Egypt Overview
Background: 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 B.C. and a series of dynasties ruled
in Egypt for the next three millennia.
The last native dynasty fell
to the Persians in 341 B.C., 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.
The completion of the Aswan
High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored
place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly
growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land,
and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress
society. The government has struggled to ready the economy for the new
millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications
and physical infrastructure.
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m highest
point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Geography - note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between
Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea
link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition
to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence
on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes
of refugees
Nationality: noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: Egyptian
Ethnic groups: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers)
99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and
French) 1%
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood
by educated classes
Country name: conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt conventional
short form: Egypt local short form: Misr former: United Arab Republic
(with Syria) local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
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text
and images courtesy of the cia
world factbook
