EGYPT
HISTORY |
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Misr, the Arabic name for Egypt, is of Semitic origin, and possibly means 'a
country' or 'a state'.
(For the origin of the name Egypt, see Aegyptus.)
The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with
semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the
development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom
arose circa 3200 BC and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next
three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 BC, who
in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines.
It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th
century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste,
the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the
conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. |
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Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an
important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt.
Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's
government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued
until 1914.
Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty
following World War II. In 1952 Gamal Abdel Nasser assumed power and
nationalized the Suez Canal leading to the 1956 Suez Crisis. Between 1958
and 1961 Egypt was in a union with Syria known as the United Arab Republic. |
