Egyptian Pharaoh Gold & Silver Coin Death Mask Sphinx Mummy Cairo Gods Beautiful

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Egyptian Pharaoh Gold & Silver Coin Death Mask Sphinx Mummy Cairo Gods Beautiful:
$50.19

Pharaoh CoinSilver and 24Kt Gold Plated Egyptian Pharohs Mask CoinThe Dimensions are 40mm x 30mm
The shape of the item is of the Pharoahs Death Mask which is put on top of a mummyThe other side has an illustration ofthe pyramids with some Arabic writingWould make a great gift inside a Birthday Card, Christmas Card, Good Luck Card ....etcWould make an Excellent Stocking Fillers at Christmas!In Excellent Condition
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The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world\'s great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt\'s government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt\'s population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni MUBARAK\'s ouster in 2011. Egypt\'s military assumed national leadership until a new parliament was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Mohammed MORSI won the presidential election. Following often violent protests throughout the spring of 2013 against MORSI\'s government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed MORSI from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly MANSOUR. In January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected Abdelfattah ELSISI president. Egypt elected a new legislature in December 2015, the first parliament since 2012.HideGeography :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedLocation:Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai PeninsulaGeographic coordinates:27 00 N, 30 00 EMap references:AfricaArea:total: 1,001,450 sq kmland: 995,450 sq kmwater: 6,000 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 31Area - comparative:more than eight times the size of Ohio; slightly more than three times the size of New MexicoArea comparison map: Land boundaries:total: 2,612 kmborder countries (4): Gaza Strip 13 km, Israel 208 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,276 kmCoastline:2,450 kmMaritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm or the equidistant median line with Cypruscontinental shelf: 200 nmClimate:desert; hot, dry summers with moderate wintersTerrain:vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and deltaElevation:mean elevation: 321 melevation extremes: lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 mhighest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 mNatural resources:petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, zincLand use:agricultural land: 3.6%arable land 2.8%; permanent crops 0.8%; permanent pasture 0%forest: 0.1%other: 96.3% (2011 est.)Irrigated land:36,500 sq km (2012)Population - distribution:approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabitedNatural hazards:periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes; flash floods; landslides; hot, driving windstorms called khamsin occur in spring; dust storms; sandstormsEnvironment - current issues:agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resourcesEnvironment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreementsGeography - note:controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees from Sudan and the Palestinian territoriesHidePeople and Society :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedPopulation:97,041,072 (July 2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 14Nationality:noun: Egyptian(s)adjective: EgyptianEthnic groups:Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census)Languages:Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classesReligions:Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10% (2015 est.)religious affiliation: Demographic profile:Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and the third most populous country in Africa, behind Nigeria and Ethiopia. Most of the country is desert, so about 95% of the population is concentrated in a narrow strip of fertile land along the Nile River, which represents only about 5% of Egypt’s land area. Egypt’s rapid population growth – 46% between 1994 and 2014 – stresses limited natural resources, jobs, housing, sanitation, education, and health care.Although the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) fell from roughly 5.5 children per woman in 1980 to just over 3 in the late 1990s, largely as a result of state-sponsored family planning programs, the population growth rate dropped more modestly because of decreased mortality rates and longer life expectancies. During the last decade, Egypt’s TFR decline stalled for several years and then reversed, reaching 3.6 in 2011, and has plateaued the last few years. Contraceptive use has held steady at about 60%, while preferences for larger families and early marriage may have strengthened in the wake of the recent 2011 revolution. The large cohort of women of or nearing childbearing age will sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future (an effect called population momentum).Nevertheless, post-MUBARAK governments have not made curbing population growth a priority. To increase contraceptive use and to prevent further overpopulation will require greater government commitment and substantial social change, including encouraging smaller families and better educating and empowering women. Currently, literacy, educational attainment, and labor force participation rates are much lower for women than men. In addition, the prevalence of violence against women, the lack of female political representation, and the perpetuation of the nearly universal practice of female genital cutting continue to keep women from playing a more significant role in Egypt’s public sphere.Population pressure, poverty, high unemployment, and the fragmentation of inherited land holdings have historically motivated Egyptians, primarily young men, to migrate internally from rural and smaller urban areas in the Nile Delta region and the poorer rural south to Cairo, Alexandria, and other urban centers in the north, while a much smaller number migrated to the Red Sea and Sinai areas. Waves of forced internal migration also resulted from the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and the floods caused by the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1970. Limited numbers of students and professionals emigrated temporarily prior to the early 1970s, when economic problems and high unemployment pushed the Egyptian Government to lift restrictions on labor migration. At the same time, high oil revenues enabled Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and other Gulf states, as well as Libya and Jordan, to fund development projects, creating a demand for unskilled labor (mainly in construction), which attracted tens of thousands of young Egyptian men.Between 1970 and 1974 alone, Egyptian migrants in the Gulf countries increased from approximately 70,000 to 370,000. Egyptian officials encouraged legal labor migration both to alleviate unemployment and to generate remittance income (remittances continue to be one of Egypt’s largest sources of foreign currency and GDP). During the mid-1980s, however, depressed oil prices resulting from the Iran-Iraq War, decreased demand for low-skilled labor, competition from less costly South Asian workers, and efforts to replace foreign workers with locals significantly reduced Egyptian migration to the Gulf States. The number of Egyptian migrants dropped from a peak of almost 3.3 million in 1983 to about 2.2 million at the start of the 1990s, but numbers gradually recovered.In the 2000s, Egypt began facilitating more labor migration through bilateral agreements, notably with Arab countries and Italy, but illegal migration to Europe through overstayed visas or maritime human smuggling via Libya also rose. The Egyptian Government estimated there were 6.5 million Egyptian migrants in 2009, with roughly 75% being temporary migrants in other Arab countries (Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates) and 25% being predominantly permanent migrants in the West (US, UK, Italy, France, and Canada).During the 2000s, Egypt became an increasingly important transit and destination country for economic migrants and asylum seekers, including Palestinians, East Africans, and South Asians and, more recently, Iraqis and Syrians. Egypt draws many refugees because of its resettlement programs with the West; Cairo has one of the largest urban refugee populations in the world. Many East African migrants are interned or live in temporary encampments along the Egypt-Israel border, and some have been shot and killed by Egyptian border guards.Age structure:0-14 years: 33.29% (male 16,720,307/female 15,583,019)15-24 years: 18.94% (male 9,464,262/female 8,919,614)25-54 years: 37.6% (male 18,545,422/female 17,944,582)55-64 years: 5.95% (male 2,861,136/female 2,911,586)65 years and over: 4.22% (male 1,993,248/female 2,097,896) (2017 est.)population pyramid: Dependency ratios:total dependency ratio: 61.8youth dependency ratio: 53.6elderly dependency ratio: 8.2potential support ratio: 12.2 (2015 est.)Median age:total: 23.9 yearsmale: 23.6 yearsfemale: 24.2 years (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 164Population growth rate:2.45% (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 19Birth rate:29.6 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 40Death rate:4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 203Net migration rate:-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 125Population distribution:approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabitedUrbanization:urban population: 43.3% of total population (2017)rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)Major urban areas - population:CAIRO (capital) 18.772 million; Alexandria 4.778 million (2015)Sex ratio:at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female15-24 years: 1.06 male(s)/female25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2016 est.)Mother\'s mean age at first birth:22.7 yearsnote: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)Maternal mortality rate:33 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 92Infant mortality rate:total: 19.7 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 21 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 18.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 85Life expectancy at birth:total population: 73 yearsmale: 71.6 yearsfemale: 74.4 years (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 142Total fertility rate:3.47 children born/woman (2017 est.)country comparison to the world: 43Contraceptive prevalence rate:58.5% (2014)Health expenditures:5.6% of GDP (2014)country comparison to the world: 119Physicians density:0.81 physicians/1,000 population (2014)Hospital bed density:0.5 beds/1,000 population (2012)Drinking water source:improved:urban: 100% of populationrural: 99% of populationtotal: 99.4% of populationunimproved:urban: 0% of populationrural: 1% of populationtotal: 0.6% of population (2015 est.)Sanitation facility access:improved:urban: 96.8% of populationrural: 93.1% of populationtotal: 94.7% of populationunimproved:urban: 3.2% of populationrural: 6.9% of populationtotal: 5.3% of population (2015 est.)HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:<.1% (2016 est.)HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:11,000 (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 90HIV/AIDS - deaths:<500 (2016 est.)Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: intermediatefood or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid feverwater contact disease: schistosomiasis (2016)Obesity - adult prevalence rate:32% (2016)country comparison to the world: 17Children under the age of 5 years underweight:7% (2014)country comparison to the world: 77Education expenditures:3.8% of GDP (2008)country comparison to the world: 117Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 73.8%male: 82.2%female: 65.4% (2015 est.)School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):total: 13 yearsmale: 13 yearsfemale: 13 years (2014)Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:total: 31.3%male: 28.4%female: 37.6% (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 37HideGovernment :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedCountry name:conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egyptconventional short form: Egyptlocal long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyahlocal short form: Misrformer: United Arab Republic (with Syria)etymology: the English name \"Egypt\" derives from the ancient Greek name for the country \"Aigyptos\"; the Arabic name \"Misr\" can be traced to the ancient Akkadian \"misru\" meaning border or frontierGovernment type:presidential republicCapital:name: Cairogeographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)Administrative divisions:27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma\'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Uqsur (Luxor), Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa\'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina\' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina\' (North Sinai), SuhajIndependence:28 February 1922 (from UK protectorate status; the revolution that began on 23 July 1952 led to a republic being declared on 18 June 1953 and all British troops withdrawn on 18 June 1956); note - it was ca. 3200 B.C. that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politicallyNational holiday:Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)Constitution:history: several previous; latest approved by a constitutional committee in December 2013, approved by referendum held on 14-15 January 2014, ratified by interim president on 19 January 2014amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by one-fifth of the House of Representatives members; a decision to accept the proposal requires majority vote by House members; passage of amendment requires a two-thirds majority vote by House members and passage by majority vote in a referendum; articles of reelection of the president and principles of freedom not amendable unless the amendment \"brings more guarantees\"note: in mid-2017, some members of the House of Representatives suggested revisions to the 2014 constitution that, if approved, would extend the term of the president and expand presidential powers (2017)Legal system:mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional CourtInternational law organization participation:accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCtCitizenship:citizenship by birth: nocitizenship by descent only: if the father was born in Egyptdual citizenship recognized: only with prior permission from the governmentresidency requirement for naturalization: 10 yearsSuffrage:18 years of age; universal and compulsoryExecutive branch:Chief of state: President Abdelfattah Said ELSISI (since 8 June 2014)head of government: Prime Minister Sherif ISMAIL (since 12 September 2015); note - Prime Minister Ibrahim MEHLAB resigned 12 September 2015cabinet: Cabinet sworn in 19 September 2015elections/appointments: president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26-28 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2018); prime minister appointed by the president, approved by the House of Representativeselection results: Abdelfattah Said ELSISI elected president; percent of vote in 1 round - Abdelfattah Said ELSISI (independent) 96.6%, Hamdeen SABAHI (Egyptian Current Party) 3.4%Legislative branch:description: unicameral House of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nowaab); 596 seats; 448 members directly elected by individual candidacy system, 120 members - with quotas for women, youth, Christians and workers - elected in party-list constituencies by simple majority popular vote, and 28 members selected by the president; member term 5 years; note - inaugural session held on 10 January 2016elections: multi-phase election completed on 16 December 2015 (next to be held in 2020election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -– Free Egyptians Party 65, Nation’s Future Party 53, New Wafd Party 36, Homeland’s Protector Party 18, Republican People’s Party 13, Congress Party 12, al-Nour Party 11, Conservative Party 6, Democratic Peace Party 5, Egyptian Social Democratic Party 4, Egyptian National Movement 4, Modern Egypt Party 4, Reform and Development Party 3, Freedom Party 3, My Homeland Egypt Party 3, National Progressive Unionist Party 2, Arab Democratic Nasserist Party 1, Revolutionary Guards Party 1, Free Egyptian Building Party 1, independent 351Judicial branch:highest court(s): Supreme Constitutional Court or SCC (consists of the court president and 10 justices); the SCC serves as the final court of arbitraton on the constitutionality of laws and conflicts between lower courts regarding jurisdiction and rulings; Court of Cassation (CC) (consists of the court president and 550 judges organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the CC is the highest appeals body for civil and criminal cases, also known as “ordinary justices\"; Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) - consists of the court president and organized in circuits with cases heard by panels of 5 judges); the SAC is the highest court of the State Counciljudge selection and term of office: under the 2014 constitution, all judges and justices selected by the Supreme Judiciary Council and appointed by the president of the Republic; judges appointed for lifesubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; courts of limited jurisdiction; Family Court (established in 2004)Political parties and leaders:Al-Nour [Yunis MAKHYUN]Arab Democratic Nasserist Party [Sameh ASHOUR]Congress Party [Omar Mokhtar SEMEIDA]Conservative Party [Akmal KOURTAM]Democratic Peace Party [Ahmed FADALY]Egyptian National Movement Party [Ibrahim DARWISH]Egyptian Social Democratic Party [Mervat TALAWAY]Freedom Party [Mamdouh HASSAN]Free Egyptian Building PartyFree Egyptians Party [Essam KHALIL]Homeland’s Protector Party [Lt. Gen. (retired) Galal AL-HARIDI]Modern Egypt Party [Nabil DEIBIS]Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future) Party [Mohamed Ashraf RASHAD]My Homeland Egypt Party [Qadry ABU HUSSEIN]National Progressive Unionist (Tagammu) Party [Sayed Abdel AAL]Nation\'s Future Party [Ashraf RASHAD, secretary general]New Wafd Party [Sayed al-BADAWI]Reform and Development Party [Mohamad Anwar al-SADAT]Republican People’s Party [Hazim AMR]Revolutionary Guards Party [Magdy EL-SHARIF]Political pressure groups and leaders:labor unionsstudent unionsteacher unionsInternational organization participation:ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CD, CICA, COMESA, D-8, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTODiplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Yasser REDA (since 19 September 2015)chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400FAX: [1] (202) 244-5131consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New YorkDiplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d\'Affaires Thomas H. GOLDBERGER (since 30 June 2017)embassy: 5 Tawfik Diab St., Garden City, Cairomailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900; 5 Tawfik Diab Street, Garden City, Cairotelephone: [20] (2) 2797-3300FAX: [20] (2) 2797-3200Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation Flag and represent oppression (black), overcome through bloody struggle (red), to be replaced by a bright future (white)note: similar to the Flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white bandNational symbol(s):golden eagle, white lotus; national colors: red, white, blackNational anthem:name: \"Bilady, Bilady, Bilady\" (My Homeland, My Homeland, My Homeland)lyrics/music: Younis-al QADI/Sayed DARWISHnote: adopted 1979; the current anthem, less militaristic than the previous one, was created after the signing of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel; Sayed DARWISH, commonly considered the father of modern Egyptian music, composed the anthem
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HideEconomy :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedEconomy - overview:Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. Egypt\'s economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opened up considerably under former Presidents Anwar EL-SADAT and Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK.Cairo from 2004 to 2008 pursued business climate reforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate growth. Poor living conditions and limited job opportunities for the average Egyptian contribute to public discontent, a major factor leading to the January 2011 revolution that ousted MUBARAK. The uncertain political, security, and policy Environment since 2011 caused economic growth to slow significantly, hurting tourism, manufacturing, and other sectors and pushing up unemployment, which remains above 10%.Weak growth and limited foreign exchange earnings have made public finances unsustainable, leaving authorities dependent on expensive borrowing for deficit finance and on Gulf allies to help cover the import bill. In 2015-16, higher levels of foreign investment contributed to a slight rebound in GDP growth after a particularly depressed post-revolution period. In 2016, Cairo enacted a value-added tax, implemented fuel and electricity subsidy cuts, and floated its currency, which led to a sharp depreciation of the pound and corresponding inflation. In November 2016, the IMF approved a $12 billion, three-year loan for Egypt and disbursed the first $2.75 billion tranche.GDP (purchasing power parity):$1.132 trillion (2016 est.)$1.072 trillion (2015 est.)$1.016 trillion (2014 est.)note: data are in 2016 dollarscountry comparison to the world: 22GDP (official exchange rate):$332.3 billion (2016 est.)GDP - real growth rate:4.3% (2016 est.)4.4% (2015 est.)2.9% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 51GDP - per capita (PPP):$12,600 (2016 est.)$12,200 (2015 est.)$12,000 (2014 est.)note: data are in 2016 dollarscountry comparison to the world: 120Gross national saving:9.1% of GDP (2016 est.)10.7% of GDP (2015 est.)12.9% of GDP (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 162GDP - composition, by end use:household consumption: 82.8%government consumption: 11.4%investment in fixed capital: 14.5%investment in inventories: 0.6%exports of goods and services: 10.4%imports of goods and services: -19.6% (2016 est.)GDP - composition, by sector of origin:agriculture: 11.9%industry: 32.9%services: 55.2% (2016 est.)Agriculture - products:cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goatsIndustries:textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufacturesIndustrial production growth rate:3.5% (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 68Labor force:28.9 million (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 23Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 29.2%industry: 23.5%services: 47.3% (2013 est.)Unemployment rate:12.7% (2016 est.)12.8% (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 154Population below poverty line:25.2% (2011 est.)Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 4%highest 10%: 26.6% (2008)Distribution of family income - Gini index:30.8 (2008)32.1 (2005)country comparison to the world: 121Budget:revenues: $48.81 billionexpenditures: $81.22 billion (2016 est.)Taxes and other revenues:14.7% of GDP (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 192Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):-9.8% of GDP (2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 198Public debt:111.2% of GDP (2016 est.)97.5% of GDP (2015 est.)note: data cover central government debt and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are sold at public salescountry comparison to the world: 13Fiscal year:1 July - 30 JuneInflation rate (consumer prices):10.2% (2016 est.)10.4% (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 212Central bank discount rate:9.75% (30 October 2014)8.75% (5 December 2013)country comparison to the world: 25Commercial bank prime lending rate:13.6% (31 December 2016 est.)11.63% (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 54Stock of narrow money:$34.51 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$66.49 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 59Stock of broad money:$146.6 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$243.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 47Stock of domestic credit:$178.7 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$297.4 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 48Market value of publicly traded shares:$55.19 billion (31 December 2015 est.)$70.08 billion (31 December 2014 est.)$61.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 49Current account balance:$-19.83 billion (2016 est.)$-17.21 billion (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 190Exports:$20.02 billion (2016 est.)$19.03 billion (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 69Exports - commodities:crude oil and petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals, processed foodExports - partners:UAE 12.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, Italy 6.5%, Turkey 6.3%, UK 4.6%, US 4.5% (2016)Imports:$56.71 billion (2016 est.)$57.58 billion (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 46Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuelsImports - partners:China 12.9%, Germany 8.7%, US 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Turkey 4.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2016)Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$23.2 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$15.49 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 60Debt - external:$62.38 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$46.58 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 61Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:$97.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$91.27 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 46Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:$7.257 billion (31 December 2016 est.)$7.021 billion (31 December 2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 67Exchange rates:Egyptian pounds (EGP) per US dollar -10.07 (2016 est.)10.07 (2015 est.)7.7133 (2014 est.)7.08 (2013 est.)6.06 (2012 est.)HideEnergy :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedElectricity access:population without electricity: 300,000electrification - total population: 99.6%electrification - urban areas: 100%electrification - rural areas: 99.3% (2013)Electricity - production:162 billion kWh (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 24Electricity - consumption:143 billion kWh (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 24Electricity - exports:500 million kWh (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 68Electricity - imports:81 million kWh (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 102Electricity - installed generating capacity:38 million kW (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 28Electricity - from fossil fuels:87.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 78Electricity - from nuclear fuels:0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 83Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:9.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 122Electricity - from other renewable sources:2.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 76Crude oil - production:511,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)country comparison to the world: 30Crude oil - exports:193,400 bbl/day (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 31Crude oil - imports:59,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 54Crude oil - proved reserves:4.4 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)country comparison to the world: 27Refined petroleum products - production:547,800 bbl/day (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 31Refined petroleum products - consumption:797,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 24Refined petroleum products - exports:45,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 57Refined petroleum products - imports:215,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 30Natural gas - production:48.8 billion cu m (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 17Natural gas - consumption:48.08 billion cu m (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 16Natural gas - exports:720 million cu m (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 41Natural gas - imports:2.832 billion cu m (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 45Natural gas - proved reserves:2.186 trillion cu m (1 January 2016 es)country comparison to the world: 16Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:207 million Mt (2013 est.)country comparison to the world: 28HideCommunications :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedTelephones - fixed lines:total subscriptions: 6,118,250subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (July 2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 26Telephones - mobile cellular:total: 97,791,441subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 103 (July 2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 17Telephone system:general assessment: Telecom Egypt remains largely state owned; principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relaydomestic: largest fixed-line system in Africa and the Arab region; multiple mobile-cellular networks with a 100-percent penetration of the marketinternational: country code - 20; landing point for Aletar, the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks, Link Around the Globe (Flag) Falcon and Flag FEA; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2016)Broadcast media:mix of state-run and private broadcast media; state-run TV operates 2 national and 6 regional terrestrial networks, as well as a few satellite channels; about 20 private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels are available via subscription; state-run radio operates about 70 stations belonging to 8 networks; 2 privately owned radio stations operational (2008)Internet country code:.egInternet users:total: 37,122,537percent of population: 39.2% (July 2016 est.)country comparison to the world: 15HideTransportation :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedNational air transport system:number of registered air carriers: 14inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 101annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 10,159,464annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 397,531,535 mt-km (2015)Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:SU (2016)Airports:83 (2013)country comparison to the world: 66Airports - with paved runways:total: 72over 3,047 m: 152,438 to 3,047 m: 361,524 to 2,437 m: 15under 914 m: 6 (2017)Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 112,438 to 3,047 m: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 3914 to 1,523 m: 4under 914 m: 3 (2013)Heliports:7 (2013)Pipelines:condensate 486 km; condensate/gas 74 km; gas 7,986 km; liquid petroleum gas 957 km; oil 5,225 km; oil/gas/water 37 km; refined products 895 km; water 65 km (2013)Railways:total: 5,085 kmstandard gauge: 5,085 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2014)country comparison to the world: 37Roadways:total: 137,430 kmpaved: 126,742 km (includes 838 km of expressways)unpaved: 10,688 km (2010)country comparison to the world: 38Waterways:3,500 km (includes the Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m) (2011)country comparison to the world: 29Merchant marine:total: 67by type: bulk carrier 16, cargo 20, container 3, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 9foreign-owned: 13 (Denmark 1, France 1, Greece 8, Jordan 2, Lebanon 1)registered in other countries: 42 (Cambodia 4, Georgia 7, Honduras 2, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 5, Panama 11, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 3, unknown 1) (2010)country comparison to the world: 63Ports and terminals:major seaport(s): Mediterranean Sea - Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said; Gulf of Suez - Suezoil terminal(s): Ain Sukhna terminal, Sidi Kerir terminalcontainer port(s) (TEUs): Alexandria (1,662,000), Port Said (East) (3,036,000) (2015)LNG terminal(s) (export): Damietta, Idku (Abu Qir Bay)HideMilitary and Security :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedMilitary expenditures:1.67% of GDP (2016)1.72% of GDP (2015)1.69% of GDP (2014)1.61% of GDP (2013)1.65% of GDP (2012)country comparison to the world: 53Military branches:Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces (2015)Military service age and obligation:18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation - 18-36 months, followed by a 9-year reserve obligation; voluntary enlistment possible from age 15 (2017)HideTransnational Issues :: EGYPTPanel - ExpandedDisputes - international:Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; Egypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its maps; Gazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai border; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and SanafirRefugees and internally displaced persons:refugees (country of origin): 70,027 (West Bank and Gaza Strip) (2016); 124,534 (Syria); 35,227 (Sudan) (2017) (refugees and asylum seekers); 14,009 (Erthiopia) (refugees and asylum seekers); 10,795 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers); 8,578 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers); 6,611 (Iraq) (refugees and asylum seekers); 6,561 (Somalia) (refugees and asylum seekers)IDPs: 78,000 (2016)stateless persons: 19 (2016)Trafficking in persons:current situation: Egypt is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; Egyptian children, including the large population of street children are vulnerable to forced labor in domestic service, begging and agriculture or may be victims of sex trafficking or child sex tourism, which occurs in Cairo, Alexandria, and Luxor; some Egyptian women and girls are sold into “temporary” or “summer” marriages with Gulf men, through the complicity of their parents or marriage brokers, and are exploited for prostitution or forced labor; Egyptian men are subject to forced labor in neighboring countries, while adults from South and Southeast Asia and East Africa – and increasingly Syrian refugees – are forced to work in domestic service, construction, cleaning, and begging in Egypt; women and girls, including migrants and refugees, from Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East are sex trafficked in Egypt; the Egyptian military cracked down on criminal group’s smuggling, abducting, trafficking, and extorting African migrants in the Sinai Peninsula, but the practice has reemerged along Egypt’s western border with Libyatier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Egypt does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; the government gathered data nationwide on trafficking cases to better allocate and prioritize anti-trafficking efforts, but overall it did not demonstrate increased progress; prosecutions increased in 2014, but no offenders were convicted for the second consecutive year; fewer trafficking victims were identified in 2014, which represents a significant and ongoing decrease from the previous two reporting periods; the government relied on NGOs and international organizations to identify and refer victims to protective services, and focused on Egyptian victims and refused to provide some services to foreign victims, at times including shelter (2015)Illicit drugs:transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations
Egypt\'s impact on later cultures was immense. You could say that Egypt provided the building blocks for Greek and Roman culture, and, through them, influenced all of the Western tradition. Today, Egyptian imagery, concepts, and perspectives are found everywhere; you will find them in architectural forms, on money, and in our day to day lives. Many cosmetic surgeons, for example, use the silhouette of Queen Nefertiti (whose name means “the beautiful one has come”) in their advertisements.This introduction will provide you with the primary filters to view and understand ancient Egypt.LongevityAncient Egyptian civilization lasted for more than 3000 years and showed an incredible amount of continuity. That is more than 15 times the age of the United States, and consider how often our culture shifts; less than 10 years ago, there was no Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube.While today we consider the Greco-Roman period to be in the distant past, it should be noted that Cleopatra VII\'s reign (which ended in 30 BCE) is closer to our own time than it was to that of the construction of the pyramids of Giza. It took humans nearly 4000 years to build something--anything--taller than the Great Pyramids. Contrast that span to the modern era; we get excited when a record lasts longer than a decade.Consistency & StabilityEgypt’s stability is in stark contrast to the Ancient Near East of the same period, which endured an overlapping series of cultures and upheavals with amazing regularity. The earliest royal monuments, such as the Narmer Palette carved around 3100 B.C.E., display identical royal costumes and poses as those seen on later rulers, even Ptolemaic kings on their temples 3000 years later.
Palette of Narmer, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E. (left) and Ramses III smiting at Medinet Habu (1160 B.C.E.) (right)Palette of Narmer, c. 3000-2920 B.C.E. (left) and Ramses III smiting at Medinet Habu (1160 B.C.E.) (right)A vast amount of Egyptian imagery, especially royal imagery that was governed by decorum (a sense of what was ‘appropriate’), remained stupefyingly consistent throughout its history. This is why, especially to the untrained eye, their art appears extremely static—and in terms of symbols, gestures, and the way the body is rendered, it was. It was intentional. The Egyptians were aware of their consistency, which they viewed as stability, divine balance, and clear evidence of the correctness of their culture.This consistency was closely related to a fundamental belief that depictions had an impact beyond the image itself—tomb scenes of the deceased receiving food, or temple scenes of the king performing perfect rituals for the gods—were functionally causing those things to occur in the divine realm. If the image of the bread loaf was omitted from the deceased’s table, they had no bread in the Afterlife; if the king was depicted with the incorrect ritual implement, the ritual was incorrect and this could have dire consequences. This belief led to an active resistance to change in codified depictions.The earliest recorded tourist graffiti on the planet came from a visitor from the time of Ramses II who left their appreciative mark at the already 1300-year-old site of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the earliest of the massive royal stone monuments. They were understandably impressed by the works of their ancestors and endeavored to continue that ancient legacy.GeographyEgypt is a land of duality and cycles, both in topography and culture. The geography is almost entirely rugged, barren desert, except for an explosion of green that straddles either side of the Nile as it flows the length of the country. The river emerges from far to the south, deep in Africa, and empties into the Mediterranean sea in the north after spreading from a single channel into a fan-shaped system, known as a delta, at its northernmost section.The influence of this river on Egyptian culture and development cannot be overstated—without its presence, the civilization would have been entirely different, and most likely entirely elsewhere. The Nile provided not only a constant source of life-giving water, but created the fertile lands that fed the growth of this unique (and uniquely resilient) culture.
View from the high peak of the Theban hills showing the sharp delineation between the lush Valley and the barren desert. Photo: Dr Amy CalvertView from the high peak of the Theban hills showing the sharp delineation between the lush Valley and the barren desert. Photo: Dr Amy CalvertEach year, fed by melting snows in the far-off headlands, the river overflowed its banks in an annual flood that covered the ground with a rich, black silt and produced incredibly fertile fields. The Egyptians referred to this as Kemet, the “black lands,” and contrasted this dense, dark soil against the Deshret, the “red lands” of the sterile desert; the line between these zones was (and in most cases still is) a literal line. The visual effect is stark, appearing almost artificial in its precision.Time - Cyclical and LinearThe annual inundation of the Nile was also a reliable, and measurable, cycle that helped form their concept of the passage of time. In fact, the calendar we use today is derived from one developed by the ancient Egyptians. They divided the year into 3 seasons: akhet \"inundation,\" peret \"growing/emergence.\" and shemw \"harvest.\" Each season was, in turn, divided into four 30-day months. Although this annual cycle, paired with the daily solar cycle that is so evident in the desert, led to a powerful drive to see the universe in cyclical time, this idea existed simultaneously with the reality of linear time.These two concepts—the cyclical and the linear—came to be associated with two of their primary deities: Osiris, the eternal lord of the dead, and Re, the sun god who was reborn with each dawn.Early Development: The Predynastic PeriodThe civilization of Egypt obviously did not spring fully formed from the Nile mud; although the massive pyramids at Giza may appear to the uninitiated to have appeared out of nowhere, they were founded on thousands of years of cultural and technological development and experimentation. \"Dynastic\" Egypt—sometimes referred to as \"Pharaonic\" (after \"pharaoh,\" the Greek title of the Egyptian kings derived from the Egyptian title per aA, \"Great House\") which was the time when the country was largely unified under a single ruler, begins around 3100 B.C.E.The period before this, lasting from about 5000 B.C.E. until unification, is referred to as Predynastic by modern scholars. Prior to this were thriving Paleolithic and Neolithic groups, stretching back hundreds of thousands of years, descended from northward migrating homo erectus who settled along the Nile Valley. During the Predynastic period, ceramics, figurines, mace heads, and other artifacts such as slate palettes used for grinding pigments, begin to appear, as does imagery that will become iconic during the Pharaonic era—we can see the first hints of what is to come.DynastiesIt is important to recognize that the dynastic divisions modern scholars use were not used by the ancients themselves. These divisions were created in the first Western-style history of Egypt, written by an Egyptian priest named Manetho in the 3rd century B.C.E. Each of the 33 dynasties included a series of rulers usually related by kinship or the location of their seat of power. Egyptian history is also divided into larger chunks, known as \"kingdoms\" and \"periods,\" to distinguish times of strength and unity from those of change, foreign rule, or disunity.
Periods in Ancient Egyptian ArtThe Egyptians themselves referred to their history in relation to the ruler of the time. Years were generally recorded as the regnal dates (from the Latin regnum, meaning kingdom or rule) of the ruling king, so that with each new reign, the numbers began anew. Later kings recorded the names of their predecessors in vast \"king-lists\" on the walls of their temples and depicted themselves offering to the rulers who came before them—one of the best known examples is in the temple of Seti I at Abydos.These lists were often condensed, with some rulers (such as the contentious and disruptive Akhenaten) and even entire dynasties omitted from the record; they are not truly history, rather they are a form of ancestor worship, a celebration of the consistency of kingship of which the current ruler was a part.The Pharaoh—Not Just a KingKings in Egypt were complex intermediaries that straddled the terrestrial and divine realms. They were, obviously, living humans, but upon accession to the throne, they also embodied the eternal office of kingship itself. The ka, or spirit, of kingship was often depicted as a separate entity standing behind the human ruler. This divine aspect of the office of kingship was what gave authority to the human ruler. The living king was associated with the god Horus, the powerful, virile falcon-headed god who was believed to bestow the throne to the first human king.Horus’s immensely important father, Osiris, was the lord of the underworld. One of the original divine rulers of Egypt, this deity embodied the promise of regeneration. Cruelly murdered by his brother Seth, the god of the chaotic desert, Osiris was revived through the potent magic of his wife Isis. Through her knowledge and skill, Osiris was able to sire the miraculous Horus, who avenged his father and threw his criminal uncle off the throne to take his rightful place.Osiris became ruler of the realm of the dead, the eternal source of regeneration in the Afterlife. Deceased kings were identified with this god, creating a cycle where the dead king fused with the divine king of the dead and his successor \"defeated\" death to take his place on the throne as Horus.