The ancient Greek historian Herodotus gave Egypt its title (Gift of the Nile) and he was right. Many ancient civilizations developed and flourished in the valleys of major rivers of the world, like the Nile in Egypt, the Euphrates and the Tigris in Iraq, the Ganji in India, and Huangho and Yangtze in China, and the Amazon in South America.

Archaeologists have now traced the ultimate roots of the Egyptian Civilization dating back more than 12000 years, when nomadic hunters and gatherers began to settle along the Nile, people were living in small villages, harvesting wild wheat, barley, lentil, chickpeas, and dates that abounded in the North African plains. Excavations unearthed many villages, littered with grinding stones, mortars and pestles they used, to make flour.

They supplemented their diet with wild game and fish. To the ancient Egyptians; the Nile was not only alive - it was also a life giver for a population that receives very little rain, and totally dependent on the Nile River for their survival. During the flood the water of the Nile River becomes red in color as if carrying the fires of the volcanoes within.

The annual flood each summer also provided them with a convenient clock to measure time, they divided the year into seasons; organization of time enabled them to establish a calendar, as well as the earliest versions of clocks: the sun clock. The flood was and still is revered to this day; the Nile became a deity in its own right.

The people celebrated the annual flood, with carnivals, music, songs, melodies and poetry. Decorated boats, sailed in lavish ceremonies for the holy river.

They weren t entirely settled or civilized, but were on the path toward civilization. The Nile valley, however, took its shape, around 5000 B.C.

Egypt was once green lush meadows; a savannah where Elephants and Gazelles grazed, and where humans hunted and gathered their food.

About 7000 years ago, the climate changed, creating the great Sahara, and limiting the green meadows to the narrow valley along the river Nile. Beginning to rely on the crops of wild wheat and barely, they were planting the roots of the Agricultural revolution, that was to form the subsistence base for the greatness of Egypt of the Pharaohs.

The seasonal tropical monsoon rainstorms, over the still active volcanoes atop the Ethiopian mountains dissolve and carry the mineral rich molten Lava, "Silt" northward through the Nile valley, enriching the already fertile soil. And ultimately pours into the Mediterranean that borders Egypt to the north, only to attract a multitude of species of migratory fish, and marine life to come to their shores to feast on the warm, sweet and mineral rich fresh water of the Nile during the flood season, "June through September".

A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C. Ruled by a series of Egyptian dynasties for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty of Pharaohs fell to the "Persians" in 341 B.C, who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and "Byzantines".

It was the "Arabs" who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century, and ruled for the next six centuries. The "Mamluks" took control of the country about 1250 AD and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the "Ottoman Turks" in 1517.

• Total: 1,001,450 sq km
• Water: 6,000 sq km
• Climate: Desert, hot, dry summers with moderate winters.
• Average temperature :

• Eastern stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%.
  

• Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% & Coptic Christian and Jews makeup the other 6%.
  

• Arabic is the official language, English and French are widely understood by educated classes.
  

• Local short form: Misr.
• Local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah.
• Government type: Republic.
• Capital: Cairo.
• Administrative divisions: 30 governorates.
• Legal system: Based on English common law, Islamic law, and Napoleonic judicial codes reviewed by the Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions) accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
• Executive branch: Head of state: "Mohammed Morsi" President since 30 June 2012.
• Head of government: "Hesham Qandil" Prime Minister since 24 July 2012.
• Flag description: Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield super imposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band.

• GMT + 2hours During Winter & GMT + 2hours During Summer.
  

• Exchange rate indicators: http://touregypt.net/money/
• Credit & debit cards (ATM machines 24/7)

• To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to
• take traveler s cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling.
• Banking hours: Sun -Thur 08:30 -14:30.