2. Geography – Statistics & Facts World’s 38th largest country 1,001,450 square ft Nile Valley and Delta contain 99% of population Borders: Libya – West Sudan – South Gaza Strip & Israel – East The Nile – World’s second-longest river Flows south to north The Nile
3. Rainfall: Averages 2 – 5 mm per year (south of Cairo) Up to 410 mm per year on small strip of northern coast Snow: Sinai mountains Some northern cities (such as Damietta, Baltim…etc) Temperature: 80 °F – 90 °F in summer (up to 109 °F on Red Sea Coast) 55 °F – 70 °F in winter The Khamaseen (wind blowing from the south) can raise the temperature in the desert to above 100 °F in the spring Geography - Climate
4. People – Demographics Most populated country in the Middle East 78,866,635 people (July 2009 est.) Religion: 90% Islam The rest are mostly Christian (Coptic Orthodox) Ethnicity: 91% Egyptian Minorities include: Abazas, Turks, Greeks, Bedouin Arab tribes of Sinai Peninsula, the Siwis of the Siwa Oasis, Nubian communities that live along the Nile, and the tribal communities of Beja
5. People - Economy Depends on: Agriculture Media Petroleum exports Tourism Energy production: Coal Oil Natural gas Hydro power Third largest receiver of post-Iraq war funds given by United States Cairo – The Capital of Egypt
6. Among the earliest civilizations Influenced European, Middle Eastern, and some African cultures One of the first Arab-speaking nations Egypt’s ancient culture influenced: Modern Western culture Arab culture Literature Music Film Television Egyptian civilization is renowned for its architecture: The Temples of Abu Simbel Valley of the Kings The Great Sphinx of Giza …etc Ancient Culture
7. Cairo (“Hollywood of the Middle East”) Cairo Opera House: Main performing arts venue in Cairo Cairo International Film Festival One of eleven festivals with a top class rating Literature Egyptian novelists & poets were among the first to use the modern styles of Arabic literature Vernacular poetry is most popular genre Music Mixture of indigenous, Mediterranean, African, and Western elements Modern Culture
8. History – Ancient Egypt 6,000 years of recorded history Old Kingdom 2700-2200 BC Famous for pyramids Pyramid of Djoser Giza Pyramids Middle Kingdom 2040 BC Stronger Nile floods and stabilization of government New Kingdom 1550-1070 BC Began with Eighteenth Dynasty Marked the rise of Egypt as an international power Noted for well-known Pharaoh's: Hatshepsut Thutmose III Akhenaten& Nefertiti Tutankhamun (King Tut) Ramesses II
9. History – Modern History Invaded by Napoleon in 1798 Invaded by Ottoman, Mamluk, and British forces in 1801 Muhammad Ali became the Sultan in Istanbul’s viceroy of Egypt in 1805 Military focus “Modernizer of Egypt” Built a system of canals for irrigation & transport In 1820, Egypt was introduced to long-staple cotton (‘Egyptian’ cotton) Agriculture became a cash-crop monoculture Muhammad succeeded by: Ibrahim (September 1848) Abbas I (November 1848) Said (1854) Isma’il (1863) Dissatisfaction of people led to formation of first nationalist groupings in 1879
10. Sources Wikipedia: Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt Wikipedia: Geography of Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Geography Wikipedia: Demographics of Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Demographics Wikipedia: Economy of Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Economy Wikipedia: Culture of Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#Culture Wikipedia: History of Egypt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt#History Book: The Second World Khanna, Parag. The Second World. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2008