Egypt


Egypt is one of the lands dear to the French. The 19th century had a passion for this country, a true Egypt mania developed among the intelligentsia. Surely Napoleon's campaigns had something to do with this passion. More especially as a troop scientists took part in this adventure.

Egypt was a place rich in culture. It became a genuine "melting-pot" where the "Arab Way of Life" and the "American Way of Life" blend in an indescribable din. The voice of the muezzin is very often covered by the sound of "ghetto-blasters"...., in Cairo.

The history of Egypt is not the topic of these pages. It is outlined briefly to approach its cultural diversity.
The geography of Egypt, the miracle of the Nile, is presented in broad maps to locate the journey.

History

Geography

The settlement of the area is attested as of the paleolithic. Unification attempts of the Lower and Upper Egypt kingdoms took place back as early as 3300 BC.
About 3100 BC, Narmer unified the area and founded the first dynasty. The Pharaoh titular is known, with uncertainties, by the Palermo stone, Manetho writings and the Turin papyrus.
From 3300 to 333 BC, Twenty six dynasties of Pharaohs reigned on ancient Egypt. The historians divide this time into periods: The pre-Thinis and Thinis periods (III dynasty), old empire (III-VI dynasty), intermediate period (VII-XI dynasty), middle empire (XII dynasty) second intermediate period (XIII-XIV dynasty), Hyksos (XV-XVII dynasty?) and new empire (XVIII-XXVI dynasty). Not all the Pharaoh names have been identified yet.
From 333 to 30 BC, the Greek period began with the conquests of Alexander the Great. The Lagidis, Ptolemaic dynasty, ruled Egypt.
From 30 BC to 395 AD, the Roman period settled after the almost incredible episode of the loves of Cleopatra and Caesar, then Cleopatra and Mark Antony who committed suicide. Rome ruled Egypt in 31BC.
From 395 to 642 AD, the Byzantine period was characterized by the Christological quarrels with the  emergence of heresies, Aryanism, Nestorianism, Monophysism, and a lot of others at the origin of the ecumenical councils, a true verbal and physical pugilism! Egypt was Christian Coptic. It is said that the Monophysism of the East supported the Arab conquests. Islam was welcomed as the liberator from the Byzantine yoke.
From 642 to 1517, history repeated itself by the succession of Caliph dynasties until 1251, then Mameluk dynasties until 1517 who were Turkish mercenaries at former dynasties' service!
From 1517 to 1879, Suleiman the Magnificent, a Turk from Asia Minor of the Ottoman dynasty, irritated by Mameluk depravities sent a Vizier to rule Egypt. From 1798 to 1804, the French, with Napoleonien campaigns, then the English were driven out of Egypt by the Mameluks. In 1805 an ambitious if not intelligent Albanian, Muhammad Ali Basha seized the power and ruled Egypt.
From 1879 to 1918: The English protectorate was authenticated in 1915 at the time of WWI Turkish-German alliance.
From 1918 to 1952: An Egyptian kingdom was founded with the rise of nationalism and in 1922 the British recognition of Egypt as Independent Sovereign State.
From 1952: on June 18, 1953, the Republic was proclaimed, then the difficult way to sovereignty and civil peace began.

Egypt has a parallelepiped shape, except the Sinai peninsula, with western and southern linear borders. Its surface area is equal to 184% that of France.
It borders Israel in the east, Sudan in the south and Libya in the west. It confines to Israel and Jordan in the gulf of Aqaba. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Red Sea in the east.

The geography is presented in two sets of areas:

The river area: The Nile makes Egypt. The fertile alluvial Nile valley and delta are 3% of the territory where 90% of the population live primarily on farming.
(less than 6% France for +70 million Inhabitants!) This narrow band deeply embanked between desert cliffs widens out to reach 10 to 15 km width. The area of the delta stretches roughly from Alexandria to Port-Said.
The desert area: Egypt belongs to the desert belt of the tropic of Cancer. In Africa, the Sahara stretches from the Atlantic to the Red Sea. Two plateaux are constitutive, the Libyc plateau in the west of the Nile and the Arabian one in the east with the subsidence of the Red Sea. Beyond the Suez Canal, the Sinai peninsula belongs to the Arabian plateau. Egypt is a desert to +95%.

The climate of Egypt depends on its geography:

The river area: The Nile floods have shaped the landscape of the valley by its contributions in alluvium. The river is the only source of humidity. Although Lake Nasser makes the climate of the area evolve, too.
The desert area: With 2mm rain a year, this area is inhuman by its summer temperatures that can reach the 50°C.

Animal life has changed considerably:

The fauna of the Pharaoh time, represented by the monument paintings, has become non-existent in the Egyptian landscape. Only migratory birds are still in abundance at the time of the North-South migratory flow, Europe/South Africa.


Located between the 32d and 22d parallels, on the southern border, Egypt is a desert except for the Nile valley. The geological fracture dug by the river floods is impressive by the contrast of landscapes, arid deserts and green gardens in the palm plantations.
The road between the river and the channel has made it possible to understand the economy of the area for more than five millennia. The channel is bordered by norias, driven by animal force or by engine, pumping the irrigation water to the fields.

Economic facts

Civilisation

Egypt's economy has developed regularly since Nasser's policy continued by his two successors.

Agriculture is 17% of the GDP with 29% of the working population. The agricultural production increases by 2% a year. It produces sugar and cotton (1st world producer). Irrigation works continued.

Mineral Resources: All ores are represented. But hydrocarbons represent the most significant part of the production.

Industry: Nasser's revolution strongly developed heavy industry. Since, it has been gradually privatized. The processing industry develops regularly.

Trade is developing strongly and transforms the economy of the country. Tourism, in spite of the Middle East troubles, brings money to Egypt.

The Egyptian currency is the Egyptian Pound.

The official name is the Arab Republic of Egypt whose capital is Cairo. The population is +70 million inhabitants.
The official language of Egypt is Arabic as well as English. The population is made up of Berbers, Bedouins and Nubians.

Egypt is a democratic republic with several parties.

Egyptians are 94% Sunni Moslems, 6% Coptic Christians. Islam has the same origin as Judaism and Christianity. The faithful of these three religions belong to "people of the Book".

It is a trite to say that hospitality is the corner stone of Arab culture. This tradition is the consequence of the hardness of the life in the desert and the habits of Bedouin tribes of accommodating stranger by offering them water, food and the lodging.

The GNP is US$3,600 per capita.


Beyond dynastic and religious quarrels, wars and crusades, arts and letters underwent an extraordinary rise by the continual mixing of men from all horizons bringing thought and technique.
But World War II, the Franco-British 1956 expedition, the political vaticinations of Western States, the Near East troubles in 2003 are as many humiliations badly accepted by the populations of the area.

traveller's information

Sights

All tourists need visas and six-month valid passports. The visa is available at the consulates or in certain cases on arrival. Valid one month, it can be extended.

On the health plan it is recommended to consult specialized websites, in France the website of the Foreign Office. No particular precaution is required, it is necessary to be up to date with one's usual vaccinations.

The traveller's budget depends on his choices, Egypt offers opportunities for small budgets.

The geographical situation of Egypt, its climatic variety offer travellers multiple possibilities of activities in the archaeological sites as well as on the coasts.

They offer all opportunities to sportsmen. Sports activities are possible in all the areas of Egypt, golfing, safaris, swimming, diving and snorkelling on the Mediterranean and Red Sea coasts.

In spring 1989, a package tour was made in Egypt in connection with Syria
Neuilly, le 2003/11/23