Egypt is a country located in northeastern Africa. Its area is about 1 million km2. The most famous minerals of Egypt are hydrocarbons, but this is not the only thing that the land in this country is rich in. 96% of the area is occupied by deserts, covered only with sand and rubble. 3% of the territory is occupied by the valley and delta of the Nile. From the north and east, the country is washed by the Mediterranean and Red Seas, respectively. To the south of Egypt is Sudan, and to the west is Libya.
Climate
Egypt has a very ancient history, which is directly related to local natural conditions. In many respects, the territory of the state is heterogeneous. Most of the country is characterized by a tropical desert continental climate with large temperature fluctuations during the day. During the day it rises to 50ºC and at night it drops to 0ºC. Upper Egypt suffers annually from sandstorms, which are caused by a dry hot wind from the Sahara. In the middle of summer, the Nile floods, increasing the relative humidity of the air.
In Lower Egypt the climate is Mediterranean subtropical. Precipitation often falls near the sea. Cool season starts in Octoberwhich ends in April. The average annual temperature is 25-35ºC. Rainfall is rare in most parts of the country. The territory of Upper Egypt may not see them for 7 to 10 years. The national average annual rainfall is 100mm.
Nature
The dry climate has led to the fact that the nature of Egypt is characterized by a small number of plants. The main part of the territory is completely devoid of them. Deserts only in places after precipitation are covered with ephemeral plants. In semi-deserts and deserts there are acacias, xerophilic shrubs and cereals. The flora in the Mediterranean area is much richer: wild rose, astragalus, camel thorn, etc. Palm trees, papyrus, oleander and other plants are found in the Nile Valley, most of which are not wild.
The nature of Egypt is also poor in fauna. Among animals, birds are distinguished by a large species diversity. In addition to nesting, there are also wintering individuals arriving from the territory of European states. Birds of prey include vultures, falcons and buzzards. The fauna is rich in representatives of reptiles and insects, but there are also mammals in Egypt. Livestock breeding is developed in the country.
Relief
The main part of the country is located on the edge of the ancient platform, so there are many plains on its territory. Most of the state is located at an altitude of 300-1000 m above sea level. There are several relief zones in Egypt. One of them is the Sinai Peninsula, which belongs to Asia. It is a triangle with an east slope. AlongThe Red Sea passes a chain of mountains with the highest point of 2637 m.
Description of Egypt would not be complete without mentioning the Nile River, which is located on the border of two deserts: Libyan and Arabian. The delta and the river valley form the second relief zone. The Nile has a length of 1.5 thousand km. In the southern part of the country, the river has a width of about 1 km, and at the level of Cairo it is already 25 km. In the area of this city, the Nile is divided into branches, forming a delta with an area of 25 thousand km2. During floods, the river covers the banks with a layer of silt, making the soil suitable for cultivation. These lands are the breadbasket of Egypt. The main part of the population of this country lives along the banks of the river.
Deserts
The Libyan Desert is located west of the Nile River, forms the third relief zone and occupies over 70% of the country's area. For this reason, the description of Egypt cannot be complete without mentioning these empty spaces. This place is one of the driest on Earth. The desert has a barely noticeable slope towards the Mediterranean Sea (from 600 to 100 m). Sand on its surface is only a fifth, the rest is crushed stone and pieces of limestone.
The desert has depressions:
- Qattara has an area of over 19 thousand km2, its bottom is 133 m below sea level.
- Fayoum 700 km in size2 and up to 17 m deep.
- Many shallow areas where groundwater comes to the surface. Oases have long been formed in them and land is being cultivated.
20% of the country's area is occupied by the Arabian Desert (the fourth relief zone), its plateau is gradually risingtowards the Red Sea. At the water's edge, the cliff reaches 700 m. The surface of the desert has no depressions and is covered with rubble. On its territory there are many channels of dry rivers. Water in them can appear only in winter. The eastern border of the desert is marked by a chain of mountains, the largest of which is Shaib el-Banat, which has a height of 2187 m.
Egyptian minerals
In the land of this country there are large reserves of oil and gas, which are located in the sea and desert depressions. The relief and minerals of Egypt are interconnected. Coal is found in large quantities in the northern part of Sinai and in Fayum. Gas fields have been discovered in the Nile Delta. Blue fuel found in 5 districts. The Etbay Mountains are the main supplier of valuable ores, incl. iron, gold, uranium and copper. The Sinai Peninsula is rich in manganese.
Oil in Egypt is far from the only mineral, although it was found in 46 deposits. Large deposits of phosphorites have been found on the shores of the Red Sea, in the valley of the Nile River and in the Kharga oasis. The country has huge reserves of limestone, clay and marl. Aswan granite is known all over the world. Many other building materials are mined in Egypt.
Egypt's minerals include deposits of s alts (cooking and rock) and soda. The bowels of the country are rich in titanium and gypsum. Asbestos, fluorspar, barite and talc are present in industrial volumes. Raw materials for aluminum production are mined in the Arabian Desert.
Soils
MostThe country has no soil cover. This primarily applies to the western regions, where there are rocky and sandy deserts. Skeletal soils have the ability to form only in places where flora grow and rain falls:
- Alluvial - the most fertile, formed on the banks of the Nile River.
- Marsh and marsh-meadow are located in its delta.
- Takyrs, solonchaks, yellow-brown desert.
Egypt's minerals are one of the key sources of state income. Many of them are used in industries within the country. Not all of the deposits have been developed, and the search for deposits does not stop.
