In what way has geography affected settlements patterns in North Africa

It is difficult for people to live in or around North Africa because of the weather. North Africa tends to be extremely hot. Most people have settled near or along the Sahara Desert because of the resources that it offers. North Africa has a small population because of this.

Explanation:

Looking at a map of North Africa, it is right next to the Sahara Desert one of the largest in the World.

North Africa, as a region, is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth for living. The main reason for this is that the region is almost entirely dominated by desert and semi-desert. The number of rivers and streams is very small, with some countries have none, some one, some not more than fingers on one hand. The soil is not good for agriculture apart from the very few places along the water bodies, the temperatures extremely high, and sand storms always being a danger. This has resulted in the population of this region to be very concentrated in very small areas. Almost all of the population lives along the Nile River, or along the coastline, as those are the two places that have by far the best living conditions.