Huge pyramids, white sand, warm sea, a fabulous vacation ... It is these associations that arise at the mention of Egypt. By area, the country occupies only 29th place in the world. But this does not affect the variety of natural and climatic conditions of this amazing state with a rich history.
origin of name
Ta-Kemet - this is how the ancient Egyptians called their country, which means "black land". Indeed, the soil in the Nile Valley is highly fertile. The modern name of the country was given by the ancient Greeks. It is consonant with the name of the main city - Hikupta, which literally means "the house of Ka Ptah." Over time, so began to call the whole territory. And the term itself has firmly entered all the languages of the European group.
Government of Egypt
The full name of the country is the Arab Republic of Egypt. The head of state, as well as the commander in chief, is the president. Since 2014, this position has been held by Abdul-Fattah Al-Sisi. In a row, this is the sixth president of Egypt, who came to power as a result of a military coup.
In form of government, it is a presidential-parliamentary republic. The head of government is the prime minister, and the supreme legislative body is the national assembly. The official language of Egypt is Arabic, and religion is Islam.
Capital Cities
Egypt is known as one of the most ancient states. Its history spans about 5 thousand years. But modern territory gained independence from the British Empire only at the beginning of the 20th century.
Now the capital of Egypt is Al-Qahira, or Cairo. In ancient times, it was called Egyptian Babylon. In size, it is the largest city in Africa, which is located on the two banks of the Nile. But over the long history of the capital have changed many times. The very first of them - the city of Chiba - arose as early as 2950 BC. Memphis, Thebes, Avaris, Sais, Alexandria are also famous capitals of Egypt. Now more than nine million people live in Cairo.
Physical location
Description of the country Egypt will begin with its borders. The western neighbor is Libya, the east - Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the south - Sudan. The long sea border stretches along Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt is located on the territory of two continents - in northwestern Africa and in Asia, on the Sinai Peninsula. Separates them the Suez Canal.
Egypt is washed by two seas - the Mediterranean and the Red. They are connected by the largest artificial channel - Suez. This opens the way to the Indian and Atlantic oceans. From south to north, Egypt crosses the Nile - the widest river in Africa. In length, it takes second place after the Amazon, flowing through the territory of ten states.
The main minerals of Egypt are found in the oil and gas basin of the Gulf of Suez. These are 5 gas and 46 oil fields. In the bowels of the Sinai Peninsula there are insignificant reserves of coal, iron, manganese and uranium ores.
The animal and plant life of the country is rather scarce, since more than 95% of its territory is desert.
Climatic characteristics
Unbearable heat is another association that occurs when describing Egypt. The country is mostly located in the tropics, and the north is in the subtropical climate zone.
The subtropics, which are located off the coast of the seas, are characterized by dry summers and wet mild winters. The average summer temperature here is 30 degrees Celsius. In winter, its indicator drops to 20-25 ° C. A characteristic feature of the climate of Egypt are daily temperature fluctuations. And if on the coasts at night it is colder by an average of 10 degrees, then in the desert this figure is much higher. Unbearable day heat here can be replaced by night frosts. In Egypt, we distinguish non-traditional for us winter and summer, hot and cool season. The first lasts from April to October. And from November to March in Egypt it is cool.
Precipitation is a rare occurrence for a country. In the form of short-term rain showers, they fall from November to January. Their number increases from south to north from 3 to 200 mm.
No wonder Egypt is called the country of the winds, because they blow here all year round. On the coasts of the sea, this greatly softens the heat. But the south-west hasmine wind is the reason for the decrease in atmospheric pressure, a sharp increase in temperature and sand storms.
Egyptian economy
According to the Ministry of Tourism of the country, in the first half of last year, more than 10 million citizens visited it. Revenues from this amounted to about $ 5 billion. Tourism is the backbone of the Egyptian economy. Normalization of the political situation allows us to make forecasts in the direction of the development of this industry.
One of the leading items of state revenue is the duty on ships that keep their way through the Suez Canal. A billion dollars a year - that is how much Egypt receives for the operation of this waterway.
The main industry is mining. The area of the Gulf of Suez and the Sinai Peninsula is rich in oil, which is the main export product. Natural gas fields not only provide for our own needs, but also supply it to Syria, Jordan and Israel. The metallurgical industry, represented by the Helwan complex, also partially works on its own raw materials.
Energy needs are provided by the Aswan Hydroelectric Power Station, as well as the Hurghada Wind Farm. Recently, the use of solar energy is promising.
Agriculture
This industry has been actively developing since the second half of the 20th century in the vast Nile Valley. Thanks to the irrigation system and climate features, crops are harvested several times a year. Leading crops are wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane and beets, cotton, citruses and vegetables.
The national currency of the state is the Egyptian ruble, the bargaining unit of which is called "piastres". It is in them that the price is usually indicated. But if you take American dollars on a trip to Egypt, you will not be mistaken.
The course of the Egyptian pound to the ruble today is 1: 3.74. The ratio to the dollar is 1: 0.06, to the euro - 1: 0.05. In addition to traditional exchange points and bank branches, currency can be exchanged at special ATMs. The advantage of the latter is that for such an operation you do not need a passport.
Foreign policy
The state has a strategic position on the political map. Egypt lies between Asia and Africa, through the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean. Important to the vitality of the country is control of the Nile. This situation puts Egypt at the center of Islamic, Arab, African interests.
Egypt's foreign policy is multi-vector in nature. But the main task is to ensure stability, peace and national interests. Back in 1979, a peace treaty was signed between Israel and Egypt, which is still valid. And since 2006, an excursion route has been opened to Jerusalem, Eilat, the resorts of the Dead and Mediterranean Seas. But Egypt still has disagreements with neighboring Sudan over the affiliation of the "Halaib Triangle." On the territory of this region, whose area exceeds 20 thousand km 2 , there are oil wells and a national park. At the moment, there is no single UN resolution on the affiliation of the "Khalaib triangle." Each member of this organization has its own opinion on this issue. For example, Russia considers it to be part of Egypt, and most Western countries - Sudan.
Close trade cooperation with Kazakhstan has continued since its independence. Egypt’s close ties with Russia are also known. Diplomatic relations between the countries were established back in 1943. And after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Egypt was one of the first states to recognize Russia as the legal successor of the USSR. Now military cooperation between the countries is actively developing within the framework of the program "Defenders of friendship."
In 2004, Egypt entered into an association agreement with the European Union and became part of the Pan-African Union of Chambers of Commerce.
sights
Tourists come to the country not only to swim in the warm sea and enjoy the subtropical climate. Description of Egypt, the country that many dream to visit, would not be complete without its amazing buildings. First of all, these are the pyramids, whose age totals 5 thousand years. The largest of them is the tomb of Pharaoh Cheops, the construction of which required more than 2 million stone blocks.
Another unique structure of Egypt is the Great Sphinx. This is a giant lion with a human face. "The king of horror" - that's what they called him in antiquity. The fact is that such structures were used for executions and sacrifices. Surprising is the fact that with huge dimensions, namely 21 meters high and 73 meters long, the statue inside is empty.
Most popular resorts
The names of the largest cities of ancient Egypt have been known since time immemorial. The exact dates of their founding cannot be established. One of the oldest is Aswan - the Egyptian gateway to Africa. It is estimated that he is more than 7 thousand years old. Aswan is not particularly comfortable due to the temperature difference. For a day, the thermometer can vary from +50 to 0 degrees Celsius.
Another ancient city is Abydos, known as a pilgrimage center. It was here that the temples were located, in which the faithful hurried to worship Osirius. In mythology, this is the king of the afterlife and the judge of the souls of the dead. Thousands of people flocked to Abydos to bring the bodies of the dead.
If you are interested in modern tourist cities, then you need to choose between Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. Comfortable hotels, clean beaches, a warm sea, magnificent landscapes, lagoons and coral reefs for scuba diving will not leave anyone indifferent.
The largest city in Egypt and all of Africa is its capital, Cairo. It is here that the famous Sphinx, the Mohammed Ali Mosque and the Perfume Museum are located. The next largest city in the country is Alexandria. Here was the seventh wonder of the world - the Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Customs restrictions
Egyptian bazaars are full of variety: souvenirs, seasonings and spices, jewelry and jewelry, household items ... Traveling through them is no less interesting than getting to know the sights. But will you be able to bring all the goods home?
You need to know that Egyptian laws limit the amount of jewelry made of gold and silver. They can be purchased for personal use, and not for trade. Both the import and export of drugs, weapons, cotton and antiques, whose age exceeds 100 years, is strictly prohibited. You can take two liters of alcohol and two hundred cigarettes per person with you to Egypt.
As for money, there are no restrictions. But an amount in excess of 500 Egyptian pounds will have to be declared.
We think that the description of Egypt, a mysterious and surprising country, will resolve all your doubts when choosing a resort for a long-awaited vacation. Indeed, it is here that ancient traditions and modern achievements are perfectly combined, which will make your vacation unforgettable, informative and comfortable.