Egypt

Egypt
 * By: Cayla Z**

= **//__Table of Contents__//** =
 * Government
 * Basic Information
 * Population and People
 * Eduction
 * Economy
 * Timeline

=__**//Background //**__=

The earliest recorded Egyptian dynasty united the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BC. Today's Egyptians are proud of the Pharaonic heritage that followed. In 525 BC, Egypt came under Persian control. Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC brought Greek rule and culture to Egypt. As one of the first nations visited by Christian missionaries (the apostle Mark), Egypt was Christianized within three centuries and followed a Coptic patriarch. Because of Byzantine religious persecution, Egyptians welcomed the Muslim invasion that began in AD 642.

__//**Flag[[image:2047424-EGYPT_FLAG-Egypt.jpg width="330" height="220" align="right" caption="Flag"]] **//__
The flag of Egypt, most recently adopted on 4 October 1984, features three horizontal stripes: red, white, and black. The emblem of an eagle is situated in the center of the flag. The color red refers to the era before the 1952 revolution. The white symbolizes the advent of the 1952 revolution, which ended the monarchy without bloodshed. Black symbolizes the end of oppression of the Egyptians at the hands of the monarchy and British colonialism.

=**//__Government __//**=

==**//__Leader __//**== President is Mohamed Hosni Mubarak he was appointed in October 14, 1981. Prime Minister--Dr. Ahmed Nazif he assumed office in July 14,2004.

//**__Government Type __**//
Egypt has a president and a prime minister. It also has two different types of legislatures. The People’s Assembly has 454 members. Most of them are elected. They make important decisions about what Egypt’s laws should be. Another group, called the //Shura// Council, has 264 members. It gives advice to the president and the People’s Assembly. Egyptians are required to vote starting at age 18. The country is divided up into 26 //governorates//, or regions.

**//__Suffrage__//**
Anyone over 18 can vote.

 __**//Military Expenditures// **__
In Egypt 3.4% of there GDP is involved in military. the comparison to the world is 39.

==**//__Capital of Egypt__//** == Cairo

**//__Independence __//**
In 1800s Britain and France wanted to control Egypt. in 1882 Britian ruled them. Even though Britain ruled them many Egyptians did not like it. In Britain gave Egypt independence in 1922, but Britain still controlled The Egyptian king. The Egyptian people overthrew the king in the 1952 revolution, and Egypt finally became a free nation.

=//**__Basic Information__** //=

**//__Location & Borders__//** = = Egypt is located in Northern Africa. it borders the Mediterranean Sea. it is also between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula

**//__Area __//**
The area of Egypt is a total of 1,001,450 sq km or 386,662 square miles. The comparison to the world is 37. Egypt is just larger than the states of Texas and New Mexico combined. The total area of land in Egypt if 995,450 sq km. The total are of water in Egypt is 6,000 sq km.

 **//__Land Use__//**
Arable land uses 2.92% of the land. Permanent crops use 0.5% of the land. Other uses of land is 96.58%.

**//__Climate__//**
Most of Egypt is dry and arid desert, spotted with small, inhabited oases. Part of the Sahara Desert (also called the Western Desert) is in southwestern Egypt. The Nile River, Africa's longest river, runs north through Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea, providing a fertile delta area and the lifeblood for the country. Summers are hot and humid with daily high temperatures reaching 108°F (42°C) in some areas. Winters have a moderate climate, with lows near 40°F (4°C). Annual rainfall ranges from virtually nothing in the desert to about 8 inches in the Nile Delta. In the spring, the //Khamasiin// (a hot, driving, dusty wind) blows.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"> **//__Terrain__//**
The terrain in Egypt is that it has vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"> **//__Natural Hazards__//**

 * Periodic droughts
 * Frequent earthquakes
 * Flash floods
 * Landslides
 * Hot
 * Driving Windstorm called Khamsin occurs in spring.
 * Dust storms
 * Sandstorms

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Environment__//**

 * Agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands
 * Increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam
 * Desertification
 * Oil pollution threatening coral reefs
 * Beaches
 * Marine habitats
 * Other water pollution from agricultural pesticides
 * Raw sewage
 * Industrial effluents
 * Limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source.
 * Rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources

[[image:usa-passport1.png width="200" height="290" caption="You Must Have a Passport to Get into Egypt "]]
Egypt has always been a popular destination of tourism worldwide. Not only because of the pyramids but overall this country offers some wonderful sights and scenes including temples, monuments and ancient remains of the Egyptian civilization that attract a major population towards this destination. Egypt offers every facility to make travel and stay of visitors comfortable. There are many tourist information offices to guide and direct tourists. With Cairo as the capital, Egypt is a predominantly Muslim dominant country with a small section of Christian population. The languages spoken commonly in Egypt are Arabic, English and French. Egyptian Pound is the currency used in Egypt. Visitors coming to this country must obtain a tourist visa and must have a passport with a validity of six months. The visa is easily available from Egyptian consulates abroad. You can also get it cheap and on the spot at Cairo, Luxor and Hurgarda Airports on arrival. The visa allows you to stay in Egypt for one month. Don't forget to keep a photocopy of all the important documents, in case they are lost or stolen. The Mediterranean climatic zone influences the North Coast and Delta regions of Egypt while the rest of the country is controlled by a subtropical climate. Cairo is generally chilly from December to February and very hot from June to September. Rainfall is minimal throughout the year.

=//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 260%;">__**Population & People**__ //=

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"> **//__Population, & Population Growth Rate__//**
Egypt's population of 81.7 million is growing by 1.7 percent annually. The majority (90 percent) descends from both native Egyptians and Arabs who conquered Egypt in the seventh century. The rest of the population is composed of Nubians (who live in southern Egypt), Bedouin nomads, Greeks, Italians, and Syro-Lebanese; Berbers inhabit the Siwa Oasis in the Western Desert. Nearly all Egyptians live on the arable land along the Nile River because the rest of the country is mostly desert. Cairo, the capital, has between 16 and 20 million inhabitants. An exact count is impossible due to migrants, informal residents (as many as 5 million), and other factors. Alexandria claims more than 3 million residents. Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and the second-most populous on the African Continent.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Ethnic Groups__//**
As of 2006 the ethnic groups in Egypt 99.6% of the population is Egyptian. 0.4% of the population is of a different ethnic group other than Egyptian.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Net Migration Rate__//**
In Egypt -0.2 migrants per 1.000 population. The comparison to the world is 98.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"><span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;">**__//Life Expectancy//__**
<span class="category_data" style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: top;"> The total population life expectancy there is 72.12 years of life. The countries comparison to the world is 120. The males life expectancy is 69.56 years of life. The females life expectancy is 74.81 years of life. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"> Infant Mortality Rate __//**
Their is a total of 27.26 deaths per every 1,000 live births. the comparison to the world is 81. In males there is 28.93 deaths per every 1,000 live births. In females there is 25.51 deaths per every 1,000 live births. <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">

Arabic is the official language. Written Arabic differs from the dialects spoken in daily life throughout the country. Egyptians are enormously proud of their rich lanugage. Wordplays, jokes, clichés, and riddles in are an integral part of Egyptian culture. Arabic is the language of instruction in schools. English is also a part of the national curriculum.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Arabic Words__//**

 * Hello || //Ahlan wa sahlan// || (AH-lan wa SAH-lan) ||
 * Good-bye || //Ma’as salaama// || (MA-as sa-LAA-ma) ||
 * Please || //Min fadlak// || (min FAD-lak) ||
 * Thank you || //Shukran// || (SHUK-ran) ||
 * Yes || //Aywa// || (EYE-wuh) ||
 * No || //La// || (lah) ||

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Religion __//**
Most people from Egypt are Muslims. But there is a small population of Christians known as Coptic Christians, or Egyptian Christians.The lives of all Muslims around the world are governed by five basic duties or principles. First, Muslims must declare their faith that “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet.” Second, they are required to face Mecca, Saudi Arabia, five times each day to offer prayers to //Allah//. Third, they are asked to give a portion of their income to the poor. Fourth, they must //fast// (go without food and drink) from sunrise to sunset during the month of //Ramadan//. And fifth, if they are able to travel, Muslims must make a pilgrimage, or journey (called a //hajj//), to Mecca at least once in their lives. . =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 260%;">**__Education__** =

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">__**//Education//**__
The government subsidizes free education through the university level, although not everyone is able to take advantage of these subsidies. They have also strained resources (physical facilities, textbooks, equipment, and teachers) already in short supply. Many college graduates are unable to find work outside the government, which is currently the nation's largest employer. Most children who begin primary schooling now also complete it. A significant number go on to secondary school. The building of more schools in rural areas has opened some educational opportunities to the poor. Universities are located in most urban centers, and nearly half of all students are women.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Literacy__//**
Anybody 15 or older can read and write. that makes a total of 71.4% of the population can read and write. A total of the population in males is 83% who can read and write. A total of the population that females can read and write is 59.4%.

=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 260%;"> = = = =//<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 260%;">**__Economy__** //=

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Unemployment__//**
In 2007 the unemployment is 9.1%. In 2008 the unemplyment rate is 8.4%. The comparison to the world is 115 as of 2008. So beetween 2007-2008 the unemployment rate dropped .7%. ==<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__GDP Per Capita l__//** == An average person gets $5,400 a year. (The Money is in U.S. Dollars) The comparison To the world is 135.

**//__Economic Overview__//** More than one-third of Egyptians are employed in agricultural pursuits, such as growing corn, wheat, cotton, rice, barley, and fruit. Egypt also produces cheese and dairy products. Chief industries include food processing, textiles, chemicals, cement, petroleum, and metals. Egypt exports cotton, petroleum, yarn, and textiles. Important natural resources are oil, natural gas, lead, and other minerals. The Suez Canal is a vital source of income. Tourism is the country's most important industry. Threats and acts of violence have occasionally shaken tourist confidence, but the government has renewed an emergency powers law that gives security forces expanded powers. With economic reform Egypt has lowered inflation and improved the climate for international investment. Still, large sections of the population remain impoverished. Women earn only one-fourth of the nation's income. The currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP).

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Agriculture Products __//**

 * Cotton,
 * Rice
 * Corn
 * Wheat
 * Beans
 * Fruits
 * Vegetables
 * Cattle
 * Water buffalo
 * Sheep
 * Goats

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">**//__Industries__//**

 * Textiles
 * Food processing
 * Tourism
 * Chemicals
 * Pharmaceuticals
 * Hydrocarbons
 * Construction
 * Cement
 * Metals
 * Light manufactures

__//**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Imports (Commodities) **//__

 * Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
 * Cotton, textiles
 * Metal products
 * Chemicals

__//<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Exp**orts (Commod**ities) //__

 * Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
 * Cotton, textiles
 * Metal products
 * Chemicals

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;"> **//__Natural Resources__//**

 * Petroleum
 * Natural Gas
 * Iron Ore
 * Phosphates
 * Manganese
 * Limestone
 * Gypsum
 * Talc
 * Asbestos
 * Lead
 * Zinc

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Currency/Exchange Rate __//**

 * Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar
 * 5.4 (2008 est.)
 * 5.67 (2007)
 * 5.725 (2006)
 * 5.78 (2005)
 * 6.1962 (2004)

__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Internet Access __

 * Computers Users
 * In Egypt 8.62 Million use computers.
 * The countries comparison to the world is 32.
 * Internet Hosts
 * 175,342
 * The countries comparison to the world is 61.

**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Illicit Drugs __//**
Transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations

==**//__<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 150%;">Recent Headline __//**== EGYPT: Swine flu risk for Cairo's overcrowded schools
 * //IRINnews,Thu 22 Oct 2009// ||  ||

Photo: Emmanuel Dunseath/IRIN CAIRO, 22 October 2009 (IRIN) - The Egyptian ministries of health and education have ordered all schools in Cairo to halve the number of children in each class to mitigate the possible spread of H1N1 influenza - no small challenge in this overcrowded city of 20 million.

The resulting uncertainty has led schoolchildren to attend classes on three alternate days a week instead of six under a long-running double-shift system designed to ease overcrowding.

"I go to school on the second shift on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday now," Toqa Ali, 13, a student at Abdullah Ibn Rawaha School in the Imbaba area of Cairo, told IRIN. She said she used to have up to 80 children in her class but there were now around 25 as children were attending on alternate days and some were staying at home for fear of catching H1N1.

Toqa said she and many other children wore surgical masks in play time but tended to take them off in classrooms, which now have the windows open and fans on most of the time.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), in conjunction with the Health Ministry, has run an extensive awareness campaign with TV advertisements, public service announcements and awareness kits.

"We are distributing awareness kits in all schools in Egypt on avian flu and H1N1. In fact, we already had a distribution network set up for avian flu so now we are just adding H1N1,"said Hala Abu Khatwa, chief of communications for UNICEF in Egypt.

Photo: Emmanuel Dunseath/IRIN Rana Zaqout of OCHA warns of the social and economic impacts of school closures WHO school guidelines

A World Health Organization (WHO) briefing note in September for schools said schools could serve as a vector for spreading the virus.

It recommends hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, proper cleaning, good ventilation, isolation of staff or students who fall ill and measures to reduce overcrowding.

"Decisions about if and when schools should be closed during the pandemic are complex and highly context-specific. WHO cannot provide specific recommendations for or against school closure that are applicable to all settings."

However, it said that the timing of school closures was critically important and that "modelling studies suggest that school closure has its greatest benefits when schools are closed very early in an outbreak, ideally before 1 percent of the population fall ill."

To close or not to close?

"While slowing the speed of spread of H1N1 by schools' closure can buy some time as countries intensify preparedness measures, there are a lot of discrepancies about it, as school closure is associated with social and economic impacts,"said Rana Zaqout, head of the Pandemic Influenza Contigency (PIC) unit for the Middle East and North Africa, which is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The main issue is that people do not trust the government or the Health Ministry. They don't feel they are transparent. "As a parent, while I am concerned about the academic year, I believe that school closure should reduce the transmission of the disease if accompanied by policies that include measures that limit congregation of students outside schools," she added.

On 14 October, Education Minister Youssri el-Gamal told the Middle East News Agency: "There is no intention of closing schools at the beginning of the winter season." He said only 10 children out of 20 million primary and secondary students in the country had been infected.

Two days later, La MÃ¨re de Dieu girls' school in Cairo became the first school in Egypt to be closed after three H1N1 cases were discovered. The 1,200 pupils were ordered to stay at home for two weeks.

On 22 October, four private schools in the greater Cairo area were closed for two weeks.

"The main issue is that people do not trust the government or the Health Ministry. They don't feel they are transparent," Abu Khatwa of UNICEF told IRIN.

A number of classrooms in schools in Cairo and Alexandria have also been closed for two weeks on orders from their respective city governors.

Photo: Emmanuel Dunseath/IRIN Ahmed Ali, a teacher at Youssri al-Gamal School in Imbaba, feels that overcrowding is the enduring problem in Cairo's schools. He runs a Shisha cafe in the evenings to make ends meet Exams

Ahmed Ali, a teacher at Youssri al-Gamal School in Imbaba (Cairo), felt that overcrowding was the enduring problem. While he was happy to see his 70-children classes more than halved this term, he still had concerns:

"I can't teach them the same curriculum in half the time. The Education Ministry will have to delay exams this semester so the students will have a chance to pass," Ali said.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Health Ministry said it would be receiving its first batch of H1N1 vaccinations - some 80,000 doses - on 23 October.

"Priority will be given to pilgrims going on Hajj, doctors treating H1N1 cases, people who work in public transport and public services, journalists, and school and university students with chronic illnesses, health complications or a weak immune system," Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali said in a statement.

As of 17 October, WHO reported 14,739 laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 in its 22-country Eastern Mediterranean Region. Egypt had the fourth highest number of cases - 1,053 - and two deaths.

ed/cb Theme(s): (IRIN) Children, (IRIN) Early Warning, (IRIN) Education, (IRIN) Flu, (IRIN) Health & Nutrition, (IRIN) Urban Risk ||

=**//__<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 260%;"> Timeline __//**=

1250 - The Mamluks begin three centuries of rule 1517 - The Turks invade, and Egypt becomes part of the Ottoman Empire 1798 - French general Napoleon Bonaparte battles for Egypt 1869 - The Suez Canal is completed 1914 - Egypt becomes a British //protectorate// 1922 - Egypt is granted independence, but Britain retains control over the Suez Canal and government institutions 1952 - The British-supported monarchy is overthrown 1954 - Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes Egypt’s leader 1956,- 1967, and 1973 Egypt fights three wars with Israel 1979 - President Anwar el-Sadat signs a peace treaty with Israel 1981 - Sadat is assassinated 1991 - Islamic extremists begin their struggles to make Egypt an officially Islamic state 2005 - The government passes a constitutional amendment to allow multiple-party elections for the first time in Egypt; President Mubarak is re-elected for a fifth consecutive term 2006 - Egypt announces plans to build a nuclear power plant in order to meet the growing demand for electricity

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">__//**Works Cited**//__
http://cgi.wn.com/?action=display&article=92038839&template=worldnews/paidnews.txt&index=recent https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/eg.html http://online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country_sections.php?contid=1&wmn=Africa&cid=46&cn=Egypt&sname=Transportation_and_Communications&snid=20

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