Information
Country: EgyptContinent: Africa
Egypt, Africa
Overview
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, spans two continents-its vast deserts and Nile valley lie in northeastern Africa, while the Sinai Peninsula reaches across into the Middle East.People know it for its deep history, the ruins of its ancient civilization, and the lasting mark it’s left on cultures around the world.Here’s a closer look at Egypt, from its sun-baked deserts to the bustle of Cairo’s streets.Egypt sits between shimmering blue seas and vast stretches of desert, with the Mediterranean to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan lying just south, and Libya spread out to the west.The Suez Canal is a vital waterway that links the blue sweep of the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, carving a line between Africa and Asia.Most of the country is bare, sun-baked desert, with green fields clinging only to the Nile River Valley and its wide Delta.The Nile, the world’s longest river, runs from the country’s southern border to its northern coast, carrying the water that fills wells and leaves a ribbon of green fields in its wake.Egypt’s climate is desert-dry, with summers that bake under fierce heat and winters that stay mild.Along the Mediterranean, the coast stays pleasantly mild, with sea breezes softening the heat, but inland deserts can scorch under relentless sun.Egypt is home to more than 100 million people, making it the most crowded nation in the Arab world and the third largest in Africa-enough to fill Cairo’s streets with a constant hum of voices.Major cities: Cairo, the capital, towers as the largest city in both Africa and the Arab world, its streets buzzing with the scent of strong coffee and the honk of taxis.Alexandria, Giza, Luxor, and Aswan stand out among the country’s other major cities, from Alexandria’s salty sea breeze to Luxor’s sun-baked ruins.Most people are ethnically Egyptian, while smaller groups include Nubians, Berbers, and Bedouins, some still speaking the languages of their ancestors.Arabic is the official language, and nearly everyone in Egypt speaks it-whether in bustling Cairo streets or quiet desert villages.Ancient Egypt, one of the world’s first and most influential civilizations, began around 3100 BCE, when the Nile’s banks were lined with mud-brick villages.Egypt’s civilization flourished for more than three thousand years along the steady flow of the Nile, earning renown for its stunning temples, intricate writing, advances in medicine, and fertile fields.Ancient Egypt gave the world its towering pyramids, the art of preserving the dead in linen and resin, and a written language etched in graceful hieroglyphs.Modern Egypt has seen sweeping changes over the centuries, shifting from life under the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires to British colonial rule in the 19th century, when Union Jack flags fluttered over Cairo’s streets.In 1952, Egypt broke free from monarchy when the Free Officers Movement led a revolution, toppling the king and declaring a republic.In 2011, amid the roar of the Arab Spring, Egyptians filled the streets until President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, ending his three-decade rule.The revolution shook the country, ushering in Mohamed Morsi as its first democratically elected president, but his time in office ended quickly.A military-backed government took over, with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi rising to the presidency in 2014.Egypt has a semi-presidential republic, led by both a president and a prime minister, much like two hands steering the same ship.The president wields considerable power, and critics say the political system’s leaned toward authoritarian rule, especially after the 2013 coup, when soldiers filled the streets.Egypt has several political parties, but under the current regime, opposition voices are often silenced-sometimes before they can even hand out a single flyer.Under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the government has kept the military deeply woven into politics, its influence as visible as soldiers standing guard at a city square.Egypt’s economy is a mix of agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and services, from wheat fields along the Nile to bustling hotel lobbies on the Red Sea.The country’s pushed ahead with economic reforms, yet it still struggles with high unemployment, rising prices, and widespread poverty that lingers like dust in the air.Agriculture still plays a vital role, especially in the fertile, green stretches of the Nile Delta.Farmers grow cotton, wheat, rice, and corn-the golden ears swaying in the summer breeze.Energy: Egypt plays a major role in the energy world, especially in oil and natural gas, with tankers moving steadily through the Suez Canal.The country’s putting money into renewable energy, from bright rooftop solar panels to the steady churn of wind turbines.Tourism is one of Egypt’s biggest earners of foreign currency, as travelers flock to marvel at towering pyramids, wander through weathered temples, and relax on sunlit beaches along the Red Sea.The Suez Canal, a key artery for global trade, links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea and fuels much of Egypt’s economy, with massive container ships sliding through its narrow blue waters each day.In Egypt, Islam is the dominant faith, and most people follow Sunni traditions-mosques fill the air with the call to prayer five times a day.Egypt holds one of the world’s oldest Islamic civilizations, and its call to prayer and traditions still carry great weight across the Muslim world.In Egypt, a sizable Christian minority lives and worships, most of them Coptic Orthodox Christians whose churches glow with candlelight and painted icons.The Copts rank among the world’s oldest Christian communities, their roots reaching back to the first century CE, when prayers echoed in the streets of ancient Alexandria.Judaism: Egypt once sheltered a small but vibrant Jewish community, yet now only a handful remain, their voices fading like echoes in an old Cairo alley.Culture, Language, and Literature: Arabic is the official tongue, and Egypt’s literary tradition runs deep, with works in both Arabic and Coptic-some penned centuries ago on brittle parchment.Naguib Mahfouz, who took home the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1988, stands among the writers who’ve left a lasting mark on the literary world, his novels carrying the scent of Cairo’s narrow streets.Music and dance in Egypt pulse with unique rhythms and melodies, carried by the warm strum of the oud and the sharp, bright beat of the darbuka.Belly dancing and other folk dances trace their roots to Egypt, where the sway of hips and the beat of drums have echoed for centuries, captivating audiences around the world.Egyptian cuisine leans on staples like warm bread, fluffy rice, hearty legumes, and fresh vegetables, often served with tender cuts of meat.In Egypt, people love dishes like koshari piled high with lentils and pasta, fragrant molokhia stew, and crispy, golden falafel.In Egypt, tea and coffee weave into daily life, steaming in small glasses and rich, fragrant cups.In Egypt, education is well established, and literacy rates are high-higher than in much of Africa.Schooling is free and required through the end of secondary school, right up until that last exam.Still, big challenges remain-crowded classrooms where desks creak against each other, low pay for teachers, and a deep gap in access to education between cities and the countryside.Egypt has a long, proud history of breakthroughs in science, from healing methods recorded on ancient papyrus to precise star maps and ingenious feats of engineering.The country’s pouring resources into tech innovation and scientific research, led by institutions like Cairo University and the American University in Cairo, where lab lights often burn late into the night.In Cairo, Egypt’s bustling capital, you can get around on buses, hop on the Cairo Metro, or flag down a taxi in the warm afternoon sun.In other cities, the transport system’s patchy-sometimes it’s just a couple of old buses rumbling down the main road.Egypt’s roads and highways stretch far and wide, yet in big cities, traffic often grinds to a crawl, with car horns echoing in the heat.
