This country is well known to everyone for its ancient history, great dynasties of the past and majestic monumental architecture. However, the modernity of Egypt is also of great interest for study, because it is one of the most dynamic and influential countries in the Middle East, the events in which affect the balance in the whole region.
The greatness and power of a poor country
Despite the fact that the area of Egypt is more than a million square kilometers, most of the economic activity is traditionally concentrated along the banks of the Nile - one of the greatest rivers on the planet, which fed the ancient civilizations of the East with moisture. For more than five thousand years, a culture has flourished in the northeast of the African continent, and each civilization in this region had its own center.
The modern capital of Egypt was founded in the 10th century. Arab rulers and bears the imprint of Islamic rule, including the Ottoman one. The city is full of ancient mosques and religious schools of various levels, in addition, it is home to one of the most prestigious Islamic universities.
As the population of Egypt grew, so did the number of capital residents. Urbanization took place in the country rapidly, and in a few decades the population of Cairo reached eight million people, but the overall standard of living at the same time remained relatively low.
Description of Egypt. Geography and Economics
A population of ninety million makes Egypt a truly serious player on the world stage. Despite the fact that the area of Egypt is mostly covered by uninhabitable deserts, the industry in industrial centers is developing very dynamically.
Traditionally, Egypt is usually divided into four historical and economic regions: Lower, formed along the spacious Nile delta, Middle, Upper and Nubia. At the same time, a pronounced mountainous landscape prevails in Upper Egypt, with rich deposits in minerals.
The Nile Delta, which stretches along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea for two hundred kilometers, has long been home to seaports, which already in the time of the pharaohs served as a sea gate for all of East Africa.
Egypt has not lost its significance for the global transport system even today. The Suez Canal, which has been operating for 150 years, still has no alternative and brings more than four billion dollars to the Egyptian treasury.
One country, two continents
The Sinai Peninsula occupies a special place in the history, economy and geography of the country. Since Israel ended a fifteen-year occupation, Egypt's area has increased by 61,000 kilometers. ExceptIn addition, many of the Israeli settlements left on the peninsula are still in use today. For example, Sharm el-Sheikh grew up on the site of such a settlement.
The Sinai Peninsula lies in Asia, and this makes Egypt one of the unique states - along with Turkey and Russia, whose territory is located in two parts of the world.
Tourism is the main branch of the economy
Due to the fact that a large area of Egypt is occupied by arid deserts, agriculture has not become the leading sector of the country's economy and Egyptians have to export many products.
However, a large number of sunny days a year has allowed the country to occupy a very special niche in the European market. Egypt has become a pan-European resort with good service, unique climate and relatively low cost.
The country is also of particular interest to connoisseurs of cultural tourism. It is worth noting that the area of Egypt allows you to accommodate a huge number of historical monuments for every taste. And the list of cultural heritage sites is far from limited to the pyramids.
Alexandria. National Capital of Culture
Even in ancient times, Alexandria of Egypt was well known as the cultural and scientific center of the Mediterranean, it could confidently compete in the field of knowledge production with Athens and Rome themselves.
At the turn of the first millennium, the city was inhabited by about a million people, and life in it was organized according to the best examples of the ancient world. The best scientists and poetsglorified the city throughout the civilized world, and ordinary citizens could enjoy a comfortable life with gardens, canals and running water.
True, all these benefits were available to those who lived within the urban environment that surrounded the city.
Inside the city wall were royal palaces, residences of we althy citizens, the Acropolis and numerous temples, including the sanctuary of Poseidon, and later - Neptune. Unfortunately, due to rising sea levels, many of these beautiful structures did not reach us, but ended up at the bottom of the sea, where their study is problematic.
Prospects for development
The rich history of Egypt encourages its modern inhabitants not only to be proud of their origin, but also to work as hard as possible to be worthy of their great ancestors. Perhaps it is because of this diligence that many economists are optimistic about Egypt's future.
Meanwhile, the population of Egypt continues to grow, which means that the government will face new challenges. However, the rich political history of the country allows predicting a favorable development of events.
