Egypt

=  __ Egypt __   = **__Geography__** The geography of Egypt made the country a primary source for raw materials. Within Egypt, the land is divided into two parts, "red lands" and "black lands." The "red lands" referred to the arid deserts of Egypt. These deserts helped to protect Egypt from incoming countries, which was a major benefit to the British when they conquered the land. The "red lands" also contained precious metals and semi-precious stones, which was also an advantage. The "black lands" were parts of Egypt that were fertile with black silt from the Nile River. Farmers could plant their crops in this soil, which made Egypt a successful agricultural country. Farmers grew wheat, barley, vegetables, figs, melons, pomegranates, and vines. They also grew flax and cotton, which was used for linen in the textile factories. The climate in Egypt was very stable. From November to April, Egypt had a mild winter with an average minimum temperature of 14 degrees Celcius. The rest of the year was a hot summer, which reached an average maximum of 30 degrees Celcius. This helps to create a somewhat predictable growing season. Britain was also interested in Egypt for the Suez Canal, which created a short path to neighboring countries by sea, especially to India. This was beneficial for trade between British colonies and it expanded trade throughout the world. The culture of Egypt is one that is very diverse. Arabic is the written and spoken language of Egypt. Islam is the major religion and is practiced by most Egyptians. This religion impacts everyone, from their personal, to their economic lives. Laws are also based on the Islamic religion. Muslims, or people who practice Islam, must pray five times a day. Each prayer must be said at an exact time. (Prayer times for both Depew and Egypt listed below.) During the month of Ramadan, Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk. At every sunset, family and friends gather together to celebrate iftar, or "the breaking of the fast." The Egyptians also had their own set of gods that they worshiped. In Egypt, family is the most important. Kinship is extremely important and plays a significant role in family decisions. Individuality always comes second to family. Also, honor and social status are very significant to the people of Egypt. Respect for others is an obligation and individual respect comes from the reputation of yourself and your family. When an Egyptian goes against his word, it is a disgrace and has a negative impact on him and his family. Also, Egyptian clothing is a symbol of both respect and social status. Egyptians are required to wear the best clothes that their budget will allow, which directly impacts the individual's interaction with other people. Social status in Egypt is separated into three groups: the upper class, middle class, and lower class. The social status that Egyptians are born into will decipher their everyday activities and the chances they will have in life. Social status is determined by family background more than anything else, and is important to Egyptians.
 * __Culture__ **

(Dawn)  ||   Shorook (Sunrise)  ||   Zuhr (Noon)  ||   Asr (Afternoon)  ||   Maghrib (Sunset)  ||   Isha (Night)  || ||  7:40   ||   12:11   ||   2:24   ||   4:42   ||   6:24   ||  (Times prayer would be for an Egyptian in Depew, NY) (Dawn) || Shorook (Sunrise) || Zuhr (Noon) || Asr (Afternoon) || Maghrib (Sunset) || Isha (Night) || (Prayer times in Egypt)
 * Fajr
 * 5:58
 * Fajr
 * 5:19 || 6:45 || 11:51 || 2:39 || 4:58 || 6:23 ||

__**Egypt has many natural resources that made it a prime goal for Britain to conquer. The most important natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, and zinc. Iron ore was used in many factories during the industrial revolution, and played a significant role in the desire for Great Britain to own Egypt. Cotton and flax were grown in Egypt as well, increasing the abundance of linen and cloth made in the textile factories. The Suez Canal was extremely important to the British as well, and was probably the most influential part of Egypt. It created shorter and less expensive trade routes to other countries. Since the British had the most control over the canal, they were able to place taxes on incoming and outgoing ships and could also control trade. This made Britain an extremely powerful influence on African colonization and imperialism. It also made Britain the "absolute power" in trade through that region of the world.
 * __ Natural Resources

**__ Products made in Egypt __** Natural resources throughout Egypt allow it to be a fairly advanced society. Leather goods and products made from papyrus are extremely common. Cotton products are also abundant in the country. Iron ore and lead helped to build factories and produce products. Jewelry is often made from the semi-precious stones that are within Egypt's land, which is a flourishing market today. Imperialism had many positive effects on both Egypt and Great Britain. Britain was able to expand, becoming the most powerful nation in the world. It advanced it both technology and wealth. Egypt also benefitted from imperialism. They became westernized and industrialized because of the Europeans. They also gained some wealth because they were being controlled by Great Britain. Despite the positive effects, there were also negative effects of imperialism as well. Industrialization began to limit the non-renewable resources that were once abundant in nature. Also when imperialism occurred, Egyptians were mixed in with other people who had different culture and beliefs. This increased tensions between colonies and tribes within each colony. Imperialism deminished many different ideas and forms of life, which started to deplete culture around the world.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/home.html http://www.touregypt.net/climate.htm http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/egypt-country-profile.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/eg.html