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Egypt Facts

Egypt Facts
The country of Egypt is officially called the Arab Republic of Egypt. Most of Egypt is located in the Nile Valley of North east Africa, with its Sinai Peninsula reaching into Asia. Because Egypt spans into Africa and Asia it is a transcontinental country. Egypt is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Gaza Strip, Libya, Israel, the Sudan and the Red Sea. Egypt's history dates back to the 10th millennium BC when its region was inhabited by hunter-gatherers. In 8000 BC the Sahara Desert formed and Egypt's people moved toward the Nile River. In about 6000 BC agriculture was developed, and in 3150 BC a unified kingdom was established. Dynasties then became the ruling power, a form of government which lasted for 3000 years. In 1953 the Republic was declared. Political unrest and military issues still plague the region.
Interesting Egypt Facts:
Egypt's population is more than 83 million.
Egypt is about 1.5 times the size of the state of Texas in the United States.
Egypt's territory covers an area of 1,010,000 square kilometers.
Egypt's capital city is Cairo. Alexandria and Giza are other major cities in Egypt.
Most of Egypt is covered by the Sahara Desert and the Libyan Desert, making it an extremely dry country.
The Nile River in Egypt is the longest river in the world.
The Great Pyramid of Giza located in Egypt is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built to serve as a tomb for King Khufu who lived from 2589-2566 BC. It took 20 years to construct and took more than 2 million blocks of limestone. The pyramid is 460 feet tall.
The Great Pyramid of Giza points to Orion's constellation. Ancient Egyptians believed this would allow the spirit of the dead to fly straight to the gods.
In Ancient Egypt women had a lot of rights. They were able to do business deals, own their own property and file for divorce if they chose.
Egypt's hieroglyphs date back to around 3000 BC. There are more than 700 hieroglyphs, whereas the English language has only 26 letters.
The largest Arab population in the world is located in Egypt.
Egypt only receives on average approximately one inch of rain per year.
The Nile River floods every year, which led the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1971.
Egypt's agriculture includes cotton, corn, rice, beans, wheat, fruit, and vegetables.
Egypt's livestock farming includes water buffalo, goats and sheep.
Egypt's major industry includes textiles, tourism, food products, chemicals, cement, construction, and chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Egypt's natural resources include iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, manganese, phosphates, zinc, lead, limestone and gypsum.
Egypt's official language is Modern Standard Arabic.
Egyptian literature is some of the first known to have existed.
The belly dance is believed to have originated in Egypt.
Egypt has many religious carnivals and festivals including Ramadan, Sham en Nisim.
The Egyptian diet is heavy in vegetable dishes, while the regions on Egypt's coast consume a fair amount of seafood.
Egypt's most popular sport is football (soccer).


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