Voice of Egypt in Canada

Egypt Tourism

Located at the crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe, Egypt is centered around the Nile Valley and Delta, a fertile land bordering the river and bounded by 2 seas: the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and the Red Sea (to the east). The thin area on either side of the Nile River was historically where 90% of the population settled. To the east of the valley is the Arabian Desert, bounded by a high mountain ridge. To the west is the Libyan Desert which stretches across the top of North Africa. The demarcation line in Cairo, the capital city, separates Lower Egypt (everything north of Cairo) from Upper Egypt (everything to the south). To the east, across the Suez Canal is the triangular wedge of the Sinai peninsula with Mt. Sinai and Mt, Saint Catherine, the highest mountain in Egypt (2642m).

During the summer, from March to November, the climate is hot and dry in most of the country. December to February can be quite cold in the north. The sky is usually blue and cloudless. The temperature varies considerably in Egypt. It can be extremely hot during the day and very cold at night, especially in the desert. Arabic is the official language spoken by all Egyptians. Arabic is spoken in the streets is like a dialect and differs a great deal from classical Arabic.

Although English is very widespread, people will appreciate you taking time to learn a few words and phrases. In holiday resorts like Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, many other languages are spoken such as French, German, Italian and Russian.

Since the end of the nineteenth century, Egypt has been evolving at a very high speed. Its political, economical and cultural life has undergone striking changes. From the inscription of the first hieroglyph to the construction of the new hi-tech Smart Village, Egypt has always been a pioneer on the frontier for emerging information technologies in the Arab world.

In addition to these electronic highways, Egypt's railways, roads and waterways form a 21,000 mile network from Alexandria to Aswan. They include the world famous Suez Canal and 1,000 miles of subsidiary canals branching between the Nile and the sea. From tradition to modernity, Egypt is a country which has succeeded in creating a present that is as fascinating as its past.

With over 11 million tourists, Egypt’s tourism economy has really only exploded over the last few years, but already travellers to Egypt account for some 20% of all Egyptian foreign currency revenue. Taking into consideration an increased global focus on all things "green" the Egyptian tourism authorities are also looking to increase Egypt’s exposure to eco-tourism and medical tourism, two areas which they believe will show substantial growth in the future. The building blocks for these two new tourist sectors are in place and with the help of continued promotion and marketing of Egyptian tourism internationally, they should start to make a substantial input to the Egyptian economy very soon.