Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Egypt - Essay Example Its neighboring countries include Libya in the West, Israel and Gaza Strip in the East, and Sudan in the South. Egypt covers a total area of 1,001,449 km2 and is double the size of France in terms of area (â€Å"Geography of Egypt†, n.pag.). Egypt possesses a long coastline around the Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Suez, Red Sea, and Gulf of Aqaba (â€Å"Geography of Egypt†, n.pag.). The country has twenty six provinces, also known as governorates, among which the most prominent ones include the city provinces of Alexandria, Cairo, Port Said, and Suez. Furthermore there are several other governorates in the Upper Region and Lower Region of Egypt. Egypt essentially ahs a large area covered by deserts. Due to the arid and desert-like climate, a very small percentage of the total area of the land is fit for agriculture thus only a small fraction of land is cultivable. Due to the naturally unique location of the Suez Canal which provides a very short route to the East, Egypt benefits from the short trade link it provides thereby incurring lower transportation costs. The main physical regions of Egypt are divided into four parts consisting of the Nile Valley and Delta, the Libyan Desert, the Eastern Desert, and the Sinai Peninsula (Fig. 2). River Nile is the longest river of the world and its Valley and Delta are perhaps the most important regions to the country surrounded by areas of arable land. River Nile is an important source for fish and the area surrounding the river provides sustenance for majority of the Egyptian population. Nile Valley occupies a region which is known as the Upper Egypt whereas the Nile Delta occupies a place which comes under Lower Egypt. These two regions are of significant importance for Egypt as they make the surrounding area fit for agriculture and farming. Fig. 1. Physical Map of Egypt. [Map] n.d. Free World Maps. Web. 11 Dec 2013. Without the presence of River Nile, the vast area of land in Egypt would have been dominated by the Sahara Desert. The Nile Valley and Nile Delta have been a result of the flow of River Nile in the region. River Nile has three man sources which originate from the Central African sources: White Nile, Blue Nile, and Atbara. White Nile, which emerges from Uganda, contributes about twenty eight percent of River Nile’s water. Blue Nile originates from Ethiopia and contributes the largest amount to River Nile’s waters which accounts for about fifty eight percent. And the Atbara River starts in Ethiopia and supplies about fourteen percent of River Nile’s waters. Thus, River Nile receives water from all these sources which contribute a significant percent of the water during high seasons. The high volume of water in River Nile deposit silt and other minerals as Nile spreads out into a delta. Today, River Nile only has two branches called Damietta and Rosetta. A number of irrigation canals connect from these branches so as to provide water for the irrigation and farming of arable lands. Thus the silt deposited by the river and the water provided is imp ortant for farming and agriculture in the area as it supports almost the entire population of Egypt. The Art Art, music, and culture evolved greatly in Egypt particularly after the fall of the former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Egypt has also been a central place for the recording of Arabic music and Egyptian music derives greatly from Arabic music. In particular, the music reflects Arabic and Islamic influences. There are various genres of Egyptian music and they are