About
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.
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Source: The World Factbook
Population: 77,505,756 (July 2005 est.)
Capital: Cairo
Languages: Arabic
(official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%
Government: republic
Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate
winters
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and
delta
Geography: 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
Ethnic groups: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian,
other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
Economy: Lack of substantial progress on economic reform since
the mid 1990s has limited foreign direct investment in Egypt and kept annual GDP growth in the range of 2%-3% in 2001-03.
However, in 2004 Egypt implemented several measures to boost foreign direct investment. In September 2004, Egypt pushed
through custom reforms, proposed income and corporate tax reforms, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized several
enterprises. The budget deficit rose to an estimated 8% of GDP in 2004 compared to 6.1% of GDP the previous year, in part as a
result of these reforms. Monetary pressures on an overvalued Egyptian pound led the government to float the currency in
January 2003, leading to a sharp drop in its value and consequent inflationary pressure. The development of an export market
for natural gas is a bright spot for future growth prospects, but improvement in the capital-intensive hydrocarbons sector
does little to reduce Egypt's persistent unemployment.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 4.5% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2005 est.)
Internet country code: .eg
Dial code: +20
Cities
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Local currency is the Egyptian Pound
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