This country is well known for its ancient history, the great dynasties of the past and the majestic monumental architecture. However, the modernity of Egypt is also of great interest for study, because it is one of the most dynamic and influential countries in the Middle East, the events in which affect the balance in the whole region.
The greatness and power of a poor country
Despite the fact that the area of Egypt is more than a million square kilometers, most of the economic activity is traditionally concentrated along the banks of the Nile - one of the greatest rivers on the planet that fed moisture to the ancient civilizations of the East. For more than five thousand years, culture has flourished in the northeast of the African continent, and each civilization in this region has its own center.
The modern capital of Egypt was founded in the 10th century. Arab rulers and bears the imprint of Islamic rule, including Ottoman. The city is full of ancient mosques and religious schools of various levels, in addition, it houses one of the most prestigious Islamic universities.
As the population of Egypt grew , so did the number of metropolitan residents. Urbanization was occurring rapidly in the country, and over several decades the population of Cairo reached eight million people, however, the general standard of living remained relatively low.
Description of Egypt. Geography and Economics
A population of ninety million people makes Egypt a truly serious player on the world stage. Despite the fact that the area of Egypt is mostly covered by deserts unsuitable for permanent residence, the industry in industrial centers is developing very dynamically.
Egypt is traditionally divided into four historical and economic regions: Lower, forming along the spacious Nile delta, Middle, Upper and Nubia. At the same time, a pronounced mountainous landscape prevails in Upper Egypt, with rich deposits of minerals.
In the Nile Delta, stretching along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea for two hundred kilometers, seaports have long been located, which already during the time of the Pharaohs served as sea gates for all of East Africa.
Egypt has not lost its significance for the global transport system today. Operating for 150 years, the Suez Canal still has no alternative and brings to the treasury of Egypt more than four billion dollars.
One country - two continents
A special place in the history, economy and geography of the country is occupied by the Sinai Peninsula. After Israel stopped the fifteen-year occupation, Egypt's area increased by 61 thousand kilometers. In addition, many of the Israeli settlements left on the peninsula are still used today. For example, Sharm el-Sheikh grew up just at the place of such a settlement.
The Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia, and this makes Egypt one of the unique states - along with Turkey and Russia, whose territory is located in two parts of the world.
The main industry is tourism
Due to the fact that a large area of Egypt is occupied by arid deserts, agriculture has not become the leading sector of the country's economy and the Egyptians have to export many products.
However, a large number of sunny days per year allowed the country to occupy a very special niche in the European market. Egypt has become a pan-European resort with good service, a unique climate and relatively low cost.
The country is also of particular interest to connoisseurs of cultural tourism. It is worth noting that the area of Egypt allows you to accommodate a huge number of historical monuments for every taste. And the list of objects of cultural heritage is not limited to pyramids alone.
Alexandria. The cultural capital of the country
Even in ancient times, Alexandria of Egypt was well known as the cultural and scientific center of the Mediterranean; it could confidently compete in the field of knowledge production with Athens and Rome themselves.
At the turn of the first millennium, the city was inhabited by about a million people, and life in it was arranged according to the best examples of the ancient world. The best scientists and poets glorified the city throughout the civilized world, and ordinary citizens could enjoy a comfortable life with gardens, canals and water supply.
True, all of these benefits were available to those who lived within the urban environment that surrounded the city.
Inside the city wall there were royal palaces, residences of wealthy citizens, the Acropolis and numerous temples, including the sanctuary of Poseidon, and later Neptune. Unfortunately, due to the rise in sea level, many of these beautiful buildings did not reach us, but ended up at the bottom of the sea, where their study seems problematic.
Development prospects
The rich history of Egypt encourages its modern inhabitants not only to be proud of their origin, but also to work as hard as possible to be worthy of their great ancestors. Perhaps it is because of this zeal that many economists are optimistic about the future of Egypt.
Meanwhile, the population of Egypt continues to grow, which means that the government will face new challenges. However, the rich political history of the country allows us to predict a favorable development of events.