Egypt's economy

Tourism (who wouldn't want to see the pyramids?)

oil, natural gas, manufacturing

argiculture - making the most of their limitied arable land (3%)
* cotton, corn, rice, wheat, fava beans

the old pattern of dealing with the Nile [akhet (inundation), peret (land emerges from the flood), and shomu (eater i short)] has been changed since the 1970 building of the Aswn High Dam

the dam controls the flooding of the Nule, and increases the amount of reclaimed land

Egypt's demographics

79 million people - biggest population of Middle Eastern nations, third biggest African country (#1: Nigeria, #2 Ethiopia)

Cairo: 6.7 million (metro: 19.4 mil)
NYC: 8.3 million (metro: 19.0 mil)

Official language: Arbic
(English, French, and German are also ttaught to some)

Religion: around 90% muslim, most of the rest are Christian (Coptic), but there are major conflicts (Egypt is 12th in religious violence, 5th worst for religious freedom)

Look at PowerPoint for video and pictures.

Egypt - politics, government, revolution

1922 - end of protectorate with the Untied Kingdom

1953 - Egypt declared a Republic

1954 - 1970 - ruled by Gamal Nasser
* nationalizes the Suez Canal
* forms allegiance with the Soviet Union

1970-1981 - ruled by Anwar Sadat
* switches allegiance to the U.S.
* attacked Israel over Sinai Peninsula, but later mafe peace
* Sadat assassinated in 1981

1981-2011 - ruled by Hosni Mubarak
* kept alliance w/ US (helped in the Iraq war)
* accused of corruption, political persecution, human rights, violations
* driven from office following mass deomonstrations last month

Whats next for Egypt?
Who knows

Egypt, currently ruled by military junta, but democratic elections scheduled for September 2011

Some want Mubarak arrested and tried bor embezzling from the government Our friend Sarah and other Egyptians say he may have stolen $50-70 million