الخميس، 13 ديسمبر 2012
الثلاثاء، 11 ديسمبر 2012
Geographical facts
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Northern Africa, bordering the
Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea
north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula
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Geographic coordinates:
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27 00 N, 30 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 1,001,450 sq km
country comparison to the world: 30
land:
995,450 sq km
water:
6,000 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,665 km
border countries:
Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
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Coastline:
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2,450 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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Climate:
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desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
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Terrain:
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vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point:
Mount Catherine 2,629 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.92%
permanent crops:
0.5%
other:
96.58% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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35,300 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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86.8 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%)
per capita:
923 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts;
frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms
called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
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Environment - current issues:
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agricultural land being
lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination
below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral
reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from
agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited
natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only
perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the
Nile and natural resources
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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controls Sinai Peninsula,
only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere;
controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean
Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in
Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance
of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the
Palestinian territories
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Political Facts
The regularity and richness of the annual
Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the
east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great
civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of
dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native
dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by
the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced
Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the
next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control
about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the
Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in
1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell
heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized
control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the
Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK
in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the
British-backed monarchy in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in
1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place
of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly
growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land,
and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress
society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's
growing population through economic reform and massive investment in
communications and physical infrastructure. Egyptian youth and
opposition groups, inspired by events in Tunisia leading to overthrow of
the government there, organized a "Day of Rage" campaign on 25 January
2011 (Police Day) to include non-violent demonstrations, marches, and
labor strikes in Cairo and other cities throughout Egypt. Protester
grievances focused on police brutality, state emergency laws, lack of
free speech and elections, high unemployment, rising food prices,
inflation, and low minimum wages. Within several days of the onset of
protests, President MUBARAK addressed the nation pledging the formation
of a new government, and in a second address he offered additional
concessions, which failed to assuage protesters and resulted in an
escalation of the number and intensity of demonstrations and clashes
with police. On 11 February MUBARAK resigned and national leadership was
assumed by a Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). The SCAF dissolved
the Egyptian parliament, suspended the nation's constitution, and
formed a committee to recommend constitutional changes to facilitate a
political transition through democratic elections. Following some
delays, elections for a new parliament took place between November 2011
and January 2012. Presidential elections held in May and June witnessed
the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed MURSI over former
Prime Minister Ahmed SHAFIQ.
الاثنين، 10 ديسمبر 2012
Arab & Ottoman Egypt
The Byzantines were able to regain control of the country after a brief Persian invasion early in the 7th century, until 639–42, when Egypt was invaded and conquered by the Islamic Empire by the Muslim Arabs. When they defeated the Byzantine Armies in Egypt, the Arabs brought Sunni Islam to the country. Early in this period, Egyptians began to blend their new faith with indigenous beliefs and practices, leading to various Sufi orders that have flourished to this day.[24] These earlier rites had survived the period of Coptic Christianity.[26]
Muslim rulers nominated by the Islamic Caliphate remained in control of Egypt for the next six centuries, with Cairo as the seat of the Caliphate under the Fatimids. With the end of the Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty, the Mamluks, a Turco-Circassian military caste, took control about AD 1250. By the late 13th century, Egypt linked the Red Sea, India, Malaya, and East Indies.] They continued to govern the country until the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517, after which it became a province of the Ottoman Empire. The mid-14th-century Black Death killed about 40% of the country's population]
After the 15th century, the Ottoman invasion pushed the Egyptian
system into decline. The defensive militarization damaged its civil
society and economic institutions.
The weakening of the economic system combined with the effects of
plague left Egypt vulnerable to foreign invasion. Portuguese traders
took over their tradeEgypt suffered six famines between 1687 and 1731. The 1784 famine cost it roughly one-sixth of its population.
Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to Cyrene to the west, and south to the frontier with Nubia. Alexandria became the capital city and a center of Greek
culture and trade. To gain recognition by the native Egyptian populace,
they named themselves as the successors to the Pharaohs. The later
Ptolemies took on Egyptian traditions, had themselves portrayed on
public monuments in Egyptian style and dress, and participated in
Egyptian religious life.[22][23]
The last ruler from the Ptolemaic line was Cleopatra VII, who committed suicide following the burial of her lover Mark Antony who had died in her arms (from a self-inflicted stab wound), after Octavian
had captured Alexandria and her mercenary forces had fled. The
Ptolemies faced rebellions of native Egyptians often caused by an
unwanted regime and were involved in foreign and civil wars that led to
the decline of the kingdom and its annexation by Rome. Nevertheless Hellenistic culture continued to thrive in Egypt well after the Muslim conquest.
Christianity was brought to Egypt by Saint Mark the Evangelist in the 1st century.[24] Diocletian's reign marked the transition from the Roman to the Byzantine era in Egypt, when a great number of Egyptian Christians were persecuted. The New Testament had by then been translated into Egyptian. After the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, a distinct Egyptian Coptic Church was firmly established.[25]
Pharaohs Civilization
Pharaohs Civilization
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5,000 years ago, the pharaonic nation was founded in Egypt, and they
were a sophisticated and civilized society. This nation left a very
large amount of monuments and temples. Most of the reminders of this
well known nation is preserved in Egypt. These monuments draw many
tourists, who like to watch and appreciate these reminders, to Egypt.
Some of the well-known artefacts of ancient pharaonic civilization are: Pyramids: Perhaps the most known pyramids are the three pyramids of Giza, but there are more than 70 pyramids along the Nile. Beside the giant three pyramids is Sphinx, a lion-bodied guard of the pyramids. The pyramids were built more than 4,000 years ago in the eras of Kings Cheops, Kefren and Mykerinos.
These three kings' bodies are buried in these enormous pyramids. The
biggest pyramid, Cheops', is known as the Great Pyramid because it
measues 145 meters tall. Touristic places beside the pyramids are The
Solar Barque Museum, The Sphinx Complex and The Sphinx Sound and Light
Show.
Saqqara Complex: The vast necropolis of Saqqara including Memphis is located 24 kilometers south of central Cairo. Memphis was founded in about 3000 BC by Menes,
along with 11 other pyramids. Memphis was the administrative capital of
ancient Egypt. You will find Zoser's funerary complex, Mereruka's
tomb, and Serapeum. Serapeum is a large limestone structure and an
amazing collection of mummified Apis bulls in gargantuan granite coffins
of various kings such as King Teti
Valley of the Kings in Thebes:
The Valley of the Kings covers its secrets well. The grand pyramids of
the earlier pharaohs were too tempting to attract stealers, so from the
eighteenth to twentieth Dynasties, about 26 pharaohs built their tombs
in the valley. Carving them into the eterning mountains, far from any
messing hand. Famous tombs there belong to Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great and Tuthmosis III. This valley is located in Luxor.
There are other interesting tombs to see in the Valley of the Queens and nobles
