9781422283875

C HAPTER 1 B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS

Words to Understand Average dietary energy supply: food available for human consumption. Communicable diseases: diseases transmitted from one person or animal to another. Also called contagious or infectious diseases. Preventive care: care given to prevent illnesses or diseases. This includes check-ups, counseling, screenings, and education. M any of the North African countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Their diverse geographies include mountains, deserts, and coastal plains. These countries offer beautiful landscapes and a teeming abundance of wildlife. However, in many North African countries, land isn’t suitable for farming, so many people live in urban areas to make a living. For example, in Algeria 70.7 percent of the population lives in urban areas, according to The World Factbook , a reference book on countries produced by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In Libya that percentage is 78.6 percent. The histories of many of these nations include past colonization by France, Britain, and other countries, and native peoples fought for many years to gain their independence. Despite obtaining their independence, several North African countries have continued to experience conflicts inside and outside their borders. This has made social progress difficult to achieve. Over the last

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B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS