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About Egypt
Known for its ancient civilisation and some of the world's most famous landmarks and monuments, including the Sphinx and the Giza Pyramids, Eqypt is one of the most populated countries in Africa. Most of Egypt's population live near the banks of the River Nile where the only suitable arable land is found as most of the rest of Egypt is sandy desert. The coastal regions of Egypt, with the exception of the Nile delta, are everywhere closed in either by desert or by mountains; they are arid or of very limited arable use. West of the Nile is the extremely arid Libyan (or Western) Desert, a generally low-lying region (maximum alt. c.1,000 ft/300 m), largely covered with sand dunes or barren rocky plains. The desert contains a few oases, notably Siwah, Farafra, and Kharga.
The principal cities in Egypt are the capital city Cairo, and Alexandria known as The Pearl of the Mediterranean. Luxor, in the south of Egypt contains most of the ancient artefacts such as those in the Valley of the Kings and the Temple at Karnak and is often referred to as a open air museum. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the 'Gift of the Nile.' Egypt's land frontiers border Libya to the west, The Sudan to the south, and Israel to the northeast. In the north its Mediterranean coastline is about 620 miles (1,000 km) long, and in the east its coastline on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba is about 1,200 miles (1,900 km) long.
Popular holiday resorts in Egypt include Sharm el-Sheikh with all its sun, sea and sand, five-star hotels, shopping, entertainment and water sports. Hurghada is the popular holiday and tourist resort on the red Sea coast and was, until recently, only a small fishing village. The historically interesting area of Fayoum, where the Egyptians like to take their holidays and breaks, is attracting more and more visitors, tourists and holidaymakers from around the world.
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