EGYPT (country information)

EGYPT

The Arab Republic of Egypt, commonly known as Egypt, (Arabic: مصر, romanized Mişr or Maşr, in Egyptian dialect) is the most populous nation of northeastern Africa.
Covering an area of about 1,020,000 km², it includes the Sinai Peninsula (considered part of Southwest Asia), whilst the majority of the country is located in North Africa.
The main area of habitation is along the Nile river (about 40,000 km²). Large areas of land are part of the Sahara Desert and sparsely inhabited. The country is famous for its ancient civilization and some of the world's most stunning ancient monuments, including pyramids, Karnak temple and the Valley of the Kings. Today, Egypt is widely considered the main political and cultural center of the Arab world.

Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; romanized: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt and has an estimated metropolitan area population of 16-20 million. It is the largest city in both Africa and the Middle East and is currently the eleventh most populous city in the world.

Port Said is a northeastern Egyptian city near the Suez Canal, with an approx. population of 500,000.
The economic base of Port Said is fishing and industries like chemicals, processed food, and cigarettes. Port Said is also an important harbour both for exports of Egyptian products like cotton and rice, but also a fuelling station for ships that pass through the Suez Canal. Port Said also thrives on being a duty-free port, as well as a summer resort for Egyptians.

History :

Mişr, the Arabic name for Egypt, is of Semitic origin, and possibly means 'a country' or 'a state'. The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 BC and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 BC, who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines.
It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517.
Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. In 1952 Gamal Abdel Nasser assumed power and nationalized the Suez Canal leading to the 1956 Suez Crisis. Between 1958 and 1961 Egypt was in a union with Syria known as the United Arab Republic.

Arab Republic of Egypt

Capital :

.Cairo

Area :

.1.020.000 km²

Population (2003) :

.74.718.797

Official language :

.arabic

Religion(s) :

.Muslim

Currency :

.Egyptian pound (EGP)

Geography :
Towns and cities include Alexandria, Aswan, Asyut, Cairo, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Giza, Hurghada, Luxor, Kom Ombo, Port Safaga, Port Said, Sharm el Sheikh, Shubra-El-Khema, Suez, Zagazig.
Deserts: Egypt includes parts of the Sahara Desert and of the Libyan Desert
Oases include: Bahariya Oasis, Dakhleh Oasis, Farafra Oasis, Kharga Oasis, Siwa Oasis
Egypt borders on Libya on the west, on Sudan on the south and on Israel on the northeast. It controls the Suez Canal between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
Egypt's important role in geopolitics stems from its strategic position: as a land bridge between Africa and Asia, and as a passage between the Mediterranian Sea and the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal.

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