Egypt in Terms of Both

Egypt

In terms of both population and geography, Egypt is one of the largest Middle Eastern countries. It has long been characterized as the "gift of the Nile." Egypt can be viewed as having three main geographical divisions: the Nile Valley, the Delta Areas and the Desert. The Delta is a triangular area, some 158 miles East-West and 124 miles North-South. The Nile Valley enters Egypt at Wadi Halfa in the "Cataract" region. The river is the longest in the world; it flows through 9 countries and is some 4160 miles in length. Unlike rivers in Europe and the United States, the Nile does not benefit from any tributaries flowing into it. Once the Nile leaves Khartoum, no new water is added. Water resources in Egypt are becoming scarce. The Nile water has faced insatiable demands. First of all the population in Egypt has grown steadily (with a 2% annual growth rate today). Secondly, there has been strong pressure to increase the amount of arable land. The concentration of population in Cairo and, to a lesser degree, in Alexandria have also brought acute problems in delivering clean water to this burgeoning populace while handling the sewage that results from that usage. The Nile provides 85% of the water used in the country. Most agriculture is done along the Nile. Without the Nile, it is safe to assume that Egypt would be unable to support its population. (Mekhail). Egypt is located in northeastern Africa and covers 386559 square miles of land representing about the same size as Texas and New Mexico combined. The country's greatest distance from north to south is 635 miles, and from east to west, 770 miles. Egypt includes the Sinai Peninsula, which is often considered part of Asia. Egypt's natural boundaries consist of more than 1800 miles of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Red Sea. Egypt has land boundaries with Israel, Libya, Sudan, and the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian area formerly administered by Egypt and occupied by Israel since 1967. The land boundaries are generally straight lines that do not conform to geographic features such as rivers. Egypt shares its longest boundary, which extends 1070 kilometers, with Sudan. The country is divided into twenty-six governorates (sometimes called provinces), which include four city governorates: Alexandria (Al Iskandariyah),

Cairo (Al Qahirah), Port Said (Bur Said) and Suez. All governorates, except the frontier ones, are in the Nile Delta or along the Nile Valley and Suez Canal (Egypt: (http://countrystudies.us/egypt/47.htm).As far as population, Egypt is the most densely populated country of Northern Africa. Egypt is one of the most populated countries not only in the African continent but also in the Middle East and in the Arab world. According to the 2006 census conducted by government's statistics agency, the population of Egypt has sprung up to 72.6 million with a growth rate of 2.0% each year in the past decade (Egypt: (http://www.mapsofworld.com/egypt/egypt-population.html).

Egypt is a republic; its government is headed by the president. Egypt has been considered a key link to foreign affairs in the Middle East for many years and is also critical to keeping peace between the Arab World and Israel; moreover, Egypt and Israel are receiving half of U.S. foreign financial aid (Blakenship: 4). Egypt has been a key link to Middle East politics and military operations during crisis for many years. Since the early 1970s, the U.S. has built close ties with Egypt as a political stepping stone to the rest of the Arab world, as well as to ensure the availability and security of the Suez Canal, and as an effort to keep peace with Israel (Ibid.: 10).