Who hasn't seen the Sphinx or the famous pyramids of Giza? Everyone has known Egyptian gods, pharaohs and hieroglyphs since childhood. The culture of this country is one of the most popular and mysterious in the world, which is why it attracts so much attention. But if you ask about the exact location of Egypt, its capital, the seas washing it and neighboring countries, few will be able to answer. The geographical location of Egypt remains a mystery to many.
Egypt on the world map
This country is located on two continents at once - in the southwest of Eurasia (on the Sinai Peninsula) and in northeast Africa. Its area is just over 1 million square kilometers. For comparison: the area of the UK is 244 thousand square meters. km., and Russia - 17 million square meters. km.
The geographical position of Egypt, located at the junction of two continents, provides it with direct access to two seas and a canal connecting them. We are talking about the Mediterranean Sea in the north of the country and the Red Sea in the east. They are connected to each other by the Suez Canal, which is considered the border betweencontinents. Egypt's closest neighbors are several countries. These are Libya in the west, Sudan in the south and Israel in the east.
Geographic data and population
Although not the largest country, Egypt is nevertheless one of the twenty countries with the largest population. 79 million people live there. Most of the inhabitants, however, are forced to live in areas close to the seas and rivers. The rest of the country is occupied by deserts: this is the famous Sahara, or rather, part of it; Arabian and Libyan deserts. They cover 90% of Egypt. The geographical position of the country is such that most of it is uninhabitable.
Nevertheless, Egypt is rich in minerals. Oil, phosphates, iron ore, natural gas, manganese, limestone, lead and zinc are mined here. Approximately one tenth of the country's territory is occupied by agricultural land. Many families are quite poor and forced to farm.
At the state level, one of the main incomes of the country is tourism. Seeing the sights, swimming in the sea and getting to know the culture of the most mysterious country in the world, many tourists come, although in recent years their number has decreased significantly.
Climatic conditions
Earlier, we have already found out where Egypt is. The geographical position of this country in terms of climatic zones is very convenient - primarily for farmers, who are quite numerous here. From this point of view, Egypt can be calledagricultural country. The southern territories are in the tropical zone, and the northern territories are in the subtropical zone. This location allows farmers to get 3 harvests per year, so the markets are always full of many fruits and berries. However, low rainfall forces the use of additional irrigation systems.
Another problem for the Egyptians is the constant change in air temperature. Moreover, this difference is expressed in the night cooling. But the seasons here are not as obvious as in countries located to the north. The air temperature in Egypt in winter usually does not drop below +10 degrees.
Ancient Egypt and the Nile
There have always been problems with climate and humidity in the country. Therefore, the first settlers, like modern residents, strove for water bodies. The emergence of the state of Egypt and its growth are directly related to the rivers. The main one was the Nile. It is the second largest river in the world and the largest in the country. It was only thanks to its annual floods that Ancient Egypt developed. The geographical position of the country in ancient times was somewhat different from the modern one. It was divided into 2 parts - Lower and Upper Egypt, which for a long time were at enmity. Their unification led to the creation of a single state, headed by the dynasties of the pharaohs.
Nile floods occurred in the summer, subsiding closer to the second half of autumn. Leaving, the water left silt on the banks, which enriched the soil and made it incredibly fertile. It is also believed that not only spills, but also the name of the country is obligedNile. The Greeks called it "Egyptos", and later the whole country was called that.
Capital and largest cities
Despite the fact that the geography of Egypt does not have a comfortable life throughout the country, the population density in the largest cities is about 1.5 thousand people per 1 square kilometer. If we take into account deserts and sparsely populated areas, this figure will only slightly exceed 60 people.
Cairo is not only the capital, but also the largest city in the country. It is home to over 6.5 million people. This is the twelfth of all the people inhabiting Egypt. The geographical position of Cairo, like other major cities of the state, is associated with the Nile. The capital is located directly on the river and occupies both its banks in the northern part of the country.
Another major city is Alexandria. The number of inhabitants in it is 2 times inferior to the population of the capital. It is located on the Mediterranean coast and is the largest port in the country. The city of El Giza, with a population of 4.5 million people, ranks third in the list of the largest cities in Egypt. Anyone who is at least a little familiar with the culture of the country knows perfectly well what he is famous for. It is Giza that annually attracts many tourists who want to look at one of the wonders of the world - the Egyptian pyramids.
Not included in the list of the largest cities in the country, but at the same time quite significant are Suez with a population of 411 thousand people and Port Said. It has about 470 thousand inhabitants.
Basicattractions
Not so much the sea as amazing culture attracts many tourists to Egypt every year. The geographical position of the main attractions, as well as the country itself, is inextricably linked with the Nile. After all, it was around him that a whole civilization developed for centuries, leaving memories of itself in the form of monuments of culture and architecture.
The Sphinx, as well as the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure are located in Giza. The city of Luxor is also rich in various attractions. It is here that one of the best preserved temples of Ancient Egypt is located. In many other cities, tourists are also waiting for a lot of architectural monuments - in Alexandria, Cairo, in ancient Karnak, etc.
