Egypt and September 22: Difference between pages

Revision as of 17:21, 22 September 2006

Revision as of 22:29, 12 July 2007

Line 1:

{| style="float:right;"

===Zach is a Moron==

|-

{{otheruses1|the country of Egypt}}

|{{SeptemberCalendar}}

{{Infobox_Country|

|-

|native_name = جمهورية مصر العربية<br>''{{unicode|Ǧumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʿArabiyyah}}''

|{{ThisDateInRecentYears2006Rev|Month=September|Day=22}} <!-- preserves autoscroll -->

|conventional_long_name = Arab Republic of Egypt

|}

|common_name = Egypt

{{Day}}

|image_flag = Flag of Egypt.svg

|image_coat = Coat of arms of Egypt.PNG

|image_map = LocationEgypt.png

|national_motto =

|national_anthem = ''[[Bilady, Bilady, Bilady]]''

|official_languages = [[Arabic language|Arabic]]

|capital = [[Cairo]] (Al-Qahirah)

|latd=30 |latm=2 |latNS=N |longd=31 |longm=13 |longEW=E |

|largest_city = [[Cairo]] (Al-Qahirah)

|government_type = [[Republic]]

|leader_title1 = [[President of Egypt|President]]

|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of Egypt|Prime Minister]]

|leader_name1 = [[Muhammad Hosni Mubarak]]

|leader_name2 = [[Ahmed Nazif]]

|area_rank = 30th

|rea_magnitude = 1 E12

|area= 1,001,449

|areami²= 386,660 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->

|percent_water = 0.6

|population_estimate = 74,033,000

|population_estimate_year = 2005

|population_estimate_rank = 16th

|population_census = 59,312,914

|population_census_year = 1996

|population_density = 74

|population_densitymi² = 192 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->

|population_density_rank = 120th

|GDP_PPP_year= 2004

|GDP_PPP = $305.253 billion

|GDP_PPP_rank = 32nd

|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $4,317

|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 112th

|sovereignty_type = [[History of Egypt|Establishment]]

|established_event1 = First Dynasty

|established_event2 = Independence Granted

|established_event3 = Republic Declared

|established_date1 = c. 3100 BC

|established_date2 = [[February 28]], [[1922]]

|established_date3 = [[June 18]], [[1953]]

|HDI_year = 2003

|HDI = 0.659

|HDI_rank = 119th

|HDI_category = <font color="#FFCC00">medium</font>

|currency = [[Egyptian pound]] (LE)

|currency_code = EGP

|country_code = EGY

|time_zone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]

|utc_offset = +2

|time_zone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]

|utc_offset_DST = +3

|cctld = [[.eg]]

|calling_code = 20

|footnotes =

}}

It is frequently the last day of the summer season in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], and the last day of the winter season in the [[Southern Hemisphere]].

'''Egypt''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: {{Audio|ar-Gumhuriyat_Misr_al-Arabiyah.ogg|'''مصر'''}} &nbsp; [[Romanization|romanized]] ''Miṣr'', in [[Egyptian Arabic]] ''Má{{unicode|ṣ}}r''), officially the '''Arab Republic of Egypt''', is a [[Middle Eastern]] country in [[North Africa]]. Egypt is geographically situated in [[Africa]], with the [[Sinai Peninsula]], east of the [[Suez Canal]], connecting as a land bridge to [[Asia]].

==Events==

Covering an area of about 1,001,450 square kilometers (386,560&nbsp;[[square mile]]s), Egypt [[border]]s [[Libya]] to the west, [[Sudan]] to the south, and [[Israel]] and the [[Gaza Strip]] to the northeast; on the north and the east are the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and the [[Red Sea]], respectively.

* [[66]] - [[Emperor]] [[Nero]] creates the [[Roman legion|legion]] [[Legio I Italica|I Italica]].

*[[1236]] - The [[Lithuanians]] and [[Semigallians]] defeat the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] in [[Battle of the Sun|Battle of Šiauliai]].

*[[1499]] - [[Switzerland]] became an independent state.

*[[1586]] - The [[battle of Zutphen]] occurs.

*[[1598]] - [[Ben Jonson]] is indicted for [[manslaughter]].

*[[1692]] - Last [[Salem witch trials|people]] hanged for [[witchcraft]] in the [[United States]].

*[[1776]] - [[Nathan Hale]] is hanged for spying during [[American Revolution]].

*[[1784]] - [[Russia]] establishes a [[colony]] at [[Kodiak, Alaska]].

*[[1789]] - The position of [[United States Postmaster General]] established.

*[[1792]] - ''primidi [[Vendémiaire]]'' of year 1 of the [[French Republican Calendar]]

*[[1851]] - The city of [[Des Moines, Iowa]] was incorporated as Fort Des Moines.

*[[1862]] - [[Slavery in the United States]]: A preliminary version of the [[Emancipation Proclamation]] is released.

*[[1866]] - Decisive [[battle of Curupaity]] in the [[War of the Triple Alliance]].

*[[1869]] - [[Richard Wagner]]'s [[opera]] ''[[Das Rheingold]]'' debuts in [[Munich]].

*[[1885]] - [[Lord Randolph Churchill]] makes a speech in [[Ulster]] in opposition to [[Home Rule]] e.g. "Ulster will fight and Ulster will be right".

*[[1893]] - The first [[United States|America]]n-built [[automobile]], built by the [[Duryea Brothers]], is displayed.

*[[1896]] - [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] surpasses her grandfather [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III]] as the longest reigning [[British monarchy|monarch]] in [[United Kingdom|British]] history.

*[[1908]] - The [[independence]] of [[Bulgaria]] is recognised.

*[[1919]] - The [[steel strike of 1919]], led by the [[Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers]], begins in [[Pennsylvania]] before spreading across the [[United States]].

*[[1927]] - [[Jack Dempsey]] loses the [[The Long Count Fight|Long Count]] [[boxing]] match to [[Gene Tunney]].

*[[1934]] - An explosion takes place at [[Gresford]] Colliery in [[Wales]], leading to the deaths of 266 miners and rescuers.

*[[1937]] - [[Spanish Civil War]]: [[Peña Blanca]] is taken; the end of the [[Battle of El Mazuco]].

*[[1941]] - On [[Jewish]] New Year Day, [[Germany|German]] [[SS]] murder 6,000 [[Jews]] in [[Vinnytsya]], [[Ukraine]]. Those were the survivors of the previous killings that took place a few days earlier in which about 24,000 [[Jews]] were executed.

*[[1944]] - [[World War II]], [[Red Army]] enters [[Tallinn]].

*[[1951]] - The first live sporting event seen coast-to-coast in the [[United States]], a college [[American football|football]] game between [[Duke University|Duke]] and the [[University of Pittsburgh]], is televised on [[NBC]].

*[[1955]] - In [[United Kingdom|Britain]], the television channel [[ITV]] goes [[live television|live]] for the first time.

*[[1959]] - In [[Chicago]], air raid sirens are sounded at 10:30 PM for five minutes, causing residents of the city and nearby suburbs to fear the start of a nuclear war. The [[Chicago White Sox]] had just won the American League pennant, their first pennant in 40 years, and city officials had ordered the sounding in celebration.

*[[1960]] - The [[Sudanese Republic]] is renamed [[Mali]] after the withdrawal of [[Senegal]] from the [[Mali Federation]].

*[[1964]]- The [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical [[Fiddler on the Roof]] first opens.

*[[1965]] - The [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] between [[India]] and [[Pakistan]] over [[Kashmir]] ends after the [[United Nations|UN]] calls for a [[cease-fire]].

*[[1970]] - [[Tunku Abdul Rahman]] resigns as [[Prime Minister]] of [[Malaysia]].

*[[1975]] - [[Sara Jane Moore]] tries to assassinate [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Gerald Ford]], but is foiled by [[Oliver Sipple]].

*[[1979]] - The [[South Atlantic Flash]] or [[Vela Incident]] is observed near [[Bouvet Island]], thought to be a [[nuclear weapons test]].

*[[1980]] - [[Iraq]] [[Iran-Iraq War|invades]] [[Iran]].

*[[1985]] - The [[Plaza Accord]] was signed in [[New York City]].

*[[1987]] - [[Full House]] premiered its pilot episode, [[Our Very First Show (Full House Episode)]], on the [[American Broadcasting Company]] network ([[ABC Studios]]). It aired on the [[ABC Family]] program.

*[[1991]] - The [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] are made available to the public for the first time, by the [[Huntington Library]].

*[[1993]] - A [[Transair Georgian Airline Crash (22 September)|Transair Georgian Airlines]] [[Tupolev Tu-154|Tu-154]] is shot down by a missile in [[Sukhumi]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].

*[[1995]] - E-3B [[AWACS]] crashed outside of Elmendorf AFB, Alaska after multiple bird strikes to two of the four engines soon after takeoff; all 24 on board killed

*[[1997]] - [[Bentalha massacre]] in [[Algeria]]; over 200 villagers killed.

*[[2003]] - [[David Hempleman-Adams]] becomes the first person to cross the [[Atlantic Ocean]] in an open-air, wicker-basket [[hot air balloon]].

*[[2004]] - [[Lost]], [[ABC's]] hit TV show, premiered on this day, as well as [[Flight 815]] Crashed. [[Veronica Mars]] the [[UPN]] (later on to be the [[CW]]) series premiered.

*[[2006]] - The [[F-14 Tomcat]] retires from the [[United States Navy]].

* 2006 - A [[Germany|German]] [[maglev]] train [[2006 Lathen maglev train accident|crashes]], killing 23.

* 2006 - [[Hezbollah]] claims "Divine Victory" over Israel in a massive demonstration in Beirut.

==Births==

Egypt (Misr) is the [[Countries by population|sixteenth most populous country]] in the world. The vast majority of its 78.8 million population (2006) live near the banks of the [[Nile River]] (about 40,000&nbsp;km² or 15,450&nbsp;sq miles), where the only arable agricultural land is found. Large areas of land are part of the [[Sahara]] [[Desert]] and are sparsely inhabited. About half of the Egyptian people today are urban, living in the densely populated centres of greater [[Cairo]], the largest city in Africa and the Middle East, and [[Alexandria]].

<!--- please don't add your friends' birthdays, or your own, or fictional characters to this list --->

*[[1515]] - [[Anne of Cleves]], queen of [[Henry VIII of England]] (d. [[1557]])

*[[1547]] - [[Philipp Nikodemus Frischlin]], German philologist and poet (d. [[1590]])

*[[1593]] - [[Matthäus Merian]], Swiss engraver (d. [[1650]])

*[[1601]] - [[Anne of Austria]], queen of [[Louis XIII of France]] (d. [[1666]])

*[[1606]] - [[Li Zicheng]], Chinese rebel (d. [[1645]])

*[[1680]] - [[Barthold Heinrich Brockes]], German poet (d. [[1747]])

*[[1694]] - [[Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield]], English statesman (d. [[1773]])

*[[1715]] - [[Jean-Étienne Guettard]], French physician and scientist (d. [[1786]])

*[[1717]] - [[Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin]], Swedish astronomer (d. [[1783]])

*[[1722]] - [[John Home]], Scottish writer (d. [[1808]])

*[[1741]] - [[Peter Simon Pallas]], German zoologist (d. [[1811]])

*[[1743]] - [[Quintin Craufurd]], British author (d. [[1819]])

*[[1765]] - [[Paolo Ruffini]], Italian mathematician (d. [[1822]])

*[[1788]] - [[Theodore Edward Hook]], English author (d. [[1841]])

*[[1791]] - [[Michael Faraday]], English scientist (d. [[1867]])

*[[1819]] - [[Wilhelm Wattenbach]], German historian (d. [[1897]])

*[[1829]] - [[Tự Đức]], [[Emperor of Vietnam]] (d. [[1883]])

*[[1875]] - [[Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis]], Lithuanian painter and composer (d. [[1911]])

*[[1876]] - [[André Tardieu]], [[Prime Minister of France]] (d. [[1945]])

*[[1878]] - [[Yoshida Shigeru]], [[Prime Minister of Japan]] (d. [[1967]])

*[[1880]] - Dame [[Christabel Pankhurst]], English suffragist (d. [[1958]])

*[[1882]] - [[Wilhelm Keitel]], German field marshal (d. [[1946]])

*[[1885]] - [[Erich von Stroheim]], Austrian-born actor (d. [[1957]])

* 1885 - [[Ben Chifley]], [[Prime Minister of Australia]] (d. [[1951]])

*[[1891]] - [[Hans Albers]], German actor and singer (d. [[1960]])

*[[1895]] - [[Paul Muni]], Polish-born actor (d. [[1967]])

*[[1896]] - [[Henry Segrave]], British racing driver (d. [[1930]])

*[[1898]] - [[Katherine Alexander]], American actress (d. [[1981]])

*[[1900]] - [[William Spratling]], American silversmith (d. [[1967]])

* 1900 - [[Paul H. Emmett]], American chemical engineer (d. [[1985]])

*[[1901]] - [[Charles B. Huggins]], Canadian-born scientist, [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Nobel laureate]] (d. [[1997]])

*[[1902]] - [[John Houseman]], Romanian-born actor (d. [[1988]])

*[[1903]] - [[Joseph Valachi]], American gangster (d. [[1971]])

*[[1904]] - [[Ellen Church]], American [[stewardess]] (d. [[1965]])

*[[1905]] - [[Eugen Sänger]], Austrian aerospace engineer (d. [[1964]])

*[[1907]] - [[Philip Fotheringham-Parker]], British racing driver (d. [[1981]])

*[[1912]] - [[Martha Scott]], American actress (d. [[2003]])

*[[1915]] - [[Arthur Lowe]], British actor (d. [[1982]])

*[[1918]] - [[Henryk Szeryng]], Polish-born violinist (d. [[1988]])

* 1918 - [[Hans Scholl]], member of [[The White Rose]] (d. [[1943]])

*[[1920]] - [[Eric Baker (activist)|Eric Baker]], British human rights activist (d. [[1976]])

* 1920 - [[William H. Riker]], American political scientist (d. [[1993]])

* 1920 - [[Bob Lemon]], [[Major League Baseball]] pitcher (d. [[2000]])

*[[1920]] - [[Anders Lassen]], [[Denmark|Danish]] military officer (d. [[1945]])

*[[1922]] - [[Chen Ning Yang]], Chinese-born physicist, [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel laureate]]

*[[1923]] - [[Dannie Abse]], Welsh poet and writer

*[[1924]] - [[Charles Keeping]], British illustrator (d. [[1988]])

* 1924 - [[Rosamunde Pilcher]], English novelist

*[[1927]] - [[Tommy Lasorda]], baseball manager

* 1927 - [[Gordon Astall]], English footballer

*[[1928]] - [[James Lawson]], American minister and civil rights activist

* 1928 - [[Eric Broadley]], British engineer

*[[1929]] - [[Serge Garant]], [[Québécois]] conductor (d. [[1986]])

*[[1931]] - [[Fay Weldon]], British feminist

* 1931 - [[George Younger, 4th Viscount Younger of Leckie]], British politician (d. [[2003]])

*[[1931]] - [[Manzoor Ahmad]], Pakistani philosopher

*[[1932]] - [[Ingemar Johansson]], Swedish boxer

*[[1934]] - [[Lute Olson]], American basketball coach

*[[1936]] - [[Maurice Evans (footballer)|Maurice Evans]], English football player and manager (d. [[2000]])

*[[1938]] - [[Gene Mingo]], American football player

*[[1939]] - [[Gilbert Earl Patterson|Gilbert E. Patterson]], American minister and presiding bishop of the [[Church of God in Christ]] (d. [[2007]])

*[[1940]] - [[Anna Karina]], Danish born actress

*[[1942]] - [[Dan Baker]], American public address announcer

* 1942 - [[David Stern]], American basketball commissioner

*[[1943]] - [[Toni Basil]], American singer

*[[1946]] - [[King Sunny Ade]], Nigerian singer

* 1946 - [[Larry Dierker]], baseball player

*[[1947]] - [[Robert Morace]], American writer

*[[1948]] - [[Denis Burke]], Australian politician

* 1948 - [[Jim Byrnes (actor)|Jim Byrnes]], American actor and musician

*[[1949]] - [[Jim Keith]], American conspiracy theorist and author (d. [[1999]])

* 1949 - [[Jim McGinty]], Australian politician

*[[1950]] - [[Kirka Babitzin|Kirka]], Finnish singer (d. [[2007]])

*[[1951]] - [[David Coverdale]], English singer

*[[1952]] - [[Bob Goodlatte]], American politician

* 1952 - [[Paul Le Mat]], American actor

*[[1953]] - [[Ségolène Royal]], French politician

*[[1953]] - [[Geoff Gilpin]], American author

*[[1954]] - [[Shari Belafonte]], American singer

* 1954 - [[Randy Lanier]], American racing driver

*[[1956]] - [[Debby Boone]], American singer

* 1956 - [[Masayuki Suzuki]], Japanese singer ([[Rats & Star]])

*[[1957]] - [[Nick Cave]], Australian musician

* 1957 - [[Giuseppe Saronni]], Italian cyclist

*[[1958]] - [[Andrea Bocelli]], Italian tenor

* 1958 - [[Neil Cavuto]], American television commentator

* 1958 - [[Joan Jett]], American musician

*[[1959]] - [[Tai Babilonia]], American figure skater

*[[1961]] - [[Scott Baio]], American actor

* 1961 - [[Bonnie Hunt]], American actress

* 1961 - [[Vince Coleman]], American baseball player

* 1961 - [[Catherine Oxenberg]], British actress

*[[1962]] - [[Diogo Mainardi]], Brazilian writer

*[[1965]] - [[Andy Cairns]], Irish musician

* 1965 - [[Tony Drago]], Maltese snooker player

*[[1966]] - [[Moustafa Amar]], Egyptian singer

* 1966 - [[Stefan Rehn]], Swedish footballer

*[[1967]] - [[Rickard Rydell]], Swedish racing driver

* 1967 - [[Félix Savón]], Cuban boxer

* 1967 - [[Kim Watkins]], Australian television presenter

*[[1968]] - [[Mike Richter]], American hockey player

*[[1969]] - [[Chris Powell]], English footballer

* 1969 - [[Matt Sharp]], American musician ([[Weezer]]), ([[The Rentals]])

*[[1970]] - [[Mike Matheny]], baseball player

* 1970 - [[Rupert Penry-Jones]], English actor

* 1970 - [[Mystikal]], American rapper

* 1970 - [[Emmanuel Petit]], French footballer

*[[1971]] - [[Chesney Hawkes]], British singer

* 1971 - [[Princess Märtha Louise of Norway]]

*[[1974]] - [[Bob Sapp]], American boxer and kickboxer

*[[1975]] - [[Ethan Moreau]], Canadian ice hockey player

* 1975 - [[Svilen Noev]], Bulgarian singer-songwriter

*[[1976]] - [[Ronaldo]], Brazilian footballer

*[[1977]] - [[Paul Sculthorpe]], English rugby league footballer

* 1977 - [[Yoo Chae-yeong]], South Korean singer and actress

*[[1978]] - [[Ed Joyce]], Irish-English cricketer

* 1978 - [[Harry Kewell]], Australian soccer player

*[[1980]] - [[Fernanda Tavares]], Brazilian supermodel

*[[1981]] - [[Adam Lazzara]], [[Taking Back Sunday]]'s frontman

* 1981 - [[Ashley Drane]], American actress

*[[1982]] - [[Billie Piper]], English singer and actress

* 1982 - [[Mandy Chiang]], Hong Kong singer and actress

*[[1984]] - [[Theresa Fu]], Hong Kong singer and actress

*[[1987]] - [[Tom Felton]], English actor

*[[1988]] - [[Bethany Dillon]], American musician

<!--

Do not add yourself or people without Wikipedia articles to this list.

Do not trust "this year in history" websites for accurate date information.

Do not link multiple occurrences of the same year, just link the first occurrence.

-->

== Deaths ==

Egypt is famous for its [[Ancient Egypt|ancient civilization]] and some of the world's most ancient and important monuments, including the [[Giza pyramid complex|Giza Pyramids]] and the [[Great Sphinx of Giza]]; the southern city of [[Luxor]] contains a particularly large number of ancient artifacts such as the [[Karnak]] Temple and the [[Valley of the Kings]]. Today, Egypt is widely regarded as the main political and cultural centre of the [[Arab]] and Middle Eastern regions.

*[[1253]] - [[Dogen]], Japanese Zen Buddhist (b. [[1200]])

*[[1345]] - [[Henry Plantagenet, 3rd Earl of Leicester]] (b. [[1281]])

*[[1399]] - [[Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk]], English politician (b. [[1366]])

*[[1520]] - [[Selim I]], [[Ottoman Sultan]] (b. [[1465]])

*[[1554]] - [[Francisco Vasquez de Coronado]], Spanish explorer

*[[1566]] - [[Johannes Agricola]], German Protestant reformer (b. [[1494]])

*[[1607]] - [[Alessandro Allori]], Italian painter (b. [[1535]])

*[[1658]] - [[Georg Philipp Harsdorffer]], German poet (b. [[1607]])

*[[1662]] - [[John Biddle (Unitarian)|John Biddle]], English theologian (b. [[1615]])

*[[1692]] - [[Martha Corey]], hanged as a result of the [[Salem witch trials]]

*[[1703]] - [[Vincenzo Viviani]], Italian mathematician and scientist (b. [[1622]])

*[[1774]] - [[Pope Clement XIV]] (b. [[1705]])

*[[1776]] - [[Nathan Hale]], hung by the [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] as a [[spy]] (b. [[1755]])

*[[1777]] - [[John Bartram]], American botanist (b. [[1699]])

*[[1828]] - [[Shaka Zulu]], Zulu leader

*[[1852]] - [[William Tierney Clark]], English civil engineer (b. [[1783]])

*[[1872]] - [[Vladimir Dal]], Russian lexicographer (b. [[1801]])

*[[1873]] - [[Friedrich Frey-Herosé]], Swiss Federal Councilor (b. [[1801]])

*[[1881]] - [[Solomon L. Spink]], U.S. Congressman from Illinois (b. [[1831]])

*[[1952]] - [[Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg]], first [[President of Finland]] (b. [[1865]])

*[[1956]] - [[Frederick Soddy]], English chemist, [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1877]])

*[[1957]] - [[Toyoda Soemu]], Japanese admiral (b. [[1885]])

*[[1961]] - [[Marion Davies]], American actress (b. [[1897]])

*[[1962]] - [[Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad Angha]], 40th [[Oveyssi]] [[Sufi]] master (b. [[1887]])

*[[1969]] - [[Adolfo López Mateos]], president of Mexico (b. [[1909]])

*[[1981]] - [[Harry Warren]], American composer and lyricist (b. [[1893]])

*[[1987]] - [[Dan Rowan]], American actor and comedian (b. [[1922]])

*[[1988]] - [[Rais Amrohvi]], Pakistani poet and psychoanalyst (b. [[1914]])

*[[1989]] - [[Irving Berlin]], American songwriter (b. [[1888]])

*[[1992]] - [[Aurelio López]], baseball player (b. [[1948]])

*[[1993]] - [[Maurice Abravanel]], Greek-born conductor (b. [[1903]])

*[[1996]] - [[Dorothy Lamour]], American actress (b. [[1914]])

* 1996 - [[Ludmilla Chiriaeff]], Canadian ballet dancer and director (b. [[1924]])

*[[1999]] - [[George C. Scott]], American actor (b. [[1927]])

*[[2000]] - [[Rodney Anoa'i ]], Samoan-American professional wrestler (b. [[1966]])

*[[2001]] - [[Isaac Stern]], Ukrainian violinist (b. [[1920]])

*[[2002]] - [[Jan de Hartog]], Dutch-born writer (b. [[1914]])

*[[2003]] - [[Gordon Jump]], American television actor (b. [[1932]])

* 2003 - [[Hugo Young]], British journalist (b. [[1938]])

*[[2004]] - [[Ray Traylor]], professional wrestler (b. [[1962]])

*[[2006]] - [[Edward Albert]], American actor (b. [[1951]])

* 2006 - [[Carla Benschop]], Dutch basketball player

<!--

Do not add people without Wikipedia articles to this list

Do not trust "this year in history" websites for accurate date information

Do not link multiple occurrences of the same year, just link the first occurrence.

-->

==Holidays and observances==

==Etymology==

*In [[2006]], [[Rosh Hashanah]], the [[Jewish New Year]] of 5767, begins at [[sunset]].

{{Hiero | ''km.t'' | <hiero>km-m-t:niwt</hiero> | align=left | era=default}}''Mi{{unicode|ṣ}}r'', the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and official name for modern Egypt, is of [[Semitic]] origin directly cognate with the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] מִצְרַיִם (''Mitzráyim''), meaning "the two straits" (a reference to the dynastic separation of upper and lower Egypt), and possibly means "a country" or "a state".<ref name="hebrewname">http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/emagazine/011.html</ref> ''Mi{{unicode|ṣ}}r'' in Arabic also means "a country" or "a state". The ancient name for the country, ''[[kemet]]'', or "black land," is derived from the fertile black soils deposited by the Nile floods, distinct from the 'red land' (''deshret'') of the desert. This name became ''keme'' in a later stage of [[Coptic language|Coptic]] and appeared in early Greek as ''Chymeía''. The English name "Egypt" came via the Latin word ''Aegyptus'' derived from the ancient Greek word Αίγυπτος (''Aigyptos''). According to [[Strabo]], Αίγυπτος (''Aigyptos''), in ancient Greek meant "below the Aegean" (Aἰγαίου ὑπτίως, "Aegaeou uptiōs"), and was formed by the combination of the two words. It has also been suggested that the word is a corruption of the ancient [[Egyptian language|Egyptian]] phrase ''hwt-k3-pt{{unicode|ḥ}}'' (probably for *{{unicode|Hāwit-kāʔ-Pitáḥ}}") meaning "home of the [[Egyptian soul|Ka]] (Soul) of Ptah", the name of a temple of the god [[Ptah]] at [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]].<ref name="note1">"[http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/kmt.htm The Origin of the word Egypt]", ''by Nermin Sami and Jimmy Dunn".</ref>

*In [[Greek mythology|ancient Greece]], the ninth and final day of the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]], when the initiates made offerings to the dead.

{{see|Copt}}

*In ancient [[Latvia]], the first day of [[Mikeli]], the Catching of Jumis.

*Some [[Latter-Day Saints]] recognize it as "Trumpet Day," or the day that [[Joseph Smith]] received the golden plates, which later became [[The Book of Mormon]], from the angel Moroni.

*[[Calendar of Saints|RC Saints]] - It has been or still is the [[feast day]] of the following [[saint]]s:

**[[Saint Candidus]]

**Saints [[Saint Digna]] & [[Saint Emerita]]

**[[Emmeram of Regensburg|Saint Emmeramus]]

**Saint [[Saint Florentius|Florentius]]

**Saint [[Jonas]]

**Saint [[Lauto]]

**[[Saint Lioba]]

**Saint [[Lolanus]]

**[[Saint Maurice]]

**[[Saint Phocas]]

**Saint [[Salaberga]]

**Saint [[Sanctinus]]

**[[Theban Legion]]

**[[Saint Thomas of Villanueva]]

*[[French Republican Calendar]] - [[Grape|Raisin (Grape)]] Day, first day in the [[Vendémiaire|Month of Vendémiaire]].

*[[Public holidays in Bulgaria|Bulgaria]] - [[Independence Day]](from The Otoman Empire) [[1908]].

*[[Mali]] - [[Independence Day]] (from [[France]], [[1960]]).

*In [[Europe]] and in cities throughout the world, [[Car Free Day]].

*[[Hobbit Day]], being the birthday of the fictitious [[Hobbit]]s [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] in [[J. R. R. Tolkien's]] ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

Also see [[September 22 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)]].

==History==

{{main|History of Egypt|Ancient Egypt}}

[[Image:sphinx.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Great Sphinx of Giza]] and the Pyramids of Giza (Khafre in background) are at the heart of Egypt's thriving tourism industry.]]The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by [[desert]]s to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom was founded circa 3200 [[Before Christ|BC]] by King [[Narmer]], and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia.

Eygpt is known for the many famous pyramids its country holds.

==Astronomical phenomena==

The last native dynasty, known as the Thirtieth Dynasty, fell to the [[Iran|Persia]]ns in 343 BC who dug the predecessor of the [[Suez canal]] and connected the [[Red Sea]] to the [[Mediterranean]]. Later, Egypt fell to the [[Greeks]], Romans, [[Byzantines]] and Persians again.

*[[Autumnal equinox]] in the [[Northern hemisphere]], [[Vernal equinox]] in the [[Southern hemisphere]] [[1996]], [[2000]], [[2004]], [[2005]], [[2008]], [[2009]], [[2012]] (by [[Universal Time|UT]]).

It was the Muslim [[Arabs]] who introduced [[Islam]] and the [[Arabic language]] in the seventh century to the Egyptians, who gradually adopted both. Muslim rulers nominated by the [[Islamic Caliphate]] remained in control of Egypt for the next six centuries, including a period for which it was the seat of the Caliphate under the [[Fatimid]]s. A local military caste, the [[Mamluks]] took control about 1250 and continued to govern even after the conquest of Egypt by the [[Ottoman Turks]] in 1517.

Following the completion of the [[Suez Canal]] in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub; however, the country also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, the [[United Kingdom]] [[Scramble for Africa|seized control]] of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the [[Ottoman Empire]] continued until 1914.

Almost fully independent from the UK since 1922, the Egyptian Parliament drafted and implemented a new [[1923 Constitution of Egypt|constitution]] in 1923 under the leadership of the popular revolutionary [[Saad Zaghlul]]. Between 1924-1936, there existed a short-lived but successful attempt to model Egypt's constitutional government after the European style of government; known as [[Egypt's Liberal Experiment]]. The British, however, retained a degree of control which led to continued instability in the government. In 1952, a military ''[[coup d'état]]'' forced [[King Farouk I]], a constitutional monarch, to abdicate in support of his son [[King Ahmed Fouad II]].

[[Image:Cairo, evening view from the Tower of Cairo, Egypt, Oct 2004.jpg|thumb|280px|left|Egypt's capital [[Cairo]] is the largest city in [[Africa]] and the [[Middle East]]]] Finally, the Egyptian Republic was declared on [[18 June]] [[1953]] with General [[Muhammad Naguib]] as the first President of the Republic. After Naguib was also forced to resign in 1954 by [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], the real architect of the 1952 movement, the latter assumed [[Political power|power]] as President and nationalized the [[Suez Canal]] leading to the 1956 [[Suez Crisis]]. Nasser came out of the war an Arab hero, and [[Nasserism]] won widespread influence in the region though was met with mixed reactions amongst Egyptians, many of whom had previously been indifferent to [[Arab nationalism]].

Between 1958 and 1961, Nasser undertook to form a union between Egypt and [[Syria]] known as the [[United Arab Republic]]. This attempt too was met with mixed reactions, and it was clear that many Egyptians resented finding that the name of their country, which had endured for thousands of years, was suddenly eliminated. Three years after the 1967 [[Six Day War]], in which Egypt lost the [[Sinai]] to [[Israel]], Nasser died and was succeeded by [[Anwar Sadat]], who presented his takeover in terms of a [[The Corrective Revolution|Corrective Revolution]]. Sadat switched Egypt's [[Cold War]] allegiance from the [[Soviet Union]] to the [[United States]], expelling Soviet advisors in 1972, and launched the [[Infitah]] economic reform, while violently clamping down on religious and secular opposition alike. Egypt's name was also restored.

In 1973, Egypt, along with [[Syria]], launched a surprise attack on [[Israel]] in the [[October War]] (also known as the [[Yom Kippur War]]). Despite not being a complete military success, most accounts agree that the war presented Egypt with a political victory. Both the United States and the USSR intervened, and a cease-fire was reached between Egypt and Israel. In 1977, Sadat made a historical visit to Israel which led to the 1978 [[Camp David Accords|peace treaty]] in exchange for the complete Israeli withdrawal from Sinai. Sadat's initiative sparked enormous controversy in the Arab world and led to Egypt's expulsion from the Arab League (it was readmitted in 1989). Sadat was assassinated in Cairo by a fundamentalist military soldier in 1981, and succeeded by the incumbent [[Hosni Mubarak]].

==Politics==

<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->

{{morepolitics|country=Egypt}}

'''National'''

[[Image:presoffice.jpg|thumb|left|225px|The Office of the [[President of Egypt]] at the [[Presidential Palace]].]]Egypt has been a republic since [[18 June]] [[1953]]. President [[Hosni Mubarak|Mohamed Hosni Mubarak]] has been the [[President of Egypt|President of the Republic]] since [[October 14]] [[1981]], following the assassination of former-President [[Anwar Sadat|Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat]]. Mubarak is currently serving his fifth term in office. He is the leader of the ruling [[National Democratic Party (Egypt)|National Democratic Party]]. [[Heads of government of Egypt|Prime Minister]] Dr. [[Ahmed Nazif]] was sworn in as Prime Minister on [[9 July]] [[2004]], following the resignation of Dr. [[Atef Ebeid]] from his office.

Although power is ostensibly organized under a [[Multi-party system|multi-party]] [[semi-presidential system]], whereby the executive power is theoretically divided between the President and the Prime Minister, in practice it rests almost solely with the President who traditionally has been elected in single-candidate elections for more than fifty years. Egypt also holds regular multi-party parliamentary elections. The last presidential election, in which Mubarak won a fifth consecutive term, was held in [[Egyptian presidential election, 2005|September 2005]] (see below).

In late-February 2005, Mubarak announced in a surprise television broadcast that he had ordered the reform of the country's presidential election law, paving the way for multi-candidate polls in the upcoming presidential election. For the first time since the 1952 movement, the Egyptian people had an apparent chance to elect a leader from a list of various candidates. The President said his initiative came "out of my full conviction of the need to consolidate efforts for more freedom and democracy." However, the new law placed draconian restrictions on the filing for presidential candidacies, designed to prevent well-known candidates such as [[Ayman Nour]] from standing against Mubarak, and paved the road for his easy re-election victory.

[[Image:parli.gif|thumb|225px|The [[Parliament of Egypt|Egyptian Parliament]].]]Concerns were once again expressed after the 2005 elections about government interference in the election process through fraud and vote-rigging. In addition, violence by pro-Mubarak supporters against opposition demonstrators and police brutality were evident during the elections. This poses major questions about the government's purported commitment to democracy.

As a result, most Egyptians are skeptical about the process of democratisation and the role of the elections. A very small proportion of those eligible to vote actually turned out for the 2005 elections. Newspapers, however, have exhibited an increasing degree of freedom in criticizing the president, and the results of the recent parliamentary elections, which saw Islamist parties such as the banned [[Muslim Brotherhood]] winning many seats, genuinely indicate that a change of some sorts is underway.

'''International'''

The permanent headquarters for the [[Arab League Headquarters|League of Arab States]] (The Arab League) is located in Cairo. The Secretary General of the League has traditionally been an Egyptian. Former Egyptian Foreign Minister [[Amr Moussa]] is the present Secretary General of the Arab League. The Arab League briefly moved out of Egypt to Tunis in 1978 as a protest at the peace treaty with Israel, but returned in 1989.

Egypt was the first Arab state to establish diplomatic relations with the state of Israel, after the signing of the [[Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty]] at the [[Camp David Accords (1978)|Camp David Accords]]. Egypt has a major influence amongst other Arab states, and has historically played an important role as a mediator in resolving disputes between various Arab nations, and in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Most Arab nations still give credence to Egypt playing that role, though its effects are often limited.

Former Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister [[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] served as Secretary General of the United Nations from 1991 to 1996.

A territorial dispute with Sudan over an area known as the [[Hala'ib Triangle]], has meant that diplomatic relations between the two remain strained.

==Military==

{{main|Military of Egypt}}

[[Image:Egyptian F-16s.jpg|thumb|Egyptian F-16s flying in close formation next to the Pyramids]]The Egyptian military is the largest and strongest military power on the African continent, and one of the strongest in the Middle East (along with Israeli and Turkish). The Egyptian Armed forces have also had more battle-field experience than most armies in the region. The Egyptian Armed forces have a combined troop strength of around 450,000 active personnel.

The Supreme Commander is the President, currently [[Hosni Mubarak]]. During peacetime, the title of Supreme Commander is ceremonial.

[[Conscription#Egypt|Conscription]] is compulsory for Egyptian men of 18 years of age who are not the only male child. Full-time students may defer their service until the age of 29. The length of the service depends on the level and kind of education achieved by the conscript and needs of the army at the time of conscription.

Military cooperation between the United States and Egypt is strong, and covers a number of strategic areas, including cooperation in the ongoing process of modernising Egyptian armaments and training the Egyptian armed forces.

Egypt takes part regularly in military exercises with the US and other European and Arab allies, including the manoeuvres that take place in Egypt every two years.

Egypt continues to contribute regularly to United Nations peacekeeping missions, most recently in [[East Timor]], [[Sierra Leone]], and [[Liberia]].

==Administrative Divisions==

{{main|Governorates of Egypt}}

[[Image:Eg-map.png|thumb|right|225px|Map of Egypt]]

Egypt is divided into 26 [[governorate]]s (''Muhafazat;'' singular &ndash; ''Muhafazah'') and the city of [[Al Uqsur]] (Luxor), which is classified as a city rather than a governorate. There will soon be 27 governorates, as the city of Al Uqsur is becoming a governorate.

<table border=0><tr valign=top><td>

*[[Ad Daqahliyah]]

*[[Aswan Governorate|Aswan]]

*[[Asyut]]

*[[Al Bahr al Ahmar Governorate|Al-Bahr Al-Ahmar]] (Red Sea)

*[[Bani Suwayf]]

*[[Al Buhayrah|El-Beheirah]]

*[[Bur Sa'id]] (Port Said)

*[[Dimyat|Dumyat]]

*[[Al Fayyum|Al-Fayyum]]

<td>

*[[Al Gharbiyah|Al-Gharbiyah]]

*[[Al Iskandariyah|Al-Iskandariyah]] (Alexandria)

*[[Al Isma'iliyah|Al-Isma'iliyah]]

*[[janub Sina'|Ganub Sina]] (South Sinai)

*[[Giza|El Gizah]] (Giza)

*[[Kafr ash Shaykh Governorate|Kafr El Shaykh]]

*[[Matruh]]

*[[Al Minufiyah|Al-Monufiyah]]

*[[Al Minya|Al-Minya]]

<td>

*[[Al Qahirah]] (Cairo)

*[[Al Qalyubiyah]]

*[[Qina]]

*[[Shamal Sina']] (North Sinai)

*[[Ash Sharqiyah Governorate|Al Sharqiyah]]

*[[Suhaj]]

*[[Suez|Al-Suways]] (Suez)

*[[Al Wadi al Jadid|El Wadi El-Gedid]] (New Valley)

*[[Al Uqsur]] (Luxor)

</table>

===Governorates Regionally Classified ===

For many practical purposes (See Nawar (2005)), governorates are often regionally classified as follows:

* '''Urban Governorates''': Port Said, Cairo, Suez and Alexandria

* '''Lower Governorates''': Damietta, Ismailia, Gharbia, Kalyoubia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Sharkia, Kafr El-Sheikh and Behera

* '''Upper Governorates''': Aswan, Giza, Luxor, Quena, Beni-Suef, Menia, Suhag, Assyout and Fayoum

* '''Frontier Governorates''': Red Sea, New Valley, Matrouh, North Sinai and South Sinai.

==Economy==

{{main|Economy of Egypt}}

[[Image:Cairo.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Lions guard the Kasr-el-Nil Bridge which traverses the [[Nile]] at Tahrir Square. The construction of the bridge served as a catalyst for the development of the affluent commercial district [[Zamalek]] (Gezira Island)]] Egypt's economy depends mainly on agriculture, media, petroleum exports, and tourism; there are also more than 5 million Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf area like [[UAE]], and [[Europe]]. The [[United States]] as well has a large population of Egyptian immigrants.

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 the economy.

The government has struggled to prepare the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investments in communications and physical infrastructure. Egypt has been receiving U.S. [[foreign aid]] (since 1979, an average of $2.2 billion per year) and is the third-largest recipient of such funds from the United States following the Iraq war. Its main revenues however come from tourism as well as traffic that goes through the [[Suez Canal]].

Economic conditions are starting to improve considerably after a period of stagnation due to the adoption of more liberal economic policies by the government, as well as increased revenues from tourism and a booming stock market. In its annual report, the [[IMF]] has rated Egypt as one of the top countries in the world undertaking economic reforms.

==Demographics==

{{main|Demographics of Egypt}}

[[Image:Egyptian farm.jpg|right|210px|thumb|Egyptian farm]]Egypt is the second most populous country in Africa, with nearly 79 million people. Almost all the population is concentrated along the banks of the Nile (notably Alexandria and Cairo) and in the Delta and near the Suez Canal. Approximately 90% of the population adheres to [[Islam in Egypt|Islam]] and most of the remainder to Christianity (primarily the [[Coptic Orthodox]] denomination). Apart from religious affiliation, Egyptians can be divided demographically into those who live in the major urban centers and the [[fellahin]] or farmers of rural villages.

Since ancient times, particularly before the unification of [[Upper and Lower Egypt]], [[North African]] and Eastern [[Mediterranean]] influences have come to predominate in the north, while Egyptians in the south are also related to [[Nubians]], Eritreans and [[Ethiopians]]. Despite these differences, the bulk of modern Egyptians are more closely related to one another and are descended from ancient Egyptian society, which has always been rural and quite populous compared to neighboring regions.<ref name="note2">{{cite journal | author=C. Loring Brace, David P. Tracer, Lucia Allen Yaroch, John Robb, Kari Brandt, A. Russell Nelson | title=Clines and clusters versus "Race:" a test in ancient Egypt and the case of a death on the Nile | journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology | year=1993 | volume=36 | issue=S17 | pages=1&ndash;31 | url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330360603}}</ref> <ref name="note3">{{cite journal | author= Joel D. Irish| title=Who were the ancient Egyptians? Dental affinities among Neolithic through postdynastic peoples | journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology | year=2006 | volume=129 | issue=4 | pages=529&ndash;543 | url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.20261}}</ref>. The Egyptian people have spoken only languages from the [[Afro-Asiatic|Afro-Asiatic family]] throughout their history starting with [[Egyptian language|Old Egyptian]] to modern [[Egyptian Arabic]].

The [[Arabization]] of Egypt was a cultural process that began with the introduction of [[Islam]] and the [[Arabic language]] following the Arab Muslim conquest in the 7th century AD. In the centuries to follow, a social hierarchy was created whereby Egyptians who converted to Islam acquired the status of [[mawali]] or "clients" to the ruling Arab elite, while those who remained Christian, the [[Copts]], became [[dhimmis]]. The privilege enjoyed by the Arab minority continued in a modified form into the modern period in the countryside, where remnants of [[Bedouin]] Arab tribes lived alongside Egyptian farmers. One author describes the social demographics of rural Upper Egypt as follows:

<blockquote>Upper Egypt comprises the country's eight southernmost governorates. ... the region's history is one of isolated removal from the center of national life. The local relationships resulting from this centuries-old condition gave Upper Egypt an identity of its own within the modern Egyptian state. Alongside the even more ancient presence of Copts, tribal groupings dating from the Arab conquest combined to form a hierarchical order that placed two [minority] groups, the ashraf and the arab, in dominating positions. These were followed by lesser tribes, with the [Egyptian] fellah at the bottom of the social scale(28) [...] Religion was central to the development of Upper Egyptian society. The ashraf claimed direct descent from the Prophet, while the Arabs traced their lineage to a group of tribes from Arabia. On the other hand, the status of the fellahin rested on the belief that they descended from Egypt's pre-Islamic community and had converted to Islam, a history that placed them inescapably beneath both the ashraf and Arabs. [...] In Muslim as well as Christian communities, and particularly at the lower socio-economic levels, religious practices are strongly imbued with non-orthodox folk elements, some of pharaonic origin.<ref name="note4">{{cite journal | author=Dan Tsczhirgi | title=Marginalized Violent Internal Conflict In The Age Of Globalization: Mexico And Egypt | journal=Arab Studies Quarterly (ASQ) | year=1999 | volume=21 | issue=3 | pages=3&ndash;34 | url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2501/is_3_21/ai_57476490}}</ref></blockquote>

[[Image:Egyptian fellah.jpg|thumb|185px|left|Egyptian [[fellah]]]]''Fellah'' in Arabic " فلاح " is equivalent to "tiller", "farmer" or "peasant" in English, and it is the [[Arabic]] appellation by which the indigenous rural peoples of the lands conquered by Arabs came to be known. Comprising 60% of the Egyptian population [http://www.semp.us/biots/biot_312.html], the fellahin lead humble lives and continue to live in mud-brick houses like their ancient ancestors. Their percentage was much higher in the early 20th century, before the large influx of fellahin into urban towns and cities. In 1927, anthropologist Winifred Blackman, author of ''The Fellahin of Upper Egypt'', conducted [[ethnographic]] research on the life of Upper Egyptian farmers and concluded that there were observable continuities between the cultural and religious beliefs and practices of the fellahin and those of ancient Egyptians.<ref name="note5">{{cite news | first=Caryll | last=Faraldi | pages= | title=A genius for hobnobbing | date=11-17 May 2000 | publisher=Al-Ahram Weekly | url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/481/bk3_481.htm}}</ref>

Ethnic minorities in Egypt include the small number of [[Bedouin]] Arab tribes living in the eastern and western deserts and the [[Sinai Peninsula]], the [[Berber language|Berber]]-speaking [[Siwis]] of the [[Siwa Oasis]], and the ancient [[Nubian]] communities clustered along the Nile in the southernmost part of Egypt. Egypt also hosts some 90,000 refugees and asylum seekers, made up mostly of 70,000 [[Palestinian refugee]]s and 20,000 [[Sudanese refugees in Egypt|Sudanese refugees]]. The once-vibrant [[History of the Jews in Egypt|Jewish]] community in Egypt has virtually [[Jewish exodus from Arab lands|disappeared]], with only a small number remaining in Egypt and those who visit on religious occasions. Several important Jewish archaeological and historical sites also remain.

==Religion==

{{main|Religion in Egypt}}

[[Image:View from the citadel.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Cairo's unique city scape with its ancient mosques]]

[[Image:monastry3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Over seven million Egyptians follow the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith as members of the [[Coptic Church]]]]

Religion plays a central role in most Egyptians' lives as visitors to the country quickly discover. The rolling calls to prayer that erupt five times a day have the informal effect of regulating the pace of everything from business to entertainment. Cairo is famous for its numerous mosque minarets and church towers.

According to the constitution, any new legislation must implicitly agree with Islamic (Arabic: الإسلام) laws. Egypt is predominantly Muslim, at approximately 90% of the population, with the majority being adherents of the [[Sunni]] branch of Islam [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html#People]. Christians represent about 10% of the population, with the largest being the [[Coptic Christian|Coptic]] denomination at 9%, while the remaining 1% include [[Catholics]], [[Eastern Orthodox|Greek Orthodox]], [[Syriac Orthodox]], and [[Armenian Orthodox]], largely found in [[Alexandria]] and [[Cairo]].

There also remains a small Jewish community, of an estimated three hundred Egyptians.

There are Egyptians who identify as [[atheist]] and [[agnostic]], but their numbers are largely unknown as openly advocating such positions risks legal sanction. In 2000, an openly atheist Egyptian writer, who called for the establishment of a local association for atheists, was tried on charges of insulting Islam and its prophet in four of his books.<ref name="note6">{{cite news | first=Jailan | last=Halawi | pages= | title=Limits to expression | date=21-27 December 2000 | publisher=Al-Ahram Weekly | url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/481/bk3_481.htm}}</ref>

The mainstream [[Hanafi]] school of [[Sunni]] Islam is largely organised by the state, through ''Wizaret Al-Awkaf'' (Ministry of Religious Affairs). ''Al-Awkaf'' controls all mosques and overviews Muslim clerics. [[Imams]] are trained in Imam vocational schools and at [[Al-Azhar University]]. The department supports Sunni Islam and has commissions authorised to give ''[[Fatwa]]'' judgements on Islamic issues.

Egypt hosts two major religious institutions. [[Al-Azhar University]] (Arabic: جامعة الأزهر) is the oldest [[Islam|Islamic]] institution of higher studies (founded around 970 [[A.D]]) and considered by many to be the oldest extant university. Egypt also has a strong Christian heritage as evidenced by the existence of the [[Coptic Christianity|Coptic Orthodox Church]] headed by the [[Patriarch of Alexandria]], which has a following of approximately 50 million Christians worldwide, most importantly in [[Ethiopia]] and [[Eritrea]] (one of the famous Coptic Orthodox Churches is Saint Takla Haimanot Church in Alexandria).<ref name="note7">"[http://www.St-Takla.org/ Saint Takla Haymanout Coptic Orthodox Church]" URL accessed on 27 May 2006.</ref>

[[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'ís]] in Egypt, whose population ranges between several hundred and a few thousand, have their [[Persecution of Bahá'ís#Egypt|institutions and community activities banned]]. Since their faith is not officially recognized by the state, they are also not allowed to use it on their national identity cards (conversely, Islam, Christianity, & Judaism are officially recognized); hence most of them do not hold national identity cards. In April 2006 a court case recognized the Bahá'í Faith, but the government appealed the court decision and succeeded in having it suspended on 15 May.<ref name="note9">"[http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/00d003de7250ad6560e7b65ceae6fd20.htm EGYPT: Court suspends ruling recognising Bahai rights]", ''Reuters AlertNet'', 16 May 2006.</ref>

==Geography==

{{MapLibrary|Egypt_sat.png|Egypt}}

{{main|Geography of Egypt}}

[[Image:Egypt south of Cairo.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Egyptian countryside, south of Cairo.]]At 386,636 [[square miles|mi²]] (1,001,450 [[square kilometre|km²]][https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html]), Egypt is the world's 30th-largest country (after [[Mauritania]]). It is comparable in size to [[Tanzania]], and is more than half the size of the US state of [[Alaska]].

Egypt is bordered by [[Libya]] on the west, [[Sudan]] on the south, and on [[Israel]] and [[Gaza Strip]] on the northeast. Egypt's important role in geopolitics stems from its strategic position: a [[transcontinental nation]], it possesses a land bridge (the Isthmus of Suez) between [[Africa]] and [[Asia]], which in turn is traversed by a navigable waterway (the [[Suez Canal]]) that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the [[Indian Ocean]] via the [[Red Sea]]. The majority of Egypt is a big, sandy desert. The winds blowing can create sand dunes over 100 feet high!

Towns and cities include [[Alexandria]], one of the great ancient cities, [[Aswan]], [[Asyut]], [[Cairo]], the modern Egyptian capital, [[El-Mahalla El-Kubra]], [[Giza]], the site of the Pyramid of Khufu, [[Hurghada]], [[Luxor]], [[Kom Ombo]], [[Port Safaga]], [[Port Said]], [[Sharm el Sheikh]], Shubra-El-Khema, [[Suez]], where the Suez Canal is located, [[Zagazig]], and [[Al-Minya]].

Deserts: Egypt includes parts of the [[Sahara Desert]] and of the [[Libyan Desert]]. These deserts were referred to as the "red land" in ancient Egypt, and they protected the Kingdom of the Pharaohs from western threats.

[[oasis|Oases]] include: [[Bahariya Oasis]], Dakhleh Oasis, Farafra Oasis, [[Kharga Oasis]], [[Siwa Oasis]]. An oasis is a fertile or green area in the midst of a desert.

[[Protectorates]] : include:Ras Mohamed National Park, Zaranik Protectorate, Siwa .... etc. see [[Egyptian Protectorates]]

==Climate==

Egypt has a dry Climate. It is hot in summer, with temperatures averaging between 80° and 90 °F. Winters are warm, with temperatures averaging between 55° and 70 °F. A steadywind from the northwest helps hold down the temperature near the coast. The ''khamsin'' is a wind that blows from the south in Egypt, usually in spring or summer, It brings sand and dust, and sometimes raises the temperature in the desert to more than 100 °F.

Rain seldom seldom falls in Egypt. Along the Mediterranean Coast, the average yearly rainfall is 8 inches. Farther south, only about 1 inch of rain falls every year.

==Culture==

{{main|Culture of Egypt}}

[[Image:Alex_library.jpg|thumb|180px|right| The renovated Ancient [[Library of Alexandria]] in Egypt's second largest city]]Egypt's capital city, Cairo, is Africa's largest city and has been renowned for centuries as a center of learning, culture and commerce. The Egyptian [[Academy of the Arabic Language]] is responsible for regulating the [[Arabic Language]] (Arabic:اللغة العربية ) throughout the world.

Egypt has had a thriving media and arts industry since the late 19th century, today with more than 30 satellite channels and over 100 motion pictures produced each year. Cairo in fact has long been known as the "Hollywood of the East." To bolster its media industry further, especially with the keen competition from the [[Persian Gulf Arab States]] and [[Lebanon]], a large media city was built. Egypt is also the only Arab country with an [[opera]] house.[[Image:Egyptian musicians.jpg|thumb|150px|left|Upper Egyptian folk musicians from [[Kom Ombo]]]]

Some famous Egyptians include:

*[[Saad Zaghlul]] (leader of first modern Egyptian revolution; founder of [[Wafd]] political party)

*[[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] (former president and mastermind of the present [[republic]])

*[[Anwar Sadat]] (former president; winner of the Nobel Peace Prize)

*[[Boutros Boutros-Ghali]] (former Secretary General of the United Nations)

*[[Naguib Mahfouz]] (Nobel Prize-winning novelist)

*[[Umm Kulthum]] (singer)

*[[Amr Diab]] (singer)

*[[Mohamed Al-Fayed]] (famous Egyptian businessman, father of Dodi Al-Fayed who died with Princess Diana in the car crash)

*[[Omar Sharif]] (Oscar nominated actor)

*[[Ahmed H. Zewail|Ahmed Zewail]] (Nobel Prize-winning chemist)

*[[Mohamed ElBaradei]] (Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency; 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Winner)

*[[Mido]] (Egyptian soccer star who has played for clubs such as [[Ajax]], [[Marseille]], [[Celta Vigo]], [[Roma]] and [[Tottenham Hotspur]])

*[[Zahi Hawass]] (One of the world's foremost Egyptologists and Secretary General of the Egyptian [[Supreme Council of Antiquities]])

''For more famous Egyptians, see [[List of Egyptians]]''

{{sect-stub}}

==See also==

* [[Cairo Metro]]

* [[Capital of Egypt]]

* [[Communications in Egypt]]

* [[Coptic Christianity]]

* [[Egyptian Federation for Scouts and Girl Guides]]

* [[Egyptian mythology]]

* [[Egyptian pyramids]]

* [[Gay rights in Egypt]]

* [[History of Armenians in Egypt]]

* [[History of the Jews in Egypt]]

* [[Holidays in Egypt]]

* [[Islam in Egypt]]

* [[List of African writers (by country)#Egypt|List of writers from Egypt]]

* [[List of Egyptian companies]]

* [[List of Egyptian universities]]

* [[List of Egypt-related topics]]

* [[List of famous Egyptian people]]

* [[List of museums in Egypt]]''

* [[Military of Egypt]]

* [[Music of Egypt]]

* [[Red Sea Riviera]]

* [[Transport in Egypt]]

* [[FM broadcasting in Egypt]]

==References==

<div class="references-small">

<references />

</div>

===General references===

*{{CIAfb}}{{clr}}

*{{StateDept}}

==External links==

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/22 BBC: On This Day]

{{sisterlinks|Egypt}}

* [http://www.britannicanytimes.com/nationslearning/Egyptgeneral/onthisday/20050922.html Encyclopaedia''The BritannicaNew York Times's': EgyptOn CountryThis PageDay]

* [http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day?mth=Sep&day=22 On This Day in Canada]

*[http://www.egypt.gov.eg/english/default.asp Egyptian Government Services Portal]

----

*[http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Default.htm Egypt State Information Services]

{{months}}

*[http://www.idsc.gov.eg/ Egypt Information Portal] - available in Arabic and English

*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/country_profiles/737642.stm BBC News Country Profile - ''Egypt'']

*[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/eg.html CIA World Factbook - ''Egypt'']

*[http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/egy-summary-eng Amnesty International's 2005 Report on Egypt.]

*[http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ci/c3729.htm US State Department - ''Egypt''] includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports

*[http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs/search.tkl?q=egypt&search_crit=fulltext&search=Search&date1=Anytime&date2=Anytime&type=form Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Egypt]

*[http://dmoz.org/Regional/Africa/Egypt Open Directory Project - ''Egypt''] directory category

*[http://www.worldwide.edu/ci/egypt/index.html Study Destinations in Egypt]

*{{wikitravel}}

*[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/egypt.html Egypt Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection]

*[http://www.euratlas.com/Atlas/red_sea/index.html Pictures of the Red Sea in Egypt]

*[http://egypt.travel-photo.org/ Egypt Travel Photo] Photos of Egypt published under Creative Commons License

*[http://www.angelfire.com/stars5/shant/egypt.htm Egypt Photos and Google Earth Links] Photos of Egypt by ShanT, Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada.

*[news:soc.culture.egypt soc.culture.egypt] (a Usenet newsgroup)

[[Category:September]]

<!--Navigation box templates-->

<br clear="all" />

{{Governorates of Egypt}}

{{D8}}

{{Middle_East}}

{{Africa}}

{{Asia}}

{{Mediterranean}}

[[Category:D8 nations]]

[[Category:African Union member states]]

[[Category:Arab League]]

[[Category:Bicontinental countries]]

[[Category:Egypt]]

[[Category:Middle Eastern countries]]

[[Category:Near Eastern countries]]

[[Category:Francophonie]]

[[Category:Arabic-speaking countries]]

[[af:Egipte22 September]]

[[alsar:Ägypten22 سبتمبر]]

[[aman:ግብፅ22 de setiembre]]

[[arfrp:مصر22 septembro]]

[[anast:Echipto22 de setiembre]]

[[be-x-old:22 верасьня]]

[[ast:Exipto]]

[[bs:22. septembar]]

[[zh-min-nan:Ai-ki̍p]]

[[bebr:Эгіпет22 Gwengolo]]

[[bg:22 септември]]

[[bs:Egipat]]

[[brca:Egipt22 de setembre]]

[[bgcv:ЕгипетАвăн, 22]]

[[caceb:EgipteSeptiyembre 22]]

[[cs:Egypt22. září]]

[[cyco:Yr22 Aifftdi settembre]]

[[dacy:Ægypten22 Medi]]

[[deda:Ägypten22. september]]

[[arcde:ܡܨܪܢ22. September]]

[[et:Egiptus22. september]]

[[el:Αίγυπτος22 Σεπτεμβρίου]]

[[es:Egipto22 de septiembre]]

[[eo:Egiptio22-a de septembro]]

[[eu:EgiptoIrailaren 22]]

[[fafo:مصر22. september]]

[[fr:Égypte22 septembre]]

[[fy:Egypte22 septimber]]

[[gafur:An22 Éigiptdi Setembar]]

[[gvga:Eajipt22 Meán Fómhair]]

[[gd:An22 Eiphitan t-Sultain]]

[[gl:Exipto22 -de مصرsetembro]]

[[ko:이집트9월 22일]]

[[hr:Egipat22. rujna]]

[[io:Egiptia22 di septembro]]

[[bpy:সেপ্টেম্বর ২২]]

[[id:Mesir]]

[[iaid:Egypto22 September]]

[[osia:Мысыр22 de septembre]]

[[is:Egyptaland22. september]]

[[it:Egitto22 settembre]]

[[he:מצרים22 בספטמבר]]

[[jv:22 September]]

[[ka:ეგვიპტე]]

[[kwpam:EjypSeptiembri 22]]

[[ka:22 სექტემბერი]]

[[ht:Ejip]]

[[kucsb:Misir22 séwnika]]

[[lasw:Aegyptus22 Septemba]]

[[lvku:Ēģipte22'ê rezberê]]

[[lbla:Egypten22 Septembris]]

[[ltlb:Egiptas22. September]]

[[lilt:EgypteRugsėjo 22]]

[[huli:Egyiptom22 september]]

[[mklmo:Египет22 09]]

[[mghu:EgyptaSzeptember 22]]

[[mk:22 септември]]

[[mr:इजिप्त]]

[[ms:Mesir22 September]]

[[nanl:Egypt22 september]]

[[nds-nl:Egypte22 (land)september]]

[[ja:9月22日]]

[[nds-nl:Egypte (laand)]]

[[janap:エジプト22 'e settembre]]

[[napno:Naggitto22. september]]

[[nonn:Egypt22. september]]

[[nnnrm:Egypt22 Septembre]]

[[ugnov:مىسىر22 de septembre]]

[[pamoc:Egypt22 de setembre]]

[[psuz:مصر22 sentabr]]

[[nds:Ägypten22. September]]

[[pl:Egipt22 września]]

[[pt:Egipto22 de Setembro]]

[[roksh:Egipt22. Sepptämmber]]

[[ruro:Египет22 septembrie]]

[[ru:22 сентября]]

[[sm:Aikupito]]

[[sqse:EgjiptiČakčamánu 22.]]

[[scnsco:Eggittu22 September]]

[[simplesq:Egypt22 Shtator]]

[[scn:22 di sittèmmiru]]

[[sk:Egypt]]

[[slsimple:EgiptSeptember 22]]

[[srsk:Египат22. september]]

[[shsl:Egipat22. september]]

[[sr:22. септембар]]

[[fi:Egypti]]

[[svsh:Egypten22.9.]]

[[tlsu:Egypt22 Séptémber]]

[[fi:22. syyskuuta]]

[[ta:எகிப்து]]

[[sv:22 september]]

[[th:ประเทศอียิปต์]]

[[vitl:AiSetyembre Cập22]]

[[ta:செப்டம்பர் 22]]

[[tg:Миср]]

[[trtt:Mısır22. (ülke)Sentäber]]

[[te:సెప్టెంబర్ 22]]

[[uk:Єгипет]]

[[th:22 กันยายน]]

[[ur:مصر]]

[[yivi:מצרים22 tháng 9]]

[[zhtg:埃及22 сентябр]]

[[tr:22 Eylül]]

[[uk:22 вересня]]

[[vec:22 de setenbre]]

[[wa:22 d' setimbe]]

[[war:Septyembre 22]]

[[zh-yue:9月22號]]

[[bat-smg:Siejės 22]]

[[zh:9月22日]]