Historical Dictionary Of Western Sahara

A comprehensive history of Western Sahara--an arid land bordering Morocco in the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania in the east and the south, and the Atlantic coastline in the west--bitterly contested since 1975 by Morocco and the guerrillas of the Polisario Front. This edition of the Dictionary updates and supplements the first edition of 1982. Some 700 alphabetical entries range from major personalities, political movements, wars, and treaties to places, ethnic groups, and economic resources, with extensive entries on the OAU and the UN. Includes an introduction, map, detailed chronology, chart of tribal and ethnic groups, and heavily augmented bibliography. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A historical reference work on Morocco must take as its subject al-maghrib al-aqsa (the far west) as the Arabic scholars have generally referred to the approximate region of present-day Morocco, roughly the north-west corner of Africa but at times including much of the Iberian peninsula, because the modern nation-state is a relatively recent creation owing much to events in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. External influences on Morocco tend to come across the narrow straits of Gibraltar to the north, from the east along the Mediterranean litoral, or up from the Sahara. In each case, access is constrained by geography and continued control from outside the region has been difficult to manage over the long term. Although many of the dynasties that came to power in Morocco conquered much broader regions, history and topology have so conspired that there is still more coherence to an historical focus on al-maghrib al-aqsa than is the case for most modern nation-states. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Morocco contains a chronology, an introduction, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 600 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Morocco.

Mauritania is bordered by Senegal in the south, Mali in the east, Algeria in the far northeast, and the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the north. Comprised mostly of vast stretches of desert, this young country has escaped the ravages of the violent interstate and civil conflicts that have so bedeviled Africa. Mauritanian society possesses ancient antecedents and a universal religious faith that has been practiced over several centuries. These characteristics have given the country a sometimes fragile but relatively resilient sense of national identity, which has survived into the 21st century in the face of powerful political, regional, ethnic/racial, and tribal rivalries since its independence in 1960. An economy largely centered on the export of raw materials, a weak agricultural sector, and a harsh climate in most areas further add to the challenges confronting all Mauritanians. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Mauritania_through its chronology, introductory essay, maps, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, institutions, and significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects_provides an important reference on Mauritania.

The fourth edition of the Historical Dictionary of Niger covers the history of the peoples of the Republic of Niger from medieval times to the present. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries covering elements of pre-colonial and colonial history, recent politics, cinema, literature, religion, economics, and finance. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Niger.

Established as a country a little more than a century ago, born as an independent republic in June 1977, Djibouti is among the youngest as well as the smallest states in Africa. Yet its strategic location at the crossroads of the maritime trade routes between Africa, Asia and Europe turned this tiny spot on the world map into a vital player in twentieth century geopolitics. This historical dictionary has been conceived not as a history book but as a reading grid for the major historical items that are still molding the country's social, political and economic life.

The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo looks back at the nearly 48 years of independence, over a century of colonial rule, and even earlier kingdoms and groups that shared the territory. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 800 cross-referenced dictionary entries on civil wars, mutinies, notable people, places, events, and cultural practices.

The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria is the second largest country in Africa. This, coupled with its location near Europe and its prized hydrocarbons (oil and gas), continues to increase Algeria's international importance. Algeria's fight for liberation from French colonialism, which it finally achieved in 1962, was made famous by Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers (1966) and stands as an inspiration for many nearby countries. However, recent violence caused in part by ideological rivalry between a declining socialism and rising Islamism, illustrates post-colonial peril and tragedy. Today, Algeria endeavors to reconcile its past with its present. The third edition of the Historical Dictionary of Algeria has undergone extensive and substantial changes since previous editions, especially taking into account Algeria's civil strife of the 1990s and the country's controversial re-institutionalization and re-democratization. This is accomplished by means of a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory essay, maps, black & white photos, economic tables and statistics, appendixes, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events.