Exploring Our World: People, Places, and Cultures North Africa,
Southwest Asia, and Central Asia Today Many countries in North
Africa, Southwest Asia, and Central Asia are rich in oil and
natural gas resources. They supply much of the energy for
countries around the world. Political unrest and wars, however,
have troubled the region. Different standards of living in the
region result from countries’ access to oil and gas reserves and
from the conflict within an area. While some North African
countries enjoy high incomes from oil reserves, others have
developing economies. Egypt has a developing economy that is
also a republic. Libya has great wealth because of oil, although
it was ruled for decades by a dictator. Tunisia, North Africa’s
smallest country, has a growing tourism industry because of its
coastal location and mild climate. It has one of the lowest
rates of poverty in Africa because leaders have provided health
care and education. Algeria is North Africa’s largest country;
although it has oil and ga