Country Information on Egypt

Terrain Egypt consists of five geographical regions including the Libyan Desert in the west, the Arabian Desert in the east (more than 90% of the country consists of desert areas), 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 Isthmus of Suez and the Gulf of Acaba. In the very south near the border of the Republic of Sudan the Nubian Desert is located. While the north of the Sinai Peninsula also consists of flat sandy desert, in the south we find the country's highest elevation, Djebel Kathrina (2,367 m), and Mount Sinai. The Suez Canal serves as a connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Climate Egypt's location in the subtropical dry zone leads to a dry climate with scarce rainfall, hot summers and mild winters. Major parts of the country are characterised by long periods without any rainfall and a high rate of sunshine throughout the year. In the northern part a climate with rainfalls in the winter typical of the Mediterranean region predominates. The northern coast and the Nile delta are the areas with the highest amounts of rainfall in the country; however, they hardly ever exceed a level of 200 mm in the course of one year. Fauna/Flora Owing to the dry climate and intensive agricultural use of the land cultivated plants predominate in Egypt's flora. The 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 wild animal species in Egypt owing to the arid climate. Gazelles, jerboas, lizards, and scorpions inhabit the deserts, while the desert fox, hyena, jackal, wild donkey, wild boar, and mungo live in the delta region and in the mountainous areas along the coast of the Red Sea. The crocodile and hippopotamus, common in the lower Nile and the Nile delta in antiquity, are now largely restricted to the upper Nile. Birdlife is abundant, especially in the Nile delta and Nile valley. History/Politics There is evidence of settlements in Egypt dating back to the 7th century BC. Pottery manufactured in the 4th century BC was found in the tombs dating back to the period of the "Old Kingdom" - the period after the unification of Egypt under one king. During the New Kingdom period under the rule of various dynasties and Pharaohs, Ramses II being the most famous, Egypt reached its heyday. In 525 BC Egypt became a Persian province after the defeat of the last Egyptian king. Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in BC 332. Alexander founded the city of Alexandria, one of the cultural centres of the ancient world. For nearly 7 centuries after Cleopatra's (the last Ptolemaic ruler) death, Romans controlled Egypt. Egypt became part of the Byzantine Empire in 396 AD. The country was conquered by the Arabs in 640 AD and became one of the centres of the Islamic world. In the early 16th century the Ottoman Empire conquered Egypt. After the Ottoman general Muhammad Ali's death in 1849, Egypt increasingly came under European (especially French and British) influence. British interest in Egypt centred on the short route to British India, finally leading to the construction of the Suez Canal opened in 1869. A popular uprising caused the British to occupy the country in 1882. Egypt was declared a British protectorate in 1914. In 1922 Egypt became independent, at least on paper. In 1952 Anti-British resentment led to a coup carried out by army officers that toppled King Faruk I. Egypt was declared a republic in 1953. First president General Muhammad Nagib was a figurehead, while real power lay with Gamal Abdel Nasser and the revolutionary council comprised of army officers that had participated in the military coup of 1952. In April 1954 Nasser became prime minister and assumed complete executive authority in November of the same year after Nagib's dismissal. Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956, which caused British, French and Israeli troops to intervene. Diplomatic effort led to the retreat of troops, and the Suez Canal finally came under Egyptian administration. Nasser died in 1970, and Vice President Anwar Al-Sadat was chosen to succeed him. He was assassinated in 1981 and Hosni Mubarak succeeded him in office as head of state. Economy There was economic growth at the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties. However, the decline in oil prices in the mid-eighties and the Gulf Crisis of 1990 led Egypt into severe economic problems. In the mid-nineties the annual development aid amounted to 4 billion US dollars. Egypt reacted by de-nationalising more than 300 government enterprises and by introducing structural reform programmes. Important sources of income are crude oil exports and Suez Canal fees. In addition, the remittances of Egyptians working in foreign countries and tourism are of great importance. Culture Painting has always been essential in Egyptian art. The Pharaohs already put great emphasis on depicting true-to-life portrayals of resurrection and of life after death on their monuments. In the 20th century Egyptian painting began to adapt more and more to European art, but at the moment this influence is dwindling and traditional motives are gaining importance. The building of pyramids reached the summit with the necropolis in Gizeh, where the kings of the 4th dynasty, namely Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinos were buried. Originally, the great Cheops pyramid was 147 m high and consisted of 2.3 million stone blocks with an average weight of 2.5 tons each. Near the three main pyramids the rest of the necropolis is situated, monuments that are solid or have chambers, with slanting sidewalls, the base of which was up to 40 by 70 m and which could be enlarged and thus turned into pyramids. Under most of the pyramids there were shafts that led to a burial chamber in which also the burial objects had been put. Some of the country's better-known modern artists include Gazbia Serri, Inji Eflatoun, Abdel Wahab Morsi, and Wahib Nasser. Naguib Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988.