Middle East

Population: 74,878,313 Surface area: 1 million sq.km Capital: Cairo Region: Middle East GNI per capita: 1,390 US$ Classification: Developing economy Languages: Arabic English Religions : Muslim: 86% Other: 14% Christianity: Orthodox: 9,971,860

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Egypt was the cradle of one of the world's great civilizations. An empire grew up around 3200 BC in the Nile valley, and a series of dynasties ruled Egypt for the next three millennia. The last dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 BC who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, and later the Romans. The Arabs introduced Islam and Arabic in the 7th century and ruled Egypt until it was taken over by the Turks in 1517. Britain seized control of the country in 1822. Egypt recovered full sovereignty after World War II, and became a republic in 1952 under President Nasser, who nationalized the Suez Canal in 1956. Another major milestone was the construction of the Aswan dam in Upper Egypt, which was finished in 1971. Egypt fought three wars with Israel in 1956, 1967 and 1973, before it signed the Camp David peace agreement in 1978. It is the most populated country in the Arab world. It struggles with huge economic problems and social inequalities. Egypt was Christianized as of the first century and Alexandria was one of the main centres of the early church. Islam is the majority religion, but the Coptic Christians still form a sizeable minority. The Copts are the descendants of the ancient Egyptians. Besides the Coptic Orthodox Church, there is also the smaller Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Anglican, Catholic and Protestant-Evangelical and Pentecostal churches have come into being in the 19th and 20th century, mostly - but not only - among the Copts. The Fellowship of Evangelicals in Egypt is affiliated with the WEA.