Welcome to the newly revived CaliEgypt blog.
CaliEgypt got started in 2007 as an ambitious effort by Ioan Elvis Sersea's CaliWorldFriends project, intended to create an individual blog for each country of the world identified by the CIA World Factbook - a total of 220 countries. Indeed, I was able to create over 130 blogs, but didn't return to most of them to update posts with information.
The original hub of the CaliWorldFriends blogs can be accessed here: CaliWorldFriends Blog Hub
We also have our CaliWorldFriends.info website, designed to supplement individual blogs, such as CaliEgypt, with additional media and interactive materials.
Note: If you need assistance with translation, use our helpful online translator.
Now, with the current events in Egypt that have taken the world by storm, Egypt is, more than ever, in the center of the world's attention. After peaceful protesters faced violence, their resolutions and dream for freedom and democracy has reached reality.
This blog aims to share basic information about Egypt with the world in hopes to bridge cultural divides and help people connect, make friends, and participate in conversations across language, cultural, and religious barriers.
Would you like to do further online research on Egypt? Visit the Egypt page of our educational search engine.
Share with us your thoughts about the current events in Egypt and let us know which Egypt topics you'd like featured here.
Egypt
Map of Egypt
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Egypt - A Short Introduction
Egypt is a country with a rich culture and history that spans thousands of years.
Here is a short introduction of Egypt, from the CIA World Fact Book.
You may use our helpful online translator if English is difficult to understand.
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.
You can do independent research on Egypt, including access to the latest news and media, by visiting the Egypt page of our educational search engine.
Here is a short introduction of Egypt, from the CIA World Fact Book.
You may use our helpful online translator if English is difficult to understand.
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.
You can do independent research on Egypt, including access to the latest news and media, by visiting the Egypt page of our educational search engine.
The People of Egypt - Basic Information
Access the demographics of Egypt, and learn about Egypt's population with the help of the CIA World Factbook.
If you require translation support, use our online machine translator.
Population: 80,471,869 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 13,308,407/female 12,711,900) 15-64 years: 62.7% (male 25,138,546/female 24,342,230) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,546,774/female 1,818,778) (2010 est.)
Median age: total: 24 years male: 23.8 years female: 24.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.997% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Birth rate: 25.02 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Death rate: 4.85 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Net migration rate: -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Urbanization: urban population: 43.4% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Population of Major Cities: CAIRO (capital) 10.902 million; Alexandria 4.387 million (2009)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 26.2 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 82 male: 27.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.4 years country comparison to the world: 122 male: 69.82 years female: 75.1 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.01 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: Rift Valley fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality: noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: 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
iterac
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.4% male: 83% female: 59.4% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 113
If you would like to do further research on Egypt, we invite you to use our educational online search engine.
Feel free to share your constructive comments about this post below.
If you require translation support, use our online machine translator.
Population: 80,471,869 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 13,308,407/female 12,711,900) 15-64 years: 62.7% (male 25,138,546/female 24,342,230) 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,546,774/female 1,818,778) (2010 est.)
Median age: total: 24 years male: 23.8 years female: 24.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.997% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58
Birth rate: 25.02 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
Death rate: 4.85 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Net migration rate: -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Urbanization: urban population: 43.4% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Population of Major Cities: CAIRO (capital) 10.902 million; Alexandria 4.387 million (2009)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 26.2 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 82 male: 27.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 24.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.4 years country comparison to the world: 122 male: 69.82 years female: 75.1 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.01 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 163
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 9,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 108
HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: Rift Valley fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality: noun: Egyptian(s) adjective: 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
iterac
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.4% male: 83% female: 59.4% (2005 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 11 years (2004)
Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 113
If you would like to do further research on Egypt, we invite you to use our educational online search engine.
Feel free to share your constructive comments about this post below.
Egypt's Geography - Basic Information
For all who wish to learn more about the geography of Egypt, we're happy to include updated information gained from the CIA World Factbook.
If you need assistance with translation, you're encouraged to use our online machine translator.
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,001,450 sq km country comparison to the world: 30 land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative: 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
Coastline: 2,450 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
Land use: arable land: 2.92% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 96.58% (2005)
Irrigated land: 34,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 86.8 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%) per capita: 923 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
Environment - current issues: agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and 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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
If you need assistance with translation, you're encouraged to use our online machine translator.
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula
Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 1,001,450 sq km country comparison to the world: 30 land: 995,450 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative: 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
Coastline: 2,450 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zinc
Land use: arable land: 2.92% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 96.58% (2005)
Irrigated land: 34,220 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 86.8 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%) per capita: 923 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms; sandstorms
Environment - current issues: agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and 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
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
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