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Egypt has a rich history and its mysterious and exotic locations
continue to awe travelers and explorers alike. People flock from all
over the world to marvel at the natural beauty and historical sights
that Egypt is home to. Here are some Interesting Facts about Egypt.
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Egypt has the largest Arabic population in the world.
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The formal name of Egypt is the Arab
Republic of Egypt.
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Approximately 90% of Egyptians are Muslim (primarily Sunni), 9% are
Coptic, and 1% is Christian.
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Pharaoh Pepi II (2246-2152 B.C.) had the longest reign in history—94
years. He became Egypt’s king when he was only 6 years old.
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The Egyptian flag is similar to the flags of Syria, Iraq, and Yemen and
consists of three bands of colors from the Arab Liberation flag—red,
white, and black—with the golden eagle of Saladin on the white band. On
the Egyptian flag, black represents oppression, red represents the
bloody struggle against oppression, and white is symbolic of a bright
future.
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The literacy rate for Egyptian men is 83% and 59.4% for women.
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The famous Great Pyramid at Giza was built as a burial place for King
Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) and took more than 20 years to build. It is built
from over two million blocks of limestone, each one weighing as much as
two and a half elephants. It stands about 460 feet (149 m) high—taller
than the Statue of Liberty. The base of the Great Pyramid takes up
almost as much space as five football fields.
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Ancient Egyptians believed that mummification ensured the deceased a
safe passage to the afterlife. The mummification process had two stages:
first the embalming of the body, then the wrapping and burial of the
body. Organs were stored in canopic jars, each jar representing a god.
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Ancient
Egyptians mummified not only people but animals as well. Archeologists
discovered a 15-foot- (4.5-m-) long mummified crocodile. The crocodile
is known as the “devourer of human hearts” in the ancient Book of the
Dead.
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Ancient Egyptian women had more rights and privileges than most other
women in the ancient world. For example, they could own property, carry
out business deals, and initiate divorce. Women from wealthy families
could become doctors or priestesses.
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For ancient Egyptians, bread was the most important food and beer was
their favorite drink. Models of brewers were even left in tombs to
ensure that the deceased had plenty of beer in the next world.
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For the ancient Egyptians, the Nile was mysterious. Unlike most other
rivers, it flows south to north, it floods in the summer, and no one
knew where the water came from. Explorers discovered the source of the
Nile in East Africa just 150 years ago. |