Egypt

1 Chapter Basic knowledge

    • Basic Knowledge

       

      ■ Formal Country Egypt · Arab Republic

      Arabic expression جمهورية مصر العربية

      English name: Arab Republic of Egypt, also known as Egypt

       

       

      ■National flag

      The flag of Egypt consists of the three horizontal bands of red, white and black and the national emblem "Saladin's Eagle" drawn in the center. Red, white and black are four colors called pan-Arab color, three colors excluding green, Red is the era when people before the revolution were sacrificed, White is a bright future by Arab nationalist revolution, black is It means the defeat and the end of oppressors such as colonial rule.

       

       

       

       

      ■ Area · About 1 million square kilometers (about 2.6 times the size of Japan)

      It is located in the northeastern part of the continent of Africa and has about 1, 000,000 m 2, about 2.6 times that of Japan. Although 90% of the country is desert, the area of ​​the Nile river which flows over 1,350 km north and south of the eastern part, especially the downstream delta region spread agricultural lands by irrigation and the population is densely populated.

      The border of Libya in the west of the country and Sudan in the south, facing the Red Sea in the east, facing Saudi Arabia, north facing the Mediterranean Sea. On the eastern shore of the Suez Canal in the northeastern part, there is the Sinai Peninsula in a form sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and the east side is in contact with Israel and the Gaza Strip. The Sinai Peninsula was occupied by Israel in the Third Middle East War in 1967, but it has been returned to Egypt by the peace agreement of 1978.

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ■ Capital → Cairo

      In the capital city Cairo located in the lower Nile area, the population is 9,420,000 people (2015), and the city area including the neighboring Giza city is about 15.6 million people, the largest city in the African continent and the Arabic-speaking area.

      Originated from the military city of the Islamic empire in the latter half of the 7th century, it was named Kahira (القاهرة) which means "town of victory" as the capital of the Fatima morning in the 10th century. That English reading is Cairo (Cairo). Through repeated history of invasion from outside, such as interference by the Roman Empire, Crusades, Ottoman Turkey, Napoleonic Army, Britain and France, it has continued prosperity.

      Current Cairo is not only the political and economic center of Egypt, it is also the center of cultural and academic culture in the Islamic and Arabic region. It is known that there are Azhar University which is the oldest university in Islamic world and Cairo University which is called the highest academic department of secular education in Arab. It is also the city where the headquarters of the Arab League is located.

       

       

      ■Climate

      Egypt belongs to the desert climate zone throughout the country and has extremely few precipitation. Only in Alexandria and the Nile delta estuary area on the Mediterranean coast it will rain in winter, but in Cairo it is only a few, and in rain south of Cairo or west and eastern desert it will not rain at all.

      In December to February, the lowest temperature falls below 10 ° C in winter and it becomes much cold. From March to May it is the season when the sandstorm called ham scene gets blown up, after that it becomes a hot season over 30 ℃. Depending on the location, it will cause a scorching of over 40 ° C.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

      ■ Time difference - 7 hours (UTC + 2)

      Japan time minus 7 hours is Egyptian time. For example, at noon of Japan time, 5 am in Egypt and 7 pm in Japan time are in noon in Morocco.

      Daylight saving time (-6 hours) was introduced in 2010 and 2014, but it is not implemented in 2015 because it is confused by the balance with Ramadan which is based on Islamic history.

       

       

      ■ Currency Egypt · Pound (£ E) 1 E £ = 14.99 yen (as of November 2, 2015)

      The currency unit is Egyptian pound (E £), and in Arabic it is often called Guinea. There is a peer (Pt) as an auxiliary currency unit, and 1 E £ corresponds to 100 Pt. There are 8 types of banknotes (100 E £, 50 E £, 20 E £, 10 E £, 5 E £, 1 E £, 50 Pt, 25 Pt), and 6 kinds of coins (25 Pt, 20 Pt, 10 Pt, 5 Pt, 2 Pt, 1 Pt).

       

       

      ■ Population → 89.79 million people (Egyptian Statistics Bureau, 2015)

      The population of Egypt is 89.79 million people, and in Africa it is the second largest population after Nigeria and Ethiopia. 2010-2015 The total fertility rate is 2.8 people, the population growth rate is as high as 1.6%, and it is estimated that the population increase will exceed 1 million each year and will exceed 100 million in the 2020s. It is said that the ratio of workable population from 15 to 64 years old is high at 58.9% (UN estimate in 2015), and it is said that the population bonus period is entering.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ■ Language Official Language: Arabic

      The official language is the regular Arabic language called "Husband" written in Islamic scripture Koran. It is used for publications such as public documents, newspapers, books, speech in public places, and news reports. It is also one of the six official languages ​​of the United Nations.

      Egyptian dialect of Arabic spoken language called "Earniya" is used for general conversation. Because Cairo is the center of music, television and movie production in the Arab world, it says that the dialect spoken in Cairo is becoming after general purpose not only across Egypt but also widely understood in the Arabic-speaking region of the Middle East We are.

       

       

      ■Religion

      Religion in Egypt, Muslims account for 90% (2015 CIA), most of them are Sunnis. There are 10% of Christians, many Coptic beings of ancient Christianity, Armenian Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholic etc.

      Politically it has taken a position of secularism (separation of religion and belief) for a long time, but it has been fluctuating in the years after "Arab Spring". In 2012, in the new Constitution under the Muslim regime with the Muslim Brotherhood as a support base, it was stipulated that Islam is the state religion and that the law should be developed in accordance with the Shari'a (Islamic law). However, in the modified constitution of 2014 after the political change again, separation of secularism and secularism is clearly shown.

       

    • Political Regime and History

      ■ Political system

      [Political system]

      Republic

       

      Head of state

      President Abdul Fatter Ha Elsexi (assumed in June 2014)

       

      [Council]

      People's Assembly

      Unicameral 596 seats (568 elected seats, president appointed seats 28)

       

      [government]

      Prime Minister: Sheriff Ismail (assumed September 19, 2015)

      Foreign Minister: Sameda Shukuri (assumed in June 2014)

       

      The People's Assembly had been stopped since 2012 due to political change, but in October 2015 the parliamentary election will be held for the first time in three years. Meanwhile, due to the amended Constitution of 2014, Congress became a unicameral, and the Advisory Council has been abolished. In addition, the presidential election was held under the amended Constitution, President El-Sisi was elected in June 2014.

       

      ■ History (Modern History)

      [Independence of Egyptian Kingdom and Interference between English and French] (19th century ~)

      Ottoman Governor Egyptian Governor General Muhammad Ali, in an effort to modernize Egypt by measures such as Muslim militias, will open the Suez Canal with France in 1869. After the First World War, the momentum of independence grew, and in 1922 he became independent as the Kingdom of Egypt and became Muhammad Ali Morning. However, Britain's interference over the opening of the Suez Canal has intensified, and in the latter half of the 19th century it will become the de facto UK protectorate.

       

      [Israel's independence and the first Middle East war] (1948 - 1949)

      Israel declared independence in 1948 after the Second World War. The neighboring Arab countries, including Egypt, who rebelled against it, will advance and become the first Middle East war. In 1949, the United Nations ceasefire recommendation was accepted under the situation of Israel dominance, and in effect it became Arab side defeat.

        

      [Nationalization of President Nasser and the Suez Canal] (1952 - 1970)

      In 1952, a coup d'etat occurred by youth officers led by Nasser, and in 1953 Egypt moved to the Republic. President Nasser launched pan - Arabism and in 1956 declared nationalization of the Suez Canal under Britain - France administration. The Second Middle East War (Suez Turbulence) broke out triggered by British and French opposition, and British Israel invades Suez. However, a ceasefire agreement was made by the United Nations mediation based on international public opinion, and nationalization of the Suez Canal was accepted in December of the same year. This triggers Egypt as a leader in the Arab world.

      In 1958 he formed the Republic of Syria and the Arab Republic in 1958 and aimed for solidarity of the Arab, but in 1961 it was resolved, in 1967 the 3rd Central War (6th day war) was severely defeated and President Nasser's power was lost I will. President Nasser died in 1970.

       

      [Egypt · Israel Peace Treaty (Camp · David Accord)] (1979)

      In 1973, during the fourth Middle East War, the Arab side came to a preemptive strike and ceased fighting in a dominant position. Against this backdrop, President Sadat, who succeeded Nasser, drastically reshuffled the parent rice and parent Israel and signed the "Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty" (Camp David agreement) by American mediation in 1979 I will do. President Sadat is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize due to the achievement of peace in the state of war over 30 years, but Egypt has been suspended for the Arab League and President Sadat was assassinated by a radical Islamist in 1981.

       

      [Mubarak Long-Term Administration] (1981 - 2011)

      Mubarak, who was a national hero in the Middle East War in 1981, will become President and will build a long-term administration over 30 years. It took over the parent rice / parent Israel route, but restored diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1984 and fought back to the Arab League in 1990, and promoted stabilization on the diplomatic front with a practical method. Despite the anti-US / anti-Israeli infestation in the country, we succeeded in attracting investment from the Western economic society and laying the foundation for economic growth.

       

      ["Arab Spring" and afterwards] (2011 ~)

      "Arab Spring" that began in Tunisia in 2010 will spread to Egypt the following year, a large-scale anti-government and democratization requesting activity "January 25 revolution" occurred in 2011, and for 29 years the President Mubarak The administration has come to an end. It is said that there was public dissatisfaction with the power structure of long-term Mubarak regime and political corruption called the "disparity of rich and poor, high unemployment rate", "development dictatorship".

      In 2012 Mursi regime (freedom and fair parties) with support of Islamist forces Muslim Brotherhood was born in 2012 and a new Islamic new Constitution was enacted. However, due to confrontation with secular power, economic slump, deterioration of security, large scale anti-government activity will occur again. In July 2013, due to the intervention of the military, Mrs. Mursi resigned and a political change to shift to the interim administration occurred. In January 2014, a revised constitution enacting the separation of Islam and sacristy was established, and by the presidential election in June the president of the military was elected again and President El-Sisi took office.

    • Education and Education System

       

      ■ Education system

      The Egyptian education system adopts the same 6, 3, 3, 4 system as Japan. Compulsory education is 9 years in primary school and junior high school. Muslim classes are compulsory in the curriculum and public school classes are basically done in Arabic. The enrollment rate is high at 95% of elementary school, 88% by junior high school (2010), literacy rate of over 15 years is 73.8% (forecast by CIA 2015), and it can be said that it is a country with high education level in Africa and the Arab region. Both literacy rate and enrollment rate are different between gender differences and urban / rural areas, but improvement is being promoted.

      After graduating from junior high school there are general high school (3 years) and vocational high school (3 to 5 years), and vocational high school graduates are also eligible to go to university. The university usually has a four-year system, the engineering department has five years, and the medical department has six years. Public universities have become a mechanism that allows you to select universities, undergraduates, departments, based on the results of the nationwide unified test called "SANWIYA · Amma". It is said that the examination war is getting stricter due to the increase in the young population and the increase in the university entrance rate. Major tertiary institutions include Al-Azhar University, founded in 988 AD, Cairo University representing Egypt, and a large number of international students from many countries in the Arab and Muslim world gather

      In Egypt, since the transition to the Republic in 1952, all public educational institutions including higher education institutions such as universities are free in principle. However, in public education infrastructure, we have problems such as shortage of teachers and deterioration of the quality of education by multi-class classes. For that reason, wealthy people are increasingly attending private schools with high tuition fees and consistent schools where classes are conducted in English and French called "language schools".