Test your knowledge on Egypt's geography

An Overview of Egypt: Its Geography, History, and Culture

• Egypt is a transcontinental country located in Northeast Africa and Southwest Asia.

• It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza Strip, Red Sea, Sudan, and Libya, and is separated from Jordan and Saudi Arabia by the Gulf of Aqaba.

• Cairo is the capital and largest city of Egypt, while Alexandria is the second-largest city and an important industrial and tourist hub.

• Egypt has a population of approximately 100 million, making it the 14th-most populated country in the world and the third-most populated in Africa.

• Egypt has a rich history dating back to the 6th-4th millennia BCE, and is considered a cradle of civilization.

• Ancient Egypt saw early developments in writing, agriculture, urbanization, organized religion, and central government, and is known for iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and the Valley of the Kings.

• Egypt's cultural heritage is an integral part of its national identity, reflecting its unique transcontinental location as Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and North African.

• Egypt is predominantly Sunni Muslim, but has a significant Christian minority and other lesser practiced faiths.

• Modern Egypt gained independence from the British Empire in 1922 and declared itself a republic following the 1952 revolution.

• Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Egypt endured social and religious strife, political instability, and armed conflicts with Israel.

• Egypt's current government is a semi-presidential republic led by Abdel Fattah el-Sisi since 2014, which has been described by watchdogs as authoritarian and responsible for perpetuating the country's poor human rights record.

• Egypt is a regional power in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Muslim world, and a middle power worldwide, with a diversified economy that is the third-largest in Africa and the 20th-largest globally by PPP.Egyptian History: From Muhammad Ali Dynasty to Republic

• Muhammad Ali Pasha, an Albanian military commander, established a dynasty that ruled Egypt until the revolution of 1952.

• Introduction of long-staple cotton in 1820 transformed agriculture into a cash-crop monoculture, concentrating land ownership and shifting production towards international markets.

• Muhammad Ali annexed Northern Sudan, Syria, and parts of Arabia and Anatolia but was forced to return most of his conquests to the Ottomans in 1841 by the European powers.

• Muhammad Ali modernized the country, built industries, system of canals and reformed the civil service, and constructed a modernized army with conscription and mandatory education and training.

• The Khedivate of Egypt (1867-1914) was granted the status of an autonomous vassal state or Khedivate in 1867, which remained in place until 1914.

• The Suez Canal was completed in 1869, financed by European banks, and led to the imposition of British and French controllers who were the real power in the Government.

• Local dissatisfaction with the Khedive and European intrusion led to the formation of the first nationalist groupings in 1879, with Ahmed ʻUrabi a prominent figure.

• The United Kingdom invaded Egypt in 1882, crushing the Egyptian army at the Battle of Tell El Kebir and militarily occupying the country, leading to a de facto British protectorate under nominal Ottoman sovereignty.

• Following independence from the United Kingdom, Sultan Fuad I assumed the title of King of Egypt, but the Kingdom was still under British military occupation, and the UK still had great influence over the state.

• Following a brief experiment with civilian rule, the Free Officers abrogated the monarchy and the 1923 constitution and declared Egypt a republic on 18 June 1953.

• Gamal Abdel Nasser became the President of the Republic in 1956, nationalized the Suez Canal, and his hostile approach towards Israel and economic nationalism prompted the beginning of the Second Arab-Israeli War (Suez Crisis).

• In 1958, Egypt and Syria formed a sovereign union known as the United Arab Republic, which was short-lived, ending in 1961 when Syria seceded, thus ending the union, and the Arab Socialist Union was founded in 1962.A Brief History and Geography of Egypt

• Public school enrolments more than doubled from 1954 to 1965, leading to the growth of the middle class in Egypt.

• President Anwar Sadat shifted Nasser's economic policies and implemented the Infitah economic reform policy, which mainly benefited the higher class and led to the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots.

• Sadat made a historic visit to Israel in 1977, which led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from Sinai.

• Hosni Mubarak came to power after Sadat's assassination and faced serious problems of mass poverty and unemployment, leading to riots and a crackdown on political freedoms.

• In 2011, widespread protests led to the resignation of Mubarak and the military assuming power to govern.

• Mohamed Morsi was elected president in 2012, but his government faced protests and opposition from liberal and secular groups, leading to his removal from office by the military in 2013.

• Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi was elected president in 2014 and re-elected in 2018, with his party securing a strong majority in the parliament.

• Egypt is primarily located between latitudes 22° and 32°N and longitudes 25° and 35°E, with most of the population concentrated along the narrow Nile Valley and Delta.

• The country is bordered by Libya to the west, the Sudan to the south, and the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east.

• Egypt's strategic position as a transcontinental nation with a land bridge and navigable waterway has given it an important role in geopolitics.

• The majority of Egypt's landscape is desert, with oases scattered about and occasional snowfall and frost in some regions.

• Egypt has an unusually hot, sunny, and dry climate with little rainfall, and the potential rise in sea levels due to global warming could threaten the country's densely populated coastal strip.Overview of Egypt: Politics, Economy, and Human Rights

• Egypt's plan for documenting biodiversity included information on algae, animals, fungi, monera, plants, and protozoans, with over 10,000 recorded insect species.

• Egypt's parliamentary system has members elected to serve five-year terms, with the House of Representatives specializing in legislation.

• In 2013, the military removed President Mohamed Morsi from office and suspended the constitution, leading to a new constitution in 2014.

• Egypt has played a historical role in mediation efforts for conflicts in the Middle East, including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

• The legal system is based on Islamic and civil law, with Sharia courts and qadis licensed by the Ministry of Justice for personal status law.

• Human rights violations in Egypt include discrimination against religious minorities, capital punishment, and restrictions on freedom of the press and expression.

• The Egyptian economy relies on agriculture, petroleum exports, natural gas, tourism, and more than three million Egyptians working abroad.

• The completion of the Aswan High Dam and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the Nile River's role in Egypt's agriculture and ecology.

• The government has invested in infrastructure and received foreign aid from the United States since 1979.

• Economic conditions have improved due to more liberal economic policies and increased revenues from tourism and the stock market.

• Corruption is a major obstacle to economic growth, and Egyptians criticize the government for high prices of basic goods and limited trickle-down of wealth.

• An estimated 2.7 million Egyptians abroad contribute to the country's development through remittances.