Lesson 7-3 Egypt Today

After the Pharaohs After the last of the pharaohs, Egypt was controlled by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, French, and British. The British completed the building of the Suez Canal in 1869, which linked the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

Gamal Nasser overthrew the Egyptian government, got rid of the last of British control, and established an independent Egyptian republic in 1952. Nasser had the Aswan High Dam built to control the annual flooding of the Nile, which improved farming and gave Egypt more electricity.

Egyptian women now have the right to vote, hold public office, and get divorced. Led by President Anwar Sadat in 1979, Egypt became the first Muslim country to have a peace treaty with Israel.

The Muslim Brotherhood is against peace with Israel, wants Egypt ruled by Islamic law, and wants control of the government.

The Land and People Egypt is mostly desert. Most people live in a narrow strip of land near the Nile. Cotton is a major export crop. More than half of the people live in villages. Fellahin: Egyptian peasant farmers.

Cairo Africa’s largest city. Suffers from overcrowding and unemployment. Has both modern and old historic sections.

Homework Read pp. 264-267. Study Guide for Lesson 7-4. Study notes.