Egypt
by Mstyslav Chernov,
used under
Egypt- The Land of the Pyramids
Egypt is one of the few countries that spans two continents and is primarily located at the northernmost tip of Africa.
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General Facts
Capital
Cairo Largest Cities Cairo and Alexandria Population 86,895,099 Area 387,048 mi² (1,002,450 km²) Area-Comparative Slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico Bordering Countries Sudan and Libya Date of Founding (Current State) June 18, 1953 Type of Government Semi-Presidential Republic Languages Spoken Arabic Religions Practiced Muslim (95%), Orthodox Christian, Coptic Orthodox, Coptic Catholic (5%) GDP per Capita $6,600 (est.2013) Latest GDP Growth Rate 1.8% (est.2013) Top Exports Natural Gas, Cotton furnishings and clothing, Iron and Steel mill products National Holidays Christmas – Jan. 7, Egypt Police Day – Jan. 25, Sinai Liberation Day – Apr. 25, Labor Day – May 1, Revolution Day – July 23, Armed Forces Day – Oct. 6, Sham El Nessim (Spring Festival), Islamic New Year, Prophet Mohamed’s Birthday, Ramadan Feast, Sacrifice Feast, Sportsmen’s Day – Mar. 3, eid el-Galaa (Evacuation Day) – Mar. 21, Flooding of the Nile – Aug. 15, Egyptian Naval Day – Oct. 21, Suez Day/Popular Resistance Day – Oct. 24, Victory Day – Dec. 23 Money Currency Egyptian pound Random Fact Egypt is the size of France and Germany combined Source of data in Reference section: see source 1 |
A Brief History
By 5,000 BC the people of Egypt had begun farming. They also began weaving linen and making pottery and then learned to use bronze. Around 3,200 BC the Egyptians invented what we know today as writing.
The first Egyptian in recorded history was King Menes who was known as Narmer. He lived shortly before 3,000 BC and at that time Egypt was divided into northern Egypt and southern Egypt. About 3118 BC Menes managed to unite the two, making Memphis the capital city.
Ancient Egypt was a highly organized and sophisticated society. The country was divided into 42 regions known as nomes. Each being governed by a nomarch, or govenor of sorts. Taxes were paid through contributions of goods such as crops or resources.
The first period of Egyptian history, which ended in 2181 BC, is referred to as the Old Kingdom. It's during this time the pharaohs built many of the pyramids that still stand today. The first pyramid, the Step pyramid, was built by Zoser about 2665 BC. Others were built by the following pharaohs Sneferu and Khufu.
Central authority in Egypt eventually weakened. In 1281 BC Egypt split into parts and there were civil wars between the rival areas. This period of civil disorder is called the First Intermediate Period and it lasted until 2055 BC. Eventually, Montuhotep II succeeded in reuniting Egypt and he founded the Middle Kingdom.
The Middle Kingdom lasted until 1650 BC. It was a period of advancement in both art and literature in Egypt. At the same time the pharaohs carried out many successful military campaigns. The Middle Kingdom was followed by the Second Intermediate Period. About 1650 a group of Palestinian people called the Hyskos seized power in northern Egypt. They ruled from the city of Avaris. Native Egyptians continued to rule southern Egypt and in 1550 BC they drove out the Hyskos and reunited Egypt.
All this happening resulted in the New Kingdom. It lasted from 1550 to 1070 BC. During this era Egypt was rich and powerful once again and Egypt gained control of Nubia, the land to the south and invaded Palestine and Syria. During this time many great new temples were built at Thebes and in the Valley of the Kings.
The New Kingdom collapsed in 1070 and gave way to another period of separation. From this point Egypt declined and never recovered its former glory. During the Third intermediate period Egypt split into two halves, north and south. However in 747 BC Nubia conquered Egypt and restored unity. In 525 BC the Persians then conquered Egypt only to be conquered again in 332 by Alexander the Great. After Alexander's death his empire split into parts. A Greek general called Ptolemy eventually took Egypt and for about 300 years his Greek descendants ruled Egypt. In 30 BC Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire and ceased to be an independent kingdom.
More: History
Please follow this link here for an interactive timeline of ancient Egypt. And if that is not enough or alternatively there is a fantastic video to the right called Ancient Egypt: Crash Course World History #4 by John Green that gives an entertaining and informative recap of Egypt's history. An overview of the Egyptian revolution that happened recently can be found here in this well made timeline. The video to the right titled Egypt....Explained! is a good alternative explanation by Hank Green. The revolution is a very important development in Egyptian History. It play part in where Egypt is now and where it will be going in the future. Wars Egypt has had a long history of war dating to the B.C era. Many of the major battles in Ancient Egypt can be seen here and some of the more modern conflicts in Egypt can be found here. |
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Natural Resources
by John Severns,
used under
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The natural resources of Egypt mainly refer to the oil and gas of Egypt. The oil reserves of Egypt draw huge annual revenues from its export profits. The newly discovered oilfields in the Mediterranean seabed have opened up fresh opportunities for reviving the country's oil export business. The 3.7 million barrel reserve that Egypt previously possessed, now have more than doubled the reserve figures. The markets of Turkey and Israel are the chief targets of Egypt. More information on natural resource in Egypt can be found here.
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Agriculture
Agriculture is an major player in Egypt economy. Unfortunately though agriculture is one of Egypt's major issues. "It is an issue as a
local food source, for international trade, for balance of payments,
land use and water use and as a basic product for food and fiber
manufacturing" (Lewis, 2012). Egypt's economy is almost entirely made up from agriculture.
The amount that agriculture contributes to Egypt's economy is decreasing but it is still vital. "Even though only 3% of the total land area is arable land, agriculture accounted for 13.9% of GDP in fiscal 2005 and 28% of total employment in 2000/01" (Lewis, 2012). For almost 5000 years farming has put Egypt ahead of the game. This is because of its close relationship with the Nile River. In history if you had surplus food then you had power. This is evident in the things Egypt built such as the pyramids. But theses days it is not enough to have food to put a country on top. More info on agriculture can be found here. |
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Economic Development
Adoption of the opening door policies in late 1970s, macro economic reforms in 1980s and 1990s has helped the private sector take control of higher share in Egyptian economy. The value of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country was estimated at $82,427 million in the year 2003. The economy had registered a real GDP growth rate of 4.1% in the year 2004. The tourism industry of the country has increased very fast with the international tourist arrivals reaching 7.5 millions in the year 2004. The WTO vision 2020 has clearly stated that Egypt would be the largest tourist receiving country in the African Continent. |
References
- CIA Factbook. "Egypt." Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2015.
- Egypt Natural Resources (2013, October 16). In Maps of the World. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
- Lewis, Lowell L. "Egypt's Future Depends on Agriculture - A Summary of Text for The History and the Future of Egyptian Agriculture." Egypt's Future Depends on Agriculture - A Summary of Text for The History and the Future of Egyptian Agriculture. Egyptianagriculture.com, 2012. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
- "A Short History of Ancient Egypt." A Brief History of Ancient Egypt. Ed. Tim Lambert. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2015. <http://www.localhistories.org/egypthist.html>.
- "History of Egypt." History World. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2015. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=265&HistoryID=aa28>rack=pthc>.
- "Ancient Egypt." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ed. Joshua J. Mark. N.p., 9 Sept. 2009. Web. 4 May 2015. <http://www.ancient.eu/egypt/>.