9781422284339

Egypt is best known for its pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza, pictured on the opposite page. It was the home of one of the earliest human civilizations. Today, with the largest pop- ulation of any Arab country, Egypt is one of the most important and influential countries of the Middle East.

E gypt is one of the world’s most ancient nations. For thou- sands of years, its culture and history have fascinated and inspired people all over the world. The many names by which Egypt has been known reflect its diverse and shifting identities. Egypt has been referred to as “the Gift of the Nile,” the great river that made possible the rise of Egyptian civilization and that has always been at the center of Egyptian life. Ancient Egyptians some- times called their country “the Black Land,” for the dark, rich soil along the Nile’s banks, and sometimes “the Red Land,” for the vast, inhospitable deserts that cover most of Egypt. In ancient times Egypt was also called “the Two Lands,” reflecting the division of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt. But the word Egypt actually comes from the Greek language—it was a form of an Egyptian term meaning “House of the Essence of Ptah,” Ptah being an important god of the early Egyptians. Today, Egyptians general- ly call their country Misr. This Arabic name may be related to Egypt’s Place in the World

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