Spread over 390,000 square miles, Egypt, or the Arab Republic of Egypt, has a population of almost 80 million. Thus, it is the most populated country in the Middle East. The per capita nominal GDP is estimated at $6,347, which is quite high for the Arab region.
Islam remains the dominant religion, with some percentage of Christians as well. While the official language is Modern Standard Arabic, the regional flavors of the language dominate among the people. The immigrant population has brought an influx of Greek, Armenian, and Italian. Egypt has been home to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, as well as the birthplace of written language and many of the important modern inventions. Ancient intriguing wonders – like the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Hieroglyphs; and the ruins of Karnak, Memphis, the Valley of Kings – draw a large number of tourists and researchers alike.
Ancient Egyptian personalities like Nefertiti, Cleopatra and Tutankhamun have become immortal and a subject of much scholarship.
Despite the country’s association with the oldest of wonders, the Egyptian economy remains very modern and developed among the entire Middle East region. Sectors such as industry, service, tourism and agriculture hold an important place. However, the strongest industries are based on oil, hydro power and natural gas.
Even though Egypt was established a republic, it was under Emergency Law since 1967. In 2011, however, a mass revolution that influenced similar sentiments in the neighboring countries, resulted in the end of a 30-year-long dictatorship rule.
