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Location: Northeast corner of Africa, bordered in 2000 by Libya, Sudan, the Red Sea, and Israel.
Capital city: Cairo
History:
Egypt became a British protectorate in 1914 when Britain declared war on the Ottoman Empire. At the end of World War I, Egyptian nationalists attempted to negotiate Egyptian independence with the British government. When the British government refused to see the delegation, widespread revolt broke out. A constitutional monarchy, established February 28, 1922 with King Fu'ad I as its head, ended the protectorate and gave Egypt some independence. Despite Egypt's material support of Britain during World War II few Egyptians backed the British war effort. As a result of British intervention in Egyptian politics during the war, Egypt emerged from World War II plagued by instability and calling for an end to British control. Egypt played a leading role in the 1943-1944 formation of the Arab League, and became increasingly committed to supporting the Arab cause in Palestine. Life for Jews in Egypt worsened in 1947, when Egyptian law restricted employment of non-citizens. Anti-Jewish violence erupted in Egypt in 1948 in response to the creation of Israel.
In 1952, after a military coup overthrew the monarchy, Gamal Abdel Nasser became Egypt's first native ruler in over 2000 years. During Nasser's rule, Egypt fought two wars with Israel, nationalized the Suez Canal, built the Aswan High Dam, and attempted unions with Syria and Yemen. When Anwar el-Sadat took over after Nasser's 1970 death, he reversed some of Nasser's socialistic policies, attacked Israel, and later played a leading role in Middle East peace talks. Muslim fundamentalists assassinated Sadat October 6, 1981. As Egypt's new president, Hosni Mubarak, Sadat's vice president, continued his predecessor's work toward peace in the Middle East. (en-US)
Fonte
Encyclopaedia Britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1995. Vol. 4, p. 390, Vol 18, p. 139-142