Egypt

"Egypt" - Egypt is located in the North East part of Africa. More than 90% of Egypt is desert. Only a very small portion of the population does not live along the Nile Valley and the Delta. Without the Nile River Egypt would be little more than a desert. Egypt has a hot season from May to September and a cool season from November to March. Egypt has very extreme temperatures year round. In the coastal region of Egypt, average annual temperatures range from a maximum of 99 degrees F, to a minimum of 57 degrees F. In the desert regions of Egypt wide variations in temperature occur. These range from 114 degrees F in the daylight hours to 42 degrees after sunset. In many desert locations of Egypt it might only rain once every few years. Egypt is the home for one of the Worlds greatest ancient civilizations. Strong concepts of spirit life and immortality dominate Egypt's religion. The Egyptian faith was based on an unorganized collection of ancient myths, nature worship, and innumerable deities. The most influential and famous of these is how the creation of Earth is explained. The Egyptians worshiped the sun along with a series of gods and goddesses. The Egyptian gods were represented with human torsos and human or animal heads. They were also represented by symbols, such as the sun disk and hawk wings that were worn on the headdresses of the pharaoh. Burying there dead was of great religious concern in Egypt. They believed they had to preserve the corpse so that they're ka or spirit could enter the afterlife. They would mummify their dead bodies in order to preserve them. They would bury their dead in elaborate tombs in order to protect them in the afterlife. They would also created exquisite sculptures, jewelry, tools, and other objects, which they would bury with their dead in their tombs. They believed this would equip their spirits for the afterlife. They would also bury the book of the dead in the tomb to help them keep away from the dangers of the demons of the afterlife. Egypt has a population of about (1996 estimate) 63,575,000 and has an area of about 384,300 sq. miles. The capitol of Egypt is Cairo. Almost 99% of the population lives within the Nile Valley and delta, which constitutes less than 4% of Egypt's total area. Islam is the official religion of Egypt, and about 90% of all Egyptians are Muslims. Arabic is the national and official language. Berber is spoken in a few villages in the western oases. Primary and secondary education in Egypt is free, as are public universities and technical schools. Education is required for children between the ages of 6 and 11. Graduates of the primary schools either attend general intermediate school, which prepares them for secondary education, or a technical intermediate school specializing in industrial and agricultural subjects. About 51% of the adult population is literate. Egypt is a largely agricultural country. About 40% of the labor force is engaged in crop farming or herding. Egypt is one of the world's