Egypt+Facts

__//Egypt facts//__ = =
 * Location: ** Egypt is located in North Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Libya is on the west and the Gaza Strip and the Red Sea make up the eastern border; [|see map]. **Area:** Egypt covers just over 1 million square kilometers, about the same size as France and Germany combined. **Capital** **City:** [|Cairo] **Population:** Around 78 million people live in Egypt **Language:** Arabic (official), English and French are widely understood by educated classes. **Religion:** Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%. **Climate:** It's hot and sunny for most of the year in Egypt. Winters (November to February) are generally mild. More about [|Egypt's weather and average temperatures]. **[|When to Go]:** October - April when it's a bit cooler, but the Red Sea coast is a year-round destination. More about - [|Best time to visit Egypt]. **Currency:** Egyptian Pound, click here for a currency converter.


 * Travel to Egypt **


 * Egypt **** 's International Airport: ** Egypt's main airport is Cairo International Aiport (Airport code: CAI), 12 miles (20 km's) northeast of [|Cairo]'s city center. There are also international airports in Sharm El Sheikh (Airport Code: SSH) and [|Alexandria] (Airport Code: ALY). **Getting to Egypt:** Egypt is easily accessible by air direct from the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. A few ferries operate from Greece and Cyprus and sail into [|Alexandria]. More about [|getting to Egypt and getting around]. **Egypt****'s Embassies/Visas:** A valid passport and a tourist visa are required for most nationalities. Tourist visas are available at Egyptian embassies and consulates around the world. **Egypt****'s Tourist Information Office:** Misr Travel Tower, Abbassia Square, Cairo, Egypt. //Tel:// 285-4509/284-1970; //E-mail:// http://www.egypt.travel/index.php?nav1=contact; //Web Site:// [].


 * Politics/History: ** 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. The results of this struggle culminated in [|riots that started in January 2011].

** Ancient Egyptian Culture ** Ancient Egyptian Culture represents the ancient ages of Egypt. The Ancient Egyptian age was a very fascinating era in history. Beginning approximately in the year 3000 BC, the ancient era of Egypt lasted till about 300 BC. Extensive excavations of Egyptian historical sites have revealed that ancient Egypt had achieved very high standards of culture. Artifacts and relics found from these excavations reveal that ancient Egyptians were very conscious about fashion and culture. The ancient royalty of Egypt such as the pharaohs wore a lot of gold jewelry. The abundance of this precious [|metal] made ancient Egypt a rich nation.



The royal tombs of Egypt also reveal that they wore silk fabrics. Ancient Egyptian clothing was classified on the caste hierarchy. The ancient Egyptians were very religious minded. Gods and goddesses were part of everyday life of ancient Egyptians. They had their gods and goddesses on whom they had unflinching faith. Religious practices of ancient Egypt were linked to movements of celestial bodies such as constellations, the sun, the moon, and the planets. Some of the most revered deities of ancient Egyptians are Amun-Re, Osiris, Isis. The literary culture of Ancient Egypt is very rich. The earliest examples of literature of this time are the pyramid texts and the inscriptions on the walls of the tombs. The Royal library of Alexandria, once the largest library in the world, contained many of the manuscripts of ancient Egyptian literature.media type="youtube" key="kWX7XFgeucA" height="349" width="425"media type="youtube" key="O-1qWr9joCU" height="349" width="425"media type="youtube" key="CTeocPAVQAY" height="349" width="425"