In 2011, North Africa exploded into global headlines. The reverberations of the so-called Arab Spring were felt throughout the Islamic world and beyond: The change in civilian leadership in Egypt had many international leaders questioning the future of the linchpin of the Arab world. In addition, a NATO intervention in Libya removed the government of Moammar Gadhafi after more than 30 years of rule. The effects of the Arab Spring have not yet faded. Syria's civil war is still unfolding, and Tunisia, Libya and Egypt are still in the midst of either defining a post-revolutionary state or adjusting to the region's changing expectations of their governments. The Arab Spring did not take root in North Africa by accident. The area's geography and the geopolitical limitations placed on the region's capitals prevent North African governments from effectively containing rising social dissatisfaction and unrest.