Egypt
Union of African Parliaments
1990 (1410 AH) Silver 5 Pounds 37mm
(17.50 grams) 0.720 Silver (0.4051 oz. ASW)
Reference: KM# 689
Map in background divides grain sprig and
building.
١٤١٠ – ١٩٩٠ ٥ , Tughra within circle.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of
Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
Egypt,
officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the
northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge
formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by
the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east,
the Red Sea to the east and south, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the
west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, across the Red Sea lies Saudi
Arabia, and across the Mediterranean lie Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, although
none share a land border with Egypt.
Egypt
has one of the longest histories of any country, tracing its heritage back
to the 6th-4th millennia BCE. Considered a cradle of civilisation, Ancient
Egypt saw some of the earliest developments of writing, agriculture,
urbanisation, organised religion and central government. Iconic monuments
such as the Giza Necropolis and its Great Sphinx, as well the ruins of
Memphis, Thebes, Karnak, and the Valley of the Kings, reflect this legacy
and remain a significant focus of scientific and popular interest. Egypt’s
long and rich cultural heritage is an integral part of its national
identity, which has endured, and often assimilated, various foreign
influences, including Greek, Persian, Roman, Arab, Ottoman Turkish, and
Nubian. Egypt was an early and important centre of Christianity, but was
largely Islamised in the seventh century and remains a predominantly Muslim
country, albeit with a significant Christian minority.
From
the 16th to the beginning of the 20th century, Egypt was ruled by foreign
imperial powers: The Ottoman Empire and the British Empire. Modern Egypt
dates back to 1922, when it gained nominal independence from the British
Empire as a monarchy. However, British military occupation of Egypt
continued, and many Egyptians believed that the monarchy was an instrument
of British colonialism. Following the 1952 revolution, Egypt expelled
British soldiers and bureaucrats and ended British occupation, nationalized
the British-held Suez Canal, exiled King Farouk and his family, and declared
itself a republic. In 1958 it merged with Syria to form the United Arab
Republic, which dissolved in 1961. Throughout the second half of the 20th
century, Egypt endured social and religious strife and political
instability, fighting several armed conflicts with Israel in 1948, 1956,
1967 and 1973, and occupying the Gaza Strip intermittently until 1967. In
1978, Egypt signed the Camp David Accords, officially withdrawing from the
Gaza Strip and recognising Israel. The country continues to face challenges,
from political unrest, including the recent 2011 revolution and its
aftermath, to terrorism and economic underdevelopment. Egypt’s current
government is a presidential republic headed by President Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi, which has been described by a number of watchdogs as authoritarian.
Islam is the official religion of Egypt and Arabic is its official language.
With over 95 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in
North Africa, the Middle East, and the Arab world, the third-most populous
in Africa (after Nigeria and Ethiopia), and the fifteenth-most populous in
the world. The great majority of its people live near the banks of the Nile
River, an area of about 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi), where the
only arable land is found. The large regions of the Sahara desert, which
constitute most of Egypt’s territory, are sparsely inhabited. About half of
Egypt’s residents live in urban areas, with most spread across the densely
populated centres of greater Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities in the
Nile Delta.
The sovereign state of Egypt is a transcontinental
country considered to be a regional power in North Africa, the Middle East
and the Muslim world, and a middle power worldwide. Egypt’s economy is one
of the largest and most diversified in the Middle East, and is projected to
become one of the largest in the world in the 21st century. In 2016, Egypt
overtook South Africa and became Africa’s second largest economy (after
Nigeria). Egypt is a founding member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned
Movement, Arab League, African Union, and Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation.
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