Country Information on Egypt 

Terrain

Egypt is made up of five geographical regions: the Libyan Desert in the west, the Arabian Desert in the east, the Nile Valley that cuts through the desert plateau, the Nile delta covering 22,000 km² north of Cairo, and the Sinai Peninsula surrounded by the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.

In the far south near the border with the Republic of Sudan stretches the Nubian Desert. While the north of the Sinai Peninsula also consists of flat sandy desert, the south is mountainous. The country's highest peak, Jabal Katrinah (2,367m) and Mount Sinai are located there. The Suez Canal serves as a connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Climate

Egypt's location in the subtropical dry zone means a dry climate with little rainfall, hot summers and mild winters. Most of the country is characterised by long periods of drought and intense sunshine throughout the year. The northern part is typically Mediterranean with rainy winters. The northern coast and the Nile Delta are the areas with the highest rainfall in the country, but they only have 200mm in a year.

Fauna/Flora

Owing to the dry climate and intensive agricultural use of the land, cultivated plants dominate in Egypt's flora. Vegetation is largely confined to the Nile Delta, Nile Valley and the oases. The most common tree is the date palm.

There are very few indigenous animal species in Egypt owing to its arid climate. Gazelles, jerboas, lizards, and scorpions inhabit the deserts. Desert foxes, hyenas, jackals, wild donkeys, wild boars, and mongooses live in the delta region and in the mountainous areas along the coast of the Red Sea. Once common, crocodiles and hippopotamuses are now just found in the Upper Nile.

History/Politics

Archaeological finds in the deserts of Lower and Upper Egypt prove the existence of human settlements as far back as the 7th century BC. Pottery from the 4th century BC was found in tombs dating back to the period of the Old Kingdom - the period after the unification of Egypt under one king or pharaoh. Egypt reached its heyday during the New Kingdom period under the rule of various dynasties and Pharaohs, Ramses II being the most famous. In 525 BC Egypt became a Persian province after the defeat of the last Egyptian king. Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great in BC 332, who founded the city of Alexandria, one of the cultural centres of the ancient world.

After the death of Cleopatra (the last Ptolemaic ruler), Egypt was under Roman control for seven centuries. It became part of the Byzantine Empire in AD 396. The country was conquered by the Arabs in AD 640 and became the centre of the Islamic world. At the beginning of the 16th century Egypt became part of the Ottoman Empire. After the death of Ottoman General Muhammad Ali in 1849, European (especially French and British) influence increased in Egypt.

British interest in Egypt centred on establishing a sea route to British India, finally leading to the construction of the Suez Canal that opened in 1869. A popular uprising caused the British to occupy the country in 1882 and it was declared a British protectorate in 1914. Egypt became independent in 1922, although that was just on paper. In 1952 Anti-British feelings led to a coup in which army officers toppled King Faruk I and which led to the country being declared a republic in 1953.

General Muhammad Nagib became the first president, while the real power lay with Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Revolutionary Council made up of the army officers that had participated in the military coup of 1952. In April 1954 Nasser became prime minister assuming complete power in November, after Nagib's dismissal.

Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956. Soon afterwards it was invaded by British, French and Israeli troops. Diplomatic efforts led to the retreat of troops and the Suez Canal was officially declared to be under Egyptian administration. Nasser died and Vice President Anwar Al-Sadat was chosen to succeed him in 1970. He was assassinated in 1981. Hosni Mubarak succeeded him in office as head of state and was elected for the fourth time in 1999. In February 2005, Egypt hosted the summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in which a treaty was signed bringing an end to four years of violent conflicts.

Economy

Economic problems were one of the main reasons for the establishment of the peace policy at the end of the seventies. From the end of the seventies to the beginning of the eighties, Egypt experienced great economic growth. However, the decline in oil prices in the mid-eighties and the Gulf Crisis of 1990 led to serious economic problems for Egypt. In the mid-nineties annual development aid amounted to four billion US dollars. Egypt reacted to this by privatising more than 300 state enterprises and implementing structural reforms. More than 90% of the country is desert, which means that it is forced to import food products. Important sources of income are crude oil exports and Suez Canal fees. In addition, the remittances of Egyptians working abroad and tourism are of great importance. In 2003, the inflation rate reached 4.2% and the unemployment rate was 10.7%.

Culture

Painting has always been essential to Egyptian art. The Pharaohs already put great emphasis on vivid portrayals of resurrection and of life after death on their tombs. Over the course of the 20th century, Egyptian painting was increasingly based on European art, but this influence is now dwindling and traditional motifs are regaining their importance.

The building of pyramids reached its zenith with the necropolis in Gizeh, where the kings of the 4th dynasty, namely Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinos were entombed. The great Cheops pyramid was originally 147m high and consisted of 2.3 million stone blocks that weighed an average of 2.5 tons. Near the three main pyramids is the rest of the necropolis - monuments that are solid or have chambers, with slanting sidewalls, the base of which is up to 40 by 70m and which could have been enlarged into pyramids.Under most of the pyramids were shafts leading to a burial chamber where offerings to the dead were placed.

Some of Egypt's most well-known contemporary artists are Gazbia Serri, Inji Eflatoun, Abdel Wahab Morsi and Wahib Nasser. Naguib Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988.