EGYPT THE COUNTRY

Fancy a little history and geography lesson …. read on, if not skip and move onto the next blog entry.(Source:www.worldmapmaker.com)

The Flag (adopted 4 October 1984 - this version)

Flag: consists of 3 equal horizontal stripes.The top stripe is red, the middle stripe is white and the bottom stripe is black.In the centre is an emblem of the Eagle of Saladin.

Meaning: the colours are pan-African colours.The Red refers to the period before the 1952 Revolutionwhich brought a group of army officers to power after deposing King Farouk, the King of Egypt.This period was characterised by the struggle against British occupation of the country.The White symbolises the revolution which ended the monarchy but without bloodshed.Black symbolises the end of oppression of the Egyptian people at the hands of the Monarch and British colonialism.

Background: 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 through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure

Area: total: 1,001,450 sq km land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km - slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries: total: 2,665 km border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km

Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Population: 83 million (2009)

Nationality: Egyptian

Ethnic groups: Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%

Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

Government type: republic

Capital: Cairo

Independence: 28 February 1922 (from the UK)

National holiday: Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)

Currency:Egyptian pounds (EGP)

Exchange Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar - 5.50 (2009 est)