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EGYPT Introduction The Arab Republic of Egypt occupies the northeast corner of Africa, lying within the great Sahara Desert. It is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the south by the Republic of Sudan, on the west by Libya, and on the east by Israel, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea. This geographical position has made Egypt a hub of world trade since ancient times. Egypt has a total area of 1 million square kilometers (386,100 square miles) of land—almost twice the size of Spain. Barren deserts occupy more than 90 percent of the country. The Nile separates the dunes of the Western Desert from the mountainous Eastern Desert. These two deserts, the Nile Valley, and the Sinai Peninsula make up Egypt's four geographic areas. Location: the northeast corner of the continent of Africa Size: approximately 997,740 sq. km Capital: Cairo Official language (today): Arabic Official language (ancient): combination Semitic and Hamitic Major river: The Nile divides Egypt in half Topography: The highest lands are in the south and the land slopes gently toward the Mediterranean Sea. There are some mountains located on the southern Sinai peninsula. Some of these reach over 2600 meters (8530 feet high). The land at the Mediterranean is at sea level. |
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Libyan, Nubian, and Eastern. They were barriers of protection, shielding
the people against invasion by surrounding civilizations Climate With the exception of the strip bordering the Nile and the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt is desert. Expect dramatic temperature swings in the desert. When the sun rises, sand and rock begin to heat, radiating warmth into the dry air. Daytime temperatures may reach nearly 54° C (130° F), and temperatures as high as 78° C (170° F) have been recorded. When the sun sets, the desert cools as rapidly as it warmed. Temperature changes over 37° C (100° F) have been recorded in a 24-hour period. Rainstorms in the desert are uncommon and unpredictable—they may be decades apart. When storms do strike, they are often violent and localized. In such torrential downpours, entire mud-brick villages have been washed away. Egypt's winds, in contrast, are predictable. They sweep across the land from the north, bringing cooling breezes from the Mediterranean. In the desert, the wind can lift sand up to 2 meters (6 feet) from the ground, creating a shifting, billowing layer above the land |
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