Explanation: North Africa (simply Africa, or Africa Proconsularis to the Romans) was a productive region of the Classical-era world, but under the Romans, it became one of the breadbaskets of the entire Mediterranean, rivaled only by Egypt. Because of this intensified demand for food production, and the organization of Roman rule, Africa became the second-richest province in the Western Empire, and a well-integrated urban center which produced a great many Roman scholars and politicians throughout the years.