Arab Republic of EGYPT

Map of Egypt

Facts about Egypt Population: 78,887,007 Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes Capital City: Cairo Religions: Islam (mostly Sunni) 94%, other 6%

Mohammad Ali Mosque

Mohammed Ali mosque interior

Al Azhar mosque at night

CAIRO Egypt’s capital and largest city is Cairo. More than 10 million people live there. Cairo was founded more than a 1,000 years ago along the Nile River. Today Cairo is a mixture between modern buildings and mud-brick houses.

History Egyptian history dates back to about 4000 BC, when the kingdoms of upper and lower Egypt were united. The early Egyptians built great stone pyramids and other monuments.

The Pyramids of Giza are some of the only remaining ancient wonders of the world. It’s hard to comprehend their huge size or extreme age.

The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza are popular ancient monuments to visit.

What was the purpose of the Egyptian pyramids? The embalmed body of the Egyptian king, or pharaoh, and all his possessions (including servants and pets) were entombed within the pyramid. What happened to his possessions? Did they go with him to the afterlife?

Gold funeral mask of King Tutankhamen, found in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

The four huge statues of Ramses II that guard the entrance of his Great Temple at Abu Simbel are over 20 meters high. That’s over 60 ft tall!

History The Egyptians also traded with people from other places. To identify themselves and their goods, the Egyptians used Hieroglyphs, which are pictures and symbols that stand for ideas or words.

On what did Ancient Egyptians write their hieroglyphs? Papyrus It was made from reeds that grew near the Nile River.

Since becoming a country, Egypt has been conquered and ruled by: –Persia –Alexander the Great –The Ptolemy dynasty (including Cleopatra) –Romans –Arabs –Turks –Napoléon's armies –and Britain History

Egypt became an independent sovereign state on Feb. 28, 1922 and remained neutral during World War II The monarchy was abolished & a republic proclaimed on June 18, 1953, when a president & prime minister took power. The battle between the Egyptians and Israelis that has lasted for 1000s of years still continues today. History President: Mohamed Morsi (2012) Hesham Kandil: (2012)

Economy Three of the most important industries 1) Textiles 2) Tourism 3) Oil

Economy- Suez Canal Completed in 1869 Ships pay tolls to pass through it. Ships use the canal to avoid long trips around southern Africa. This makes the canal one of the world’s busiest waterways.

The Nile The world’s longest river, the Nile, flows northward through the eastern Sahara Desert. About 99% of Egypt’s population lives in the Nile River Valley and Nile Delta. Water from the Nile irrigates surrounding farmland.

Economy- Farming A, warm sunny climate and water for irrigation make the Nile delta ideal for growing cotton, vegetables, grain, and fruit. 40% of Egyptian workers are farmers.

Human Activities on the Nile Farming: There are hundreds of farms along the Nile, and usually farmers use boats to transport items (such as rice, wheat, cattle, and hay) between locations on the Nile. Fishing: Almost everyone who lives on the Nile would have done some fishing at one time in their life or another, and for some fishing is a main source of income and wealth. Each year thousands of tons of fish are caught. Animal powered water wheel used for irrigating crops

Challenges Egypt's farmland is limited so a lot of fertilizer is used to keep the land productive. That washes into the river. Many people still live in poverty. Half of the Egyptians today cannot read or write. Some Muslims want to shape the government and society with Islamic principles but many feel that might take away freedoms.

Pictures of a Nation

Central Cairo Market

Vegetable Shop

Butcher Shop

Cinema in Cairo

School children in Egypt

School Children in Egypt

Young children playing in Egypt

Tourism in Egypt

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