It is possible to distinguish two major natural regions in that area of Cyrenaica inhabited by Bedouin, the Jabal in the north and the Barr to the south with the plateau foothills of the centre forming an intermediary but much less sharply defined zone. Each zone has its characteristic topography: high mountain ranges in the north, flat low-lying expanses in the south, with gently undulating country in between. Rainfall differences are equally well marked: heavy and regular falls in the north, with marked decreases in all directions away from the plateau, except for the coastal strip of the northwest. Vegetation differences reflect the varying rainfall, giving forests and continuous plant cover in the north throughout the year, and barrenness for the greater part of the year in the south except during seasons of good rainfall. The Bedouin way of life is adapted to these general environmental conditions.

Saying that the Jabal folk are semi-sedentary is almost synonymous with saying that they are cow-herders. ‘The cow does not move, but the camel is always moving’, the Bedouin say. Camels are an anachronism on the Jabal. They are large animals and are not at all suited to forests. They wander over considerable distances as they forage, and it would be difficult to keep control of them in amongst the trees. Camels belong to the south where the open spaces give them the freedom of movement they require. Cows are much more docile, and spend their time under trees in the vicinity of the camp. They rarely get lost, and it would be considered comic if a man was found to be travelling the country in search of his cow.