Official Name:                      Arab Republic of Egypt

Egypt is probably the world's oldest civilization having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 BC, historically.  Egypt probably one of the oldest vacations spots.  Early Greeks, Romans and other went there just for fun, and to see the wonders of some mankind's earliest triumphs.  But Egypt is much more than Pyramids and monuments.  It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot nights spots, luxury hotels and five star restaurants.  It is romantic cruises down the Nile on festive river boats, a night at the grand opera and it is a cultural experience like none you have ever experienced.  Egypt is a land bustling with life, sound, visual beauty and excitement.  More than anything else, we want you to think of Egypt as fun.  For thousands of years, it has been the playground of emperors and kings, and we hope you will take the time to find out why.

Capital : Cairo 

Location: Officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, a country in north-eastern Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Israel and the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. The principal geographic feature of the country is the Nile River.

Map References:  Africa 

Area:

total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land     Total:  2,665 km 

Boundaries       : Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km

Nationality       : Egyptian

Languages        : Arabic (official), Berber, Nubian

Religions          : Sunni Islam and Christianity (Copts, Catholic Copts, Greek Orthodox,    Protestants)

Currency       :  Egyptian Pounds

EGYPT CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Egypt's climate, as a hole, can be described as mild. While the midsummer months can get quite hot, the heat is less taxing than else-where because the humidity is low. And for the rest of the year the weather is ideal, the sky sparkling with sunshine, the rainy days few and far between in Cairo, nearly unknown in Upper Egypt, the crisp coolness of the air impregnated by the warmth of the winter.  

ECONOMY OVERVIEW:

The general standard of living in Egypt is rather low; in relation to the size of its population, its economic resources are limited. Land remains its main source of natural wealth, but the amount of land is insufficient to support the population adequately.  

Lack of substantial progress on economic reform since the mid 1990s has limited foreign direct investment in Egypt and kept annual GDP growth in the range of 2-3 percent in 2001-03. Egyptian officials in late 2003 and early 2004 proposed new privatization and customs reform measures, but the government is likely to pursue these initiatives cautiously and gradually to avoid a public backlash over potential inflation or layoffs associated with the reforms. Monetary pressures on an overvalued Egyptian pound led the government to float the currency in January 2003, leading to a sharp drop in its value and consequent inflationary pressure. The existence of a black market for hard currency is evidence that the government continues to influence the official exchange rate offered in banks. In September 2003, Egyptian officials increased subsidies on basic foodstuffs, helping to calm a frustrated public but widening an already deep budget deficit. Egypt's balance-of-payments position was not hurt by the war in Iraq in 2003, as tourism and Suez Canal revenues fared well. The development of an export market for natural gas is a bright spot for future growth prospects, but improvement in the capital-intensive hydrocarbons sector does little to reduce Egypt's persistent unemployment.

Agriculture Products:

cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats 

Export Commodities:

crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals 

Political System:

Egypt is politically stable, but there have been many examples of unrest during the last years. Egypt has no democracy, and there is no form of independent opposition. Still the country has good freedom of speech, and civil rights are in most cases well secured. At the present, the militant Islamists represent no threat to the Egyptian governments, as their violent acts have made them unpopular in all regions of Egypt. The political system of Egypt is strongly supported by USA economically, and with all the challenges of the Egyptian state, they cannot do without this aid.

The Egyptian constitution defines the country as "an Arab Republic with a democratic, socialist system." The political power in the Egyptian system is divided into 4 parts: president; cabinet; legislature; and court system; but actual power rests in the hands of the president. The president is elected for a period of 6 years through a referendum. The president has the power to appoint, dismiss and dissolve the other three parts of the system.

Education:

Schooling and universities are free to all citizens, and compulsory for all children between 6 and 12 years of age. Egypt has numerous universities, but the quality varies a bit. The best universities ar e of very high international standard.

SHOPPING IN EGYPT

Egypt is a wonderland of shopping opportunities.  Of course, there are the famous bazaars such as the Khan el-Khalili, but then there are also thousands of unusual stores scattered about the country, and especially in Cairo, though some products are better purchased perhaps from the locale from which they are produced, such as alabaster in Luxor.  However, Cairo provides a huge variety of everything from antiques to fine clothing and especially jewelry.

IN some shops, you must haggle while in others the price will be set.  Which type of store provides the best possible deals depends both on the shop itself and the haggling ability of the buyer and seller.  Frequently though some of the best deals at the best consistent quality is found in stores with fixed prices.  For example, one might haggle over a mother-of-pearl box in the Khan el-Khalili and wind up paying a fairly low price but for inferior products, while in a fixed price shop, one might end up paying more, but for a far superior mother-of-pearl box.

Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple was built in the heart of the ancient city of Thebes, and was connected to Karnak by a 3 kilometer processional way lined with sphinxes.  Like most of the Karnak complex, Luxor Temple was also dedicated to the god Amun.  Much of the temple core was built by the pharaoh Amenhotep III and then was added to over the years by other kings including Ramesses II.

The Sacred Lake

The sacred lake was a pool of water next to the temple. It represented the world before time began. The priests used water from the sacred lake to perform rituals in the temple.

Mount Sinai
   
Sinai, for many experienced travelers this Egyptian peninsular is the most beautiful and exciting place on Earth. The Sinai region is desert, but is different than the desert in the rest of Egypt. The desert here doesn't consist of mile after mile of flat sand. Instead it consists of barren rock, carved by the weather into pinnacles and precipices. The sky here is bright blue and the rock here is orange-red.