Arab Republic of Egypt
[author:Monica Public time:Jul 31, 2006] |
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Warning
Explosions in the Aquaba Gulf resort town of Dahab have killed 24 people and injured many more, the third major attack in Sinai in two years. Travellers should keep abreast of local news updates, remain alert and expect delays and increased security checks, especially at border crossings.
Overview
The mythical, the miraculous and the chaotic everyday.
In the fifth century BC Herodotus wrote of Egypt that 'nowhere are there so many marvellous things...nor in the world besides are to be seen so many things of unspeakable greatness' - and not too much has changed. The Sphinx, the Nile, ancient Luxor, the pyramids - Egypt's scope is glorious.
It's not just the Pharaonic monuments that have drawn travellers to this country since long before the birth of Christ - it's the legacy of the Greeks, Romans and early Christians, and the profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties.
Geography: Hacking a whopping square chunk out of Africa's northeast corner, Egypt stretches over more than a million square kilometres (386102 sq mi). More than 94% of the land area is barren desert, which has induced 90% of the population to squish into just 3% of the total land area, the fertile Nile Valley and Delta. Egypt borders Libya in the west, Sudan in the south, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the Red Sea and Israel in the east. The eastern region, across the Suez Canal, is Sinai. This region slopes up to the high mountains of Mt Katherine (Gebel Katarina at 2642m/8666ft is Egypt's highest point) and Mt Sinai. Along Egypt's Mediterranean coast there are countless white-sand beaches, some developed as tourist resorts but many still pristine and isolated. North of Cairo the Nile splits into a series of tributaries that flow into the Mediterranean.
Destination Facts
Capital: Cairo
President: Mohammed Husni Mubarak
Prime Minister: Ahmed Mohamed Nazif
Government: republic
Time zone: GMT +2
Area: 1001449
Population: 69500000
People: Egyptians, Berbers, Bedouin, Hamitic Arabs and Nubians
Languages:
94% Muslim, 6% Christian
Currency: Egyptian pound ( £ E)
Major industries: Oil and gas, metals, tourism, agriculture (especially cotton), Suez Canal revenues
Major Trading Partners: USA, EU, Middle East
Daylight Saving: From last Friday in April to last Thursday in September
Country Dialing Code: 20
Source: http://www.yahoo.com
Printed From:http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200607/1154398864.html
Source:Free Press Release
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