Lesson 2/55 min
Egypt
Egypt at a glance
- The founder of modern Egypt: Muhammad Ali
- The monarchy ended and a republic was declared on 18 June 1953; the first president was Mohamed Naguib
- Egypt is called the “Gift of the Nile”
- Land of the pharaohs; the pyramids are one of the ancient wonders
- Capital Cairo; Alexandria, on the Mediterranean, is the second-largest city and main port
- Tahrir Square is in Cairo; the Second World War battlefield El Alamein is in Egypt; Sharm el-Sheikh is on the Sinai peninsula
- The world's top date producer; Lake Nasser is a huge artificial lake
- The League of Arab States has its headquarters in Cairo
- Cleopatra is called the “Serpent of the Nile”
Watch out: One source gives 3 July 1952 for the end of the monarchy. The revolution was on 23 July 1952, and the republic was declared on 18 June 1953. 3 July is the date of Morsi's removal (2013).
Watch out: For “which country has the most pyramids” one source's listed answer could not be read, and Sudan is usually said to have more pyramids than Egypt. The question is left out of the quiz.
The Arab Spring and after
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 11 February 2011 | Under mass protests of the Arab Spring, the autocrat Hosni Mubarak steps down |
| 2012 | Mohamed Morsi of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, becomes the first democratically elected president |
| 3 July 2013 | Morsi is removed in a military takeover |
| June 2014 | Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is sworn in as president |
| 2 April 2024 | Sisi is sworn in for a third, six-year term, running to 2030 |
Watch out: One source gives the presidential term as 4 years. The 2019 amendments (approved by nearly 90 percent in a referendum) raised it from 4 to 6 years.
The Muslim Brotherhood
- An Egyptian political movement (as one source puts it), founded in 1928; exams link it to Egypt
Anwar Sadat
- Became president in 1970 after the death of Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Signed the Camp David accords with Israel in 1978
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978
The Suez Canal
- An artificial sea canal west of the Sinai peninsula, linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean
- It separates Asia from Africa
- Construction began in April 1859 and ended in November 1869
- Originally owned by the (French) Suez Canal Company
- Egypt nationalised it on 26 July 1956
- The port at the Red Sea end is Suez; at the Mediterranean end Port Said (one source writes Sayed port)
- Called the “Highway to India”; run by the Suez Canal Authority
Did you know?: Sadat shared the prize with Israel's prime minister Menachem Begin. One source calls him the “first Muslim” Nobel peace laureate; that claim could not be verified.
Check yourself
When was the Suez Canal nationalised?
At a glance
- 1
Egypt became a republic on 18 June 1953; its first president was Mohamed Naguib.
- 2
Hosni Mubarak resigned on 11 February 2011; Morsi was removed on 3 July 2013.
- 3
Sisi was sworn in for a third term on 2 April 2024; the term is 6 years.
- 4
The Suez Canal was built 1859 to 1869; nationalised on 26 July 1956.
- 5
Anwar Sadat signed the Camp David accords and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978.
- 6
The Arab League has its headquarters in Cairo, as does Tahrir Square.