Forgotten World (204): Egypt

Egypt conducted wars with Israel in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973, before eventually making peace with its adversary in 1979, so the country has moved from being a warring nation to becoming a key representative in the peace process. President Hosni Mubarak has been in power since 1981; his strongest challenger is the Muslim Brotherhood which is tolerated but officially banned.

Egypt’s teeming cities – and almost all agricultural activity – are concentrated along the banks of the Nile, and on the river’s delta. The economy depends heavily on agriculture, tourism and cash remittances from Egyptians working abroad, mainly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. However, rapid population growth – there are now some 77M citizens – and the limited amount of arable land is straining the country’s resources and economy.