Egypt — map and facts

About Egypt

Egypt is a transcontinental country spanning the north-eastern corner of Africa and the south-western corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. With a population of over 104 million, it is the most populous country in North Africa and the Arab world. Egypt is a presidential republic; the president holds considerable executive power alongside a bicameral parliament. Cairo is the capital and largest city, one of the largest metropolitan areas in Africa. Egypt's culture is one of the world's oldest continuous civilisations, blending ancient Pharaonic heritage with Arab, Islamic, Coptic Christian, and Mediterranean influences. Arabic is the official language, and Islam is the predominant religion, though Egypt has a significant Coptic Christian minority comprising around ten percent of the population. The economy is based on tourism, the Suez Canal revenues, remittances from workers abroad, petroleum exports, and agriculture concentrated along the Nile. Egypt is a regional political heavyweight and a founding member of the Arab League.

Geography and Landscape

Egypt covers approximately 1 million square kilometres, making it one of Africa's largest countries by area, yet around 95 percent of the population lives along the Nile River and its delta, a narrow fertile strip in an otherwise arid landscape. The Western Desert, part of the Sahara, dominates the vast interior with vast sand seas, rocky plateaux, and isolated oases such as Siwa. The Eastern Desert stretches between the Nile and the Red Sea coast, a rugged landscape of wadis and mountains. The Sinai Peninsula is a triangular landmass connecting Africa and Asia, flanked by the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba; its southern tip contains the high granite peaks of the Sinai Mountains including Mount Catherine, Egypt's highest summit at 2,629 metres. The Nile Delta is a broad, flat, densely populated agricultural and urban zone. Egypt's climate is predominantly hot desert, with virtually no rainfall outside the Mediterranean coastal strip.

History

Egypt's history spans over five millennia, beginning with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 BCE under the legendary king Menes, ushering in the era of the Pharaohs. Ancient Egyptian civilisation produced monumental achievements in architecture, writing, art, and science, including the construction of the pyramids at Giza, the Sphinx, and the temples of Luxor. After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE, the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled until Cleopatra VII's defeat led to Roman annexation in 30 BCE. Arab Muslim armies conquered Egypt in 641 CE, beginning an era of Islamic rule and Arabisation. The Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk dynasties followed before the Ottoman Empire incorporated Egypt in 1517. Napoleon's brief invasion in 1798 sparked modernisation. Muhammad Ali, considered the founder of modern Egypt, initiated sweeping reforms in the early nineteenth century. Britain occupied Egypt in 1882. The 1952 revolution led by Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew the monarchy, proclaimed the republic, and nationalised the Suez Canal. The Camp David Accords of 1978 established peace with Israel. The Arab Spring of 2011 overthrew President Mubarak, initiating a turbulent period that resulted in military-backed governance from 2013.