Egypt
Egypt (/ˈiːdʒɪpt/ (About this soundlisten) EE-jipt; Arabic:
مِصر Miṣr), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a
transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of
Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed
by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country
bordered by the Gaza Strip (Palestine) and Israel to the
northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea to the east,
Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf
of Aqaba lies Jordan, across the Red Sea lies Saudi Arabia,
and across the Mediterranean lie Greece, Turkey and Cyprus,
although none share a land border with Egypt.
Egypt has one of the longest histories of any country,
tracing its heritage back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE.
Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient Egypt saw some
of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture,
urbanisation, organised religion and central government.[14]
Iconic monuments such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great
Sphinx, as well the ruins of Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and
the Valley of the Kings, reflect this legacy and remain a
significant focus of scientific and popular interest.
Egypt's long and rich cultural heritage is an integral part
of its national identity, which has endured, and often
assimilated, various foreign influences, including Greek,
Persian, Roman, Arab, Ottoman Turkish, and Nubian. Egypt was
an early and important centre of Christianity, but was
largely Islamised in the seventh century and remains a
predominantly Muslim country, albeit with a significant
Christian minority.
From the 16th to the beginning of the 20th century, Egypt
was ruled by foreign imperial powers: the Ottoman Empire and
the British Empire. Modern Egypt dates back to 1922, when it
gained nominal independence from the British Empire as a
monarchy. However, British military occupation of Egypt
continued, and many Egyptians believed that the monarchy was
an instrument of British colonialism. Following the 1952
revolution, Egypt expelled British soldiers and bureaucrats
and ended British occupation, nationalized the British-held
Suez Canal, exiled King Farouk and his family, and declared
itself a republic. In 1958 it merged with Syria to form the
United Arab Republic, which dissolved in 1961. Throughout
the second half of the 20th century, Egypt endured social
and religious strife and political instability, fighting
several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and
1973, and occupying the Gaza Strip intermittently until
1967. In 1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords,
officially withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and recognising
Israel. The country continues to face challenges, from
political unrest, including the recent 2011 revolution and
its aftermath, to terrorism and economic underdevelopment.
Egypt's current government is a semi-presidential republic
headed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which has been
described by a number of watchdogs as authoritarian.
Islam is the official religion of Egypt and Arabic is its
official language.[15] With over 100 million inhabitants,
Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa, the
Middle East, and the Arab world, the third-most populous in
Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the thirteenth-most
populous in the world. The great majority of its people live
near the banks of the Nile River, an area of about 40,000
square kilometres (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable land
is found. The large regions of the Sahara desert, which
constitute most of Egypt's territory, are sparsely
inhabited. About half of Egypt's residents live in urban
areas, with most spread across the densely populated centres
of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the
Nile Delta.
Egypt is considered to be a regional power in North Africa,
the Middle East and the Muslim world, and a middle power
worldwide.[16] With one of the largest and most diversified
economies in the Middle East, which is projected to become
one of the largest in the world in the 21st century, Egypt
has the third-largest economy in Africa, the world's
40th-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the 19-largest by
PPP. Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations, the
Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the African Union,
and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
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