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GENERAL INFORMATION | GEOGRAPHY | GOVERNMENT | HERITAGE & CULTURE | COMMUNICATION
GENERAL INFORMATION
Area: 1,001,449 sq km (622,272 sq
mi)
Population: The population of Egypt
stands at around 58,519,000, with projections placing the population
at 65 million by the end of 1997. Although the birth rate has gone
down slightly (from 2.8% annually in the 1980s down to 2.3%), the
country's population explosion is its greatest and most intractable
problem, exacerbated by the sheer lack of habitable land area. Almost
the entire population lives in the Delta and in the Nile Valley
which is only about 4% of the country's land area, making this land
among of the most densely populated in the world.
Capital: Cairo
Language: Arabic is the country's
official language. The Egyptian dialect is distinct from all others
and, because of the country's dominance of the media (television,
cinema, radio and music), the most recognizable and universal. Arab
popular singers from as far afield as Morocco and Syria, often emigrate
to Egypt and sing in the Egyptian dialect instead of their own.
Currency: The Egyptian Pound (L.E.),
divided into 100 piastres, is the official currency of Egypt. As
of 1995 the 3.40 Egyptian Pounds equal one US Dollar. The once severe
currency restrictions have largely been lifted and the Egyptian
Pound (L.E.) can be freely exchanged with other currencies.
Exchange rates: Egyptian
pounds per US$1; market rate: 3.4050 (January 2000), 3.4050 (1999),
3.3880 (1998), 3.3880 (1997),3.3880 (1996), 3.3900 (1995)
Religion: Muslim, majority Sunni.
There is about 10% Coptic minority and other smaller Christian groups.
Time: GMT + 2 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
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GEOGRAPHY
Geography: Egypt covers an area
of approximately 1,001,450 sq km (386,662 sq mi) in northeastern
Africa, its northern coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, its
eastern coastline along the Red Sea and touching the State of Israel
in the Sinai. Libya shares its western border, Sudan its southern
border.
Nominally independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following
World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant
Lake Nasir have altered the time-honored place of the River Nile in the agriculture
and ecology of Egypt. The Nile is the world's longest river. Until the Aswan
Dam was completed in 1965, flooding occurred every year.
A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world) will continue to
stress Egyptian society and overtax resources as the country enters the new millennium.
All but a very small percentage of the population lives along the
fertile Nile Valley and Delta; the remainder of the country-more than
90 percent- is desert. The Western Desert is low lying; the Eastern
Desert is cut through by wadis (riverbeds that are dry for much of
the year). In the southeast the desert gives way to mountains along
the Red Sea. The Sinai Peninsula, is another desert region that lies
south of Israel and east of the Gulf of Suez. The Suez Canal, an artificial
waterway opened in 1869, runs from Port Said to Suez, linking the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. It was built to save European ships
from having to sail all the way around Africa to reach the Indian
Ocean. Egypt's capital and largest city is Cairo. The climate is hot
and dry.
Climate: Throughout most of the year,
most of Egypt is hot and dry. Alexandria and the Mediterranean coastal
communities experience milder weather while the heat in Cairo and
other inland areas is fierce with temperatures rising to as high
as 50°C in some parts of the country.
Heavy winter rains fall along the Mediterranean
coast but are less frequent in Cairo and in the interior. During the
winter months (from November to February), however, temperatures can
fall to freezing. Spring in Egypt is generally mild but plagued by
the khamaseen, a hot and bitter wind which brings blinding sand and
dust storms and heralds the coming of summer.
Geology:
The Nile
It is the Nile "the Father of Rivers" that,
more than any other feature of the country, characterizes Egypt. The
Nile emanates from the Ethiopia, flowing north through the country
for 1,545km (960mi), emptying into the Mediterranean Sea and all along
its course provides Egypt and her people with life and sustenance.
Throughout history the Egyptian Nile Valley has
been defined as two distinct regions -- Upper Egypt, which extends
south of Cairo to the Sudanese border, and Lower Egypt, which encompasses
the Nile Delta that begins north of Cairo.
Flora
Although the lotus and papyrus are symbols of
Egypt, it is the date palm that dominates the landscape. The Nile
Delta and the Nile River Valley have a rich variety of trees --
some indigenous, some imported -- including the tamarisk, acacia,
eucalyptus, mimosa, jacaranda, cypress and sycamore as well as a
wide variety of fruit trees from citrus to fig to mango.
Other fruits and vegetables flourish in the fertile
land along the Nile, as well as a vivid array of flowers from the
rose, poincianca, lotus (of course), jasmine, lily and bird of paradise.
A multiplicity of grasses grow along the Nile as well.
Fauna
Camels, buffalo and donkeys are the most prevalent
animals to be found in Egypt. As for desert wildlife, the gazelle,
jackal, jerboa and desert fox are indigenous to the country, as
well as lizards and several venomous snakes.
Egypt is also one of the greatest centres of
Arabian horse breeding in the world with large government-controlled
stud farms under the auspices of the Egyptian Agricultural Organization.
There are about 200 species of migratory birds
and 150 species of local birds, including the marsh sandpiper, spoonbill,
pink flamingo, hoopoe, heron, stork, quail, egret and golden oriole.
Eagles, falcons, vultures, hawks and owls are among the birds of prey
to be found.
Egypt also has a plethora of insect life, including
mosquitoes, flies, fleas and scorpions. There are said to be as many
as 190 species of fish in the Nile and many more in the Mediterranean
and Red Seas.
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GOVERNMENT
Government Structure:
Government type
Republic
Administrative divisions
26 governorates : Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar,
Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah,
Al Gizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al
Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suwaise, Aswan, Asyut, ::I, ::I,
Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash-Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sinaa,
Suhaj.
Constitution
Introduced on the 11::SUP of September 1971.
Legal system
The Egyptian judicial system is an amalgam of
Islamic, French and English law with a hierarchy of courts descending
from the Supreme Constitutional Court down to primary and summary
tribunals in each of the country's 26 governorates (Muhafazat).
Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak.
Head of government: Prime Minister Atef Obeid.
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
Elections: president nominated by the "People's Assembly" for
a six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national,
popular referendum; national referendum last held 26 September 1999
(will nest be held in October 2005); prime minister appointed by the
president
Election results: national referendum validated
President Mubarak's nomination by the "People's Assembly" to
a fourth term.
Legislative branch
Bicameral system consists of the "People's Assembly", or
Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed
by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the "Advisory
Council", or Majlis al-Shura - which functions only in a consultative
role (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the
president.
Judicial branch
Supreme Constitutional Court
GOTO TOP HERITAGE & CULTURE
Heritage and Traditions of Egypt:
For most Egyptians life and lifestyle have changed little for hundreds
of years. The 20th century has certainly made impressions in the form
of brand-name soda pop, Levis and TV. However, for the majority fellahin
(peasant farmers) population, things today are much the same as they
have always been. There's a prevailing attitude amongst most Egyptians
that whatever will be will be. An almost fatalistic outlook prevails,
born out of thousands of years of plague, famine, invasion and flood.
Life for most Egyptians is prescribed by the same circumstances that
existed for the generations before them.
Painting has been part of Egyptian life since the first daubs were
applied to the Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara in 24th century BC. But
it was the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom who were especially keen on
adorning the interiors of their tombs with vivid images of the afterworld
and resurrection. Contemporary Egyptian painting was heavily influenced
by western art and it wasn't until midway through this century that
Egyptian painters began to break away from these influences. Some
of the country's better known contemporary artists include Gazbia
Serri, Inji Eflatoun, Abdel Wahab Morsi, Adel el-Siwi and Wahib Nasser.
Popular music in Egypt meant, until recently, the ubiquitous voice
of Om Kolthum, the 'mother of Egypt'. She died in 1975 but her music
and her legend outlive her. Her songs, based on poetry and operettas,
are the best known Egyptian music to western ears. Other notables
were Abdel Halim al-Hafez and Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab. Elements of
western pop music are increasingly being integrated into contemporary
Egyptian music, and exponents of newer styles include Iheb Tawfik,
Mohammed Fouad and Hakim.
Although Egypt is famous for belly dancing, wiggling the body around
is generally regarded as vulgar and a sign of promiscuity. Many of
the dancers at belly-dancing shows at the resorts and tourist hotels
are in fact European or American, because it's considered improper
for Arab women to behave so provocatively. Those dancers who are Egyptian,
like Fifi Abdou, have bodyguards for protection against the excesses
of Islamic zealotry. However, at large family gatherings - at wedding
or private parties - dancing is sometimes part of the fun.
Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1988; his masterpiece
is considered to be The Cairo Trilogy. Mahfouz has more than 40 novels
and 30 screenplays to his name. His 1956 work Children of the Alley
is still banned in Egypt, and many people regard it as blasphemous
(in 1994 an attempt was made on the life of the 83-year-old author
and it's thought that the book was the cause). Other notable authors
include Tewfiq Hakim, Yahya Haqqi and Yusuf Idris. After Mahfouz,
Nawal al-Saadawi is probably Egypt's best known author, although she's
better regarded abroad than at home. Her most acclaimed works are
Woman at Point Zero, The Hidden Face of Eve (banned in Egypt) and
Death of an ex-Minister. Egypt's current best-known cultural export
is Ahdaf Soueif. She writes in English and lives in London; her latest
book, The Map of Love, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
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COMMUNICATION
Press: Al Ahram, which has an international
edition, is the semi-official daily with a circulation of over a
million and is far and away the most important newspaper in the
country. Other newspapers include Akhbar Al-Youm, Al Akhbar, Al
Mesaa, Ajjumhuriyyah, Al-Ahali, Al Wafd and Al Alam Al Youm. The
International Daily Asharq Alawsat is printed in Egypt at the Al
Ahram printing presses.
Radio Stations: Under Gamal Abdel
Nasser Egypt's national broadcasting system became a powerful and
influential tool for pan-Arab propaganda. Utilizing Egypt's enormous
pool of creative talent and powerful transmitters, the government
broadcast throughout the Arab world. While propaganda is no longer
of primary importance, Egypt's broadcasting system remains the best
in the Arab world transmitting programmes in Arabic, English, French
and other languages.
Television: Television was introduced
to the country in 1960 and, as in all Arab countries, remains solely
in the hands of the government. There are five national television
channels. Egyptian soap operas are a staple of all Arab television
and have, for better or worse, established the standards of broadcasting
throughout the region. In addition, the Egyptian Satellite Channel
transmits via Arabsat throughout the Middle East and Nile Television
broadcasts in English and French to Europe.
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