Egypt

3 Pages 667 Words

The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in the Northeast corner of Africa. On Egypt’s southern border is Sudan, while to its west lies Libya. To the east lie the countries of Jordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Egypt separates the Mediterranean Sea in the north from the Red Sea in the east. The Nile, the world’s longest river, runs down the eastern side of the country. Most major cities and about 99% of Egypt’s population lie along the Nile River. The capital city of Egypt is Cairo. Cairo is the home of many of the world’s most famous monuments, including the Great Pyramid of Cheops (also known as Khufu) and the Alabaster Sphinx. The Egyptian flag consists of three colored stripes; red on the top, white in the middle, and black on the bottom. In the center of the flag is a golden eagle with an escutcheon, or shield, on its chest. This flag is very symbolic to the Egyptian people. The red section of the flag stands for revolution and sacrifice, the white section symbolizes the future of Egypt, and the black section serves as a reminder of the years of oppression that the Egyptian people faced.
With an area of 386,660 square miles, Egypt is roughly three times the size of New Mexico. As of 2004, Egypt has an estimated population of 76,117,421. This is more than double the population of California. Their population density is 197 people per square mile and their per capita income is $3900 U.S. Although the main language of Egypt is Arabic, English and French are widely understood by educated classes. About 94% of Egyptians are Muslim and the majority of these are Sunni.
Only about 2% of Egypt’s land is arable. Excluding the Mediterranean coast, the majority of Egypt is a desert. While the coastal area has an annual rainfall of 4-8 inches per year, the rest of the country averages only about two inches per year. To make matters worse, temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Egypt’s main source...