EGYPT

Area: Size of TX and NM combined

Capital: Cairo

Terrain: Desert, except Nile valley and delta. Climate: Dry, hot summers; moderate winters.

Government: Republic

President: Mohamed Hosni Mubarak,

Prime Minister: Ahmed Mohamed Nazif

People of Egypt…Population: 78,887,007

Religions: Muslim 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%.

Languages: Arabic (official), English, French

Literacy: 58% of adults

Life Expectancy: 71 years old

Geography… • Lies in

northern Africa

• 99% of Egypt is desert. The other 1% consists of the Nile and Sinai areas.

•During the spring hot sandy winds called khamsin blow from the desert regions.

Economy…• Oil – 50% of Egypt’s export earnings

• Cotton is the second most important export

• Egypt’s ancient monuments and pyramids attract many tourists. Cairo alone has 13,000 hotel rooms.

• Egypt continues to need foreign financial aid.

Environment…• Trees that grow where water is available: acacia

date palm eucalyptus

• Flowering plants include : irises lilies jasmine

• Domesticated animals include: buffalo camels donkeys

• There are many species of snakes, many of which are poisonous. The most famous is the asp with which Cleopatra committed suicide with.

• There are 200 species of fish in the Nile. The red sea is rich in tropical coral and fish.

Egyptian Villages…• Most homes are made of mud and brick with thick walls the keep out heat. The flat roofs serve as cool sleeping quarters at night.

• Walls are trimmed in blue, the color believed to ward of evil.

• As a man becomes richer, he can add a second story to his house perhaps for his married son.

• Many houses still have dirt floors and lack electricity or running water

Hieroglyphics…

Art… Royalty are always

portrayed in sculpture with the left foot striding forward to signify their status as divine mortals.

The sculptures last a long time most likely due to their solid structure.

The best preserved of Egyptian murals exist in the galleries leading to the tombs within the pyramids. The paintings and their accompanying hieroglyphics tell stories about the king's life and of his transition into the afterlife.

The Rosetta Stone

The stone is the “key” to ancient hieroglyphics. It was inscribed by ancient Egyptians praising their king. It was written in hieroglyphics, the Egyptian alphabet language and Greek.

Egyptian coffins were certainly a form of art. They were elaborately decorated and made of gold. The most famous was that of Tutankhamen, the boy king.

British Occupation (1882-1852)• In 1852, Tewfiq Pasha reformed the economy and handed over financial control to the British who began to run the government and country.

• Egyptian nationalists were outraged and tried to take back control but British reaction was swift and violent.

• British occupation continued to increase and Egyptian had little control of their own country.

•Lord Cromer focused on financial security but completely ignored industry & education- this became a huge problem.

• The outbreak of the World War I brought Egypt formally into the British Empire as a Protectorate when the Ottoman Sultan declared his support for the Germans against the allies.

• Sa'ad Zaghloul was the leader of British nationalists. In 1918 he requested the independence of Egypt, but was obviously rejected. He was arrested and sent to Malta. Anti-British riots uprooted and they were forced to back down.

• In 1922 the British ended the protectorate and recognized Egypt's independence

Pyramids… Pyramids were built to shelter the pharaohs during afterlife.

• Ancient Egyptians believed that when the pharaoh died, he became Osiris, king of the dead. The new pharaoh became Horus, god of the heavens and protector of the sun god. This cycle was symbolized by the rising and setting of the sun.

• Believed that some of his spirit, ka, stayed inside him. If his body was not taken care of properly, he would not be able to carry out his duties as king of the dead and Egypt would befall to tragedy.

• Pyramids didn’t always have pointy tops. It is said the pointed top came from the pyramid shaped stone called the benben.

•The benben symbolized the rays of the sun; ancient texts claimed that pharaohs reached the heavens via sunbeams.

Step Pyramid of DjoserEgypt’s first pyramid____________________

Built by: Pharaoh DjoserDate: 2630 B.C.Location: SaqqaraHeight: 204 feet

Had been planned to be a traditional mastaba but became six layers with steps (the largest building of the time)

The burial chambers are underground with mazes and tunnels. However, this did not keep out robbers. All that is left of the remains of Pharaoh Djoser is his mummified left foot.

Great PyramidEarth’s Largest___________________

Built by: Pharaoh KhufuDate: 2550 BCLocation: GizaHeight: 481 ft

The largest pyramid ever built

The pyramid has three burial chambers

The Great Pyramid was the centerpiece of an elaborate complex, which included several other small pyramids,

Several mystery shafts extend from the king's and queen's chambers. They may have been designed to allow Khufu to travel to the stars in his afterlife.

The Great Sphinx of GizaRiddle of the Sphinx______________________

Built: UnknownDate: UnknownLocation: GizaHeight: 65 feet

Has the face of a man and thebody of a lion.

It is one of the largest single-stone statues on Earth.

In legend, the sphinx will strangle anyone who cannot answer its question.

Its head faces the east and there is a small temple between its feet.

Its one meter nose is missing. According to legend, the nose was blasted off by a cannon ball fired by Napoleon’s troops.