers from the Gulf. However, all educated people would have been taught standard Arabic in school, and while not the first language of choice, would be competent enough to communicate.
French is also widely spoken due to much of the area's history as a French colony, with the exception of Libya and Egypt. In Libya and Egypt, Italian and English are the dominant second languages respectively, reflecting their colonial past. However, they are not as widely spoken as French is in the rest of the region.
