About Egypt

Welcome to the world's oldest civilisation - and one of the world's first holiday destinations. Egypt dates back to before 3000 BC and was the vacation of choice for early civilisations such as the Romans and Greeks. Emperors and kings have been visiting the country ever since.

Egypt became unified around 3200 BC and was then ruled by a series of dynasties for the next 3000 years that included the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines. By 700 AD, the Arabs had moved in but were superseded by the Mamluks in the 13th century, who still presided over Egypt during the Ottoman Empire.

When the Suez Canal was built in 1869, Egypt became a world transportation hub, albeit a debt-ridden one. In 1882, Britain took control until World War II, when Egypt acquired full sovereignty.

Egypt is located in North East Africa. The capital is Cairo and the country has a population of around 76 million. The climate is characterised by desert conditions - Egypt enjoys hot, dry summers and moderate winters.

The ethnic profile of the country is mainly Eastern Hamitic (that's Egyptians, Bedouins and Berbers), while there's a very small percentage of Greek, Armenian and Europeans. The predominant religion is Sunni Muslim.

For around 1300 years, the indigenous language of both Egyptian Muslims and Christians has been Arabic. Figures from 2009 put the Gross Domestic Product of Egypt at $188 billion and the annual growth rate of the economy at around 4.7%. The country is rich in natural resources such as petroleum and natural gas, iron ore, phosphates and limestone. Agriculture, in the shape of cotton, rice, wheat and sugar, also makes a big contribution to the economy.

But tourism is increasingly a vital part of Egypt's economy. In 2008, nearly 13 million people visited the country, bringing in revenue of about $11 billion. More than one in ten of the workforce is employed in tourism.

Visitors come to see the Pyramids and the famous historical monuments. But there's much more to see in Egypt - the Red Sea is a diver's paradise, the nightlife is eye-opening and the restaurants rank among the best in the world.

Egypt is alive with sights, sounds and cultural experiences. Take a cruise down the Nile and feel the romance. Spend a night at the grand opera. Explore the desert sands. Egypt is the perfect place to discover a chequered past and enjoy a vibrant present.