Top Tours
Travel to Egypt Tours
Top General Information
General Information
Top Tours (Travel to Egypt Tours)
General information
Location:
In North Africa
Area:
1,002,450 sq kms
Capital:
Cairo
Currency:
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Language:
Arabic
Climate:
Moderate
Introduction
Egypt, officially known as the Arab Republic of Egypt, located in north-eastern Africa and south-western Asia. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Israel and the Red Sea, on the south by Sudan, and on the west by Libya. The country has a maximum length from north to south of about 1086 km (about 675 mi) and a maximum width, near the southern border, of about 1255 km (about 780 mi). It has a total area of about 1,001,450 sq km (about 386,662 sq mi). The River Nile divides the country unevenly in two, while the Suez Canal provides a third division with the Sinai Peninsula. Beyond the highly cultivated Nile Valley and Delta, a lush green tadpole of land that holds more than 90% of the population, the landscape is mainly flat desert, Cairo is the capital and the largest city, and the most modern in the middle east and ad Africa.
Area
1,002,000 sq km (386,874 sq miles).
Population
76.5 million (census 2006). Population Density : 74.8 per sq km.
Capital
Cairo (El Qahira). Population: 18.3 million (2006 estimate).
Language
Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.
Religion
Religious practises : Muslims 93.8% .Others 6.2% About 90% of Egyptians are muslims. The prayer represents an essential part of the daily life of the faithful, that the muezzin calls for 5 times a day, from the hight of minarets. The supreme religious authority is the sheik Al Azhar, whose role is to define the official line of Islam. The Coptes compose the main religious minority. Before Islam, Christianism was the predominant religion in the region, one of the first to embrace this faith.
Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).
Electricity
Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110 to 380 volts AC.
Egyptian Currency
The local currency is the Egyptian Pound (LE). There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency. The export of local currency is however prohibited.
Major currencies such as US dollars and Euro and travelers cheques can be converted at banks and forex bureaus in the main towns and tourist areas. You will get best exchange rates for cash or travelers cheques if you are dealing in US dollars, Euro or Pound Sterling. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted at various stores and hotels. Your Visa and Mastercard can be used to access cash at a limited number of bank outlets -particularly for Banque Misr and Bank of Egypt
Egypt circulates the pound as currency. One pound is equivalent to 100 piastres.
1 US Dollar is equivalent to aproximately 3.4 Egyptian Pounds (LE). Some cash can be converted directly at the airport. There are many local banks and a Thomas Cook in both Hurghada and Sharm El Sheik. Also, most of the larger hotels have banks to exchange travellers cheques or advances on credit cards. A Tourist is allowed to carry any amount of foreign currency, whether bills, travellers cheques, money orders, bank transfers or credit cards.
Filling in the customs declaration is essential in case of carrying money that will wholly or partly go out again or for crediting a current account.
Egypt People & Culture
By far, the majority of the people of Egypt are of Eastern Hamitic stock. Nubians, whose homeland is in the south of the country, Greeks, Armenians other Europeans represent the remainder. Though somewhat simplistic, four cultural groups can be delineated - Egyptian peasants or fellahin, Copts, Bedouins and Nubians. Fellahin is a rather dated classification as the majority of such people have immigrated to cities and transformed themselves. The traditional fellahin can however still be found in rural areas eking out a living from the land as they have done from the days of the Pharaohs. Copts are Christian adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church. But they are of the same race and culture as other Egyptians.
Bedouins are a nomadic people who search the deserts for grazing and water for their camels and other livestock. Nobody really knows the desert more than the Bedouin. They know where to find water and get around by navigating by the stars. Like all nomads, they live a free and hardy lifestyle, and consider the sedentary ways of their compatriots as lacking in grace and dignity. But they also realize the advantages of a settled life and they have increasingly responded to efforts to ground them and give their children an education.
The Nubian are a dark skinned people whose ancestral land is to the south of Aswan. They have little relationship, cultural or genetic with other dark skinned Africans. Back in the days of the Pharaohs, they served very well in the military. In more recent times, they farmed the banks of the Nile River. Their lands have been mostly been inundated by the raising of the Aswan High Dam. Most Nubians have now migrated to towns and their lifestyle has changed.
Islam is the single most important influence on culture in Egypt. And this applies even for non-adherents like Coptic Christians. Perhaps for this reason, crime is virtually nonexistent. The society is conservative, especially on issues related to women. Women are expected to be modest in dress and manner- no flimsy attire or loud talking and laughing, for example. The men are very happy with their position in this patriarchal society. The people are generally friendly, hospitable and very accommodating especially towards visitors. But visitors need to keep their religion to themselves- proselytizing is illegal here.
The Lingua Franca is Arabic. But there are two versions- classical Arabic, the language of the Koran and the colloquial Arabic used in the street. English and French are widely used for business and by educated urbanites. In terms of culture, is important in the Arab world. And books, movies, music and TV programs produced here are popular throughout the Arabic speaking nations of the Middle East. The prolific Naguib Mahfouz gained worldwide fame and prestige when he won the literature Nobel Prize in 1998 for his book "The Cairo Trilogy". His works are however not very popular with religious radicals and an attempt was made in 1995 to rub him out.
Egyptian cuisine is to the best tradition of Middle East cooking. You are advised to try local specialties such as roast pigeon, grilled aubergines, kebabs and chickpeas. The hotels in the tourist areas serve cosmopolitan fare. Though this is a Muslim country, imbibers of alcohol will not go thirsty. Beers, wines and other drinks are available in bars and restaurants, especially at hotels catering for tourists. But you should defer to local sensitivities and avoid drinking in daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.
Weather
The summer, which falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winter months are mild with cold nights. You will be surprised to learn that there is virtually no rain in this country. The best time to visit is between November and March, outside the intolerable summer season. Beware of the khamsin, the hot dry wind that blows from the Sahara around April. This treacherous wind creates dust storms that can reduce visibility to less than 30 metres. In terms of weather, the Red Sea coast is most favoured and it is pleasant year round. In Cairo, winter temperatures range from lows of 9 C at night to highs of 25 C, while summers vary between 9 C and 35 C.
Avoid the Sun Burn Wear clothes made from tightly woven fabric and a hat, Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when it is at its strongest. If you’re not sure if it’s safe, do the shadow test to make an on-the-spot UV estimate. Just look at your shadow: if you can’t se it at all, dangerous UV rays are reaching you. If your shadow is shorter than you are, you’re in high-UV territory. If it extends way out beyond you, you’re somewhat safer from UVB rays, UVA rays remain in effect all day, everyday.Make sure that you buy a sunscreen which offers "broad spectrum" protection to ward off both UVA and UVB rays. Dermatologists recommend at least SPF15. Don’t be fooled by SPF30. It does not give you double the protection of SPF15: it gives you 3% more. Check out last year’s sun screen dregs as a sun screen’s properties can change with time, especially in extreme heat. Wear protective sunglasses as UV rays can cause cataracts.
Economy
Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and has the second highest population in Africa after Nigeria (76.48 million according to the 2006 census). It has the third largest economy in the Arab world after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with GDP estimated at US$107.4 billion in 2006. Egypt's principal sources of foreign exchange are Suez Canal tolls, tourism, expatriate remittances and petroleum exports. Services contribute half of GDP. Agriculture has declined in recent decades and now contributes less than 20 per cent of GDP. Manufacturing industry accounts for the remainder.
Political Overview
Egypt has a bicameral parliament, comprising the People’s Assembly and the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council functions only in a consultative capacity. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has a decisive majority in the People’s Assembly.
The President holds executive authority and has the power to appoint and remove ministers and senior officials. President Hosni Mubarak has been in office since 1981. He has been reinstated as president four times in referendums. President Mubarak announced in February 2005 that the constitution would be amended to permit multi-candidate presidential elections and won Egypt’s first contested presidential election in September 2005.
Egypt has undertaken political and economic reforms to boost economic performance. The Government has reformed foreign investment rules, subsidies, customs duties and fiscal policy. It has also begun the restructure and privatisation of state enterprises. Challenges remain over the impact of implementing such structural adjustment.
High population growth leads to over 500,000 Egyptian job-seekers entering the labour market every year. GDP growth needs to be sustained at over 4per cent per annum to absorb job seekers.
Internal security remains a high priority for the government. Authorities maintain tight control over the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which has been an underlying opposition force in Egypt for almost 80 years. Authorities are particularly concerned to prevent Islamic extremism and militancy.
Foreign Policy
Egypt plays an active role in regional politics and takes a prominent position as a mediator on important issues. It was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel in 1979. It is an important country in the Middle East Peace Process and wider Middle East issues, and has a role in addressing the situation in Sudan.
Egypt is a leading member of the Movement of Non-Aligned States (NAM) and belongs to numerous international organisations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the League of Arab States and the African Union. The permanent headquarters of the League of Arab States is in Cairo.
Top Tours (Travel to Egypt Tours)
General information
Location:
In North Africa
Area:
1,002,450 sq kms
Capital:
Cairo
Currency:
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Language:
Arabic
Climate:
Moderate
Introduction
Egypt, officially known as the Arab Republic of Egypt, located in north-eastern Africa and south-western Asia. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Israel and the Red Sea, on the south by Sudan, and on the west by Libya. The country has a maximum length from north to south of about 1086 km (about 675 mi) and a maximum width, near the southern border, of about 1255 km (about 780 mi). It has a total area of about 1,001,450 sq km (about 386,662 sq mi). The River Nile divides the country unevenly in two, while the Suez Canal provides a third division with the Sinai Peninsula. Beyond the highly cultivated Nile Valley and Delta, a lush green tadpole of land that holds more than 90% of the population, the landscape is mainly flat desert, Cairo is the capital and the largest city, and the most modern in the middle east and ad Africa.
Area
1,002,000 sq km (386,874 sq miles).
Population
76.5 million (census 2006). Population Density : 74.8 per sq km.
Capital
Cairo (El Qahira). Population: 18.3 million (2006 estimate).
Language
Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.
Religion
Religious practises : Muslims 93.8% .Others 6.2% About 90% of Egyptians are muslims. The prayer represents an essential part of the daily life of the faithful, that the muezzin calls for 5 times a day, from the hight of minarets. The supreme religious authority is the sheik Al Azhar, whose role is to define the official line of Islam. The Coptes compose the main religious minority. Before Islam, Christianism was the predominant religion in the region, one of the first to embrace this faith.
Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).
Electricity
Most areas 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Certain rural parts still use 110 to 380 volts AC.
Egyptian Currency
The local currency is the Egyptian Pound (LE). There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency. The export of local currency is however prohibited.
Major currencies such as US dollars and Euro and travelers cheques can be converted at banks and forex bureaus in the main towns and tourist areas. You will get best exchange rates for cash or travelers cheques if you are dealing in US dollars, Euro or Pound Sterling. Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted at various stores and hotels. Your Visa and Mastercard can be used to access cash at a limited number of bank outlets -particularly for Banque Misr and Bank of Egypt
Egypt circulates the pound as currency. One pound is equivalent to 100 piastres.
1 US Dollar is equivalent to aproximately 3.4 Egyptian Pounds (LE). Some cash can be converted directly at the airport. There are many local banks and a Thomas Cook in both Hurghada and Sharm El Sheik. Also, most of the larger hotels have banks to exchange travellers cheques or advances on credit cards. A Tourist is allowed to carry any amount of foreign currency, whether bills, travellers cheques, money orders, bank transfers or credit cards.
Filling in the customs declaration is essential in case of carrying money that will wholly or partly go out again or for crediting a current account.
Egypt People & Culture
By far, the majority of the people of Egypt are of Eastern Hamitic stock. Nubians, whose homeland is in the south of the country, Greeks, Armenians other Europeans represent the remainder. Though somewhat simplistic, four cultural groups can be delineated - Egyptian peasants or fellahin, Copts, Bedouins and Nubians. Fellahin is a rather dated classification as the majority of such people have immigrated to cities and transformed themselves. The traditional fellahin can however still be found in rural areas eking out a living from the land as they have done from the days of the Pharaohs. Copts are Christian adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church. But they are of the same race and culture as other Egyptians.
Bedouins are a nomadic people who search the deserts for grazing and water for their camels and other livestock. Nobody really knows the desert more than the Bedouin. They know where to find water and get around by navigating by the stars. Like all nomads, they live a free and hardy lifestyle, and consider the sedentary ways of their compatriots as lacking in grace and dignity. But they also realize the advantages of a settled life and they have increasingly responded to efforts to ground them and give their children an education.
The Nubian are a dark skinned people whose ancestral land is to the south of Aswan. They have little relationship, cultural or genetic with other dark skinned Africans. Back in the days of the Pharaohs, they served very well in the military. In more recent times, they farmed the banks of the Nile River. Their lands have been mostly been inundated by the raising of the Aswan High Dam. Most Nubians have now migrated to towns and their lifestyle has changed.
Islam is the single most important influence on culture in Egypt. And this applies even for non-adherents like Coptic Christians. Perhaps for this reason, crime is virtually nonexistent. The society is conservative, especially on issues related to women. Women are expected to be modest in dress and manner- no flimsy attire or loud talking and laughing, for example. The men are very happy with their position in this patriarchal society. The people are generally friendly, hospitable and very accommodating especially towards visitors. But visitors need to keep their religion to themselves- proselytizing is illegal here.
The Lingua Franca is Arabic. But there are two versions- classical Arabic, the language of the Koran and the colloquial Arabic used in the street. English and French are widely used for business and by educated urbanites. In terms of culture, is important in the Arab world. And books, movies, music and TV programs produced here are popular throughout the Arabic speaking nations of the Middle East. The prolific Naguib Mahfouz gained worldwide fame and prestige when he won the literature Nobel Prize in 1998 for his book "The Cairo Trilogy". His works are however not very popular with religious radicals and an attempt was made in 1995 to rub him out.
Egyptian cuisine is to the best tradition of Middle East cooking. You are advised to try local specialties such as roast pigeon, grilled aubergines, kebabs and chickpeas. The hotels in the tourist areas serve cosmopolitan fare. Though this is a Muslim country, imbibers of alcohol will not go thirsty. Beers, wines and other drinks are available in bars and restaurants, especially at hotels catering for tourists. But you should defer to local sensitivities and avoid drinking in daylight hours in the month of Ramadan.
Weather
The summer, which falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winter months are mild with cold nights. You will be surprised to learn that there is virtually no rain in this country. The best time to visit is between November and March, outside the intolerable summer season. Beware of the khamsin, the hot dry wind that blows from the Sahara around April. This treacherous wind creates dust storms that can reduce visibility to less than 30 metres. In terms of weather, the Red Sea coast is most favoured and it is pleasant year round. In Cairo, winter temperatures range from lows of 9 C at night to highs of 25 C, while summers vary between 9 C and 35 C.
Avoid the Sun Burn Wear clothes made from tightly woven fabric and a hat, Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm when it is at its strongest. If you’re not sure if it’s safe, do the shadow test to make an on-the-spot UV estimate. Just look at your shadow: if you can’t se it at all, dangerous UV rays are reaching you. If your shadow is shorter than you are, you’re in high-UV territory. If it extends way out beyond you, you’re somewhat safer from UVB rays, UVA rays remain in effect all day, everyday.Make sure that you buy a sunscreen which offers "broad spectrum" protection to ward off both UVA and UVB rays. Dermatologists recommend at least SPF15. Don’t be fooled by SPF30. It does not give you double the protection of SPF15: it gives you 3% more. Check out last year’s sun screen dregs as a sun screen’s properties can change with time, especially in extreme heat. Wear protective sunglasses as UV rays can cause cataracts.
Economy
Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and has the second highest population in Africa after Nigeria (76.48 million according to the 2006 census). It has the third largest economy in the Arab world after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with GDP estimated at US$107.4 billion in 2006. Egypt's principal sources of foreign exchange are Suez Canal tolls, tourism, expatriate remittances and petroleum exports. Services contribute half of GDP. Agriculture has declined in recent decades and now contributes less than 20 per cent of GDP. Manufacturing industry accounts for the remainder.
Political Overview
Egypt has a bicameral parliament, comprising the People’s Assembly and the Advisory Council. The Advisory Council functions only in a consultative capacity. The ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) has a decisive majority in the People’s Assembly.
The President holds executive authority and has the power to appoint and remove ministers and senior officials. President Hosni Mubarak has been in office since 1981. He has been reinstated as president four times in referendums. President Mubarak announced in February 2005 that the constitution would be amended to permit multi-candidate presidential elections and won Egypt’s first contested presidential election in September 2005.
Egypt has undertaken political and economic reforms to boost economic performance. The Government has reformed foreign investment rules, subsidies, customs duties and fiscal policy. It has also begun the restructure and privatisation of state enterprises. Challenges remain over the impact of implementing such structural adjustment.
High population growth leads to over 500,000 Egyptian job-seekers entering the labour market every year. GDP growth needs to be sustained at over 4per cent per annum to absorb job seekers.
Internal security remains a high priority for the government. Authorities maintain tight control over the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which has been an underlying opposition force in Egypt for almost 80 years. Authorities are particularly concerned to prevent Islamic extremism and militancy.
Foreign Policy
Egypt plays an active role in regional politics and takes a prominent position as a mediator on important issues. It was the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel in 1979. It is an important country in the Middle East Peace Process and wider Middle East issues, and has a role in addressing the situation in Sudan.
Egypt is a leading member of the Movement of Non-Aligned States (NAM) and belongs to numerous international organisations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the League of Arab States and the African Union. The permanent headquarters of the League of Arab States is in Cairo.