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            EGYPT
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Egypy is situated at the
northeast corner of Africa,
straddling the River Nile and
with vast deserts either side.
The climate is mainly dry, but
there are winter rains along
the Mediterranean coast. The
temperatures are comfortable
in winter but summer
temperatures are extremely
high, particularly in the
south. The rich soils
deposited by floodwaters of
the Nile can support a large
population, and the delta is
one of the world's most
fertile agricultural regions.
Some 96% of the population
live in the delta and Nile
valley, where the main crops
are rice, cotton, sugar cane,
maize, tomatoes and wheat. The
main industries are food
processing and textiles. The
economy has been boosted by
the discovery of oil. Suez
Canal shipping and tourism are
also important revenue
earners.

Area (Sq. Km.): 1,001,420

Population: 53,522,000

Capital: Cairo

Language:
Arabic

Religion:
Sunni Moslem 90%

Government Type:
Republic

Currency: Egyptian pound

Embassy:
26 South Street
London
W1Y 6DD
0171-499-2401

In holiday guides throughout
the world, this country can be
nothing more than the "land of
the Pharaohs" - but with all
this implies that is more than
enough. There is a vast amount
of material to see in Egypt
and the country because of its
fascinating heritage holds a
special place in the heart of
the western traveller. Britons
have been travelling to Egypt
longer than nearly any other
country on voyages of
exploration and or discovery.
In the 19th Century, a whole
series of Victorian heroes dug
the country from top to bottom
and this culminated in the
famous discovery of
Tutankhamen buried tomb in the
Valley of the Kings. This
event in particular stimulated
the Egyptian tourist industry
and today it is a healthy and
thriving one.

Places to see:
Cairo and the Egyptian Museum
which holds the original King
Tut collection.
Aswan dam
Valley of the Kings
Valley of the Queens.
Luxor
Karnak
The Nile (all of it!)
Thebes
Memphis
Abu Simbel
Alamein and the nearby
beaches.
The Red Sea and Sinai
Giza
Alexandria

One of the best ways to see
this host of treasures is by a
Nile Cruise and these can be
short or long depending upon
time and taste.

Other ideas are a centre
holiday in Luxor and visits
from a hotel there as a
base.

Airtours holidays now run
regular charter flights from
Manchester and Gatwick to
Luxor and late deals on these
can be amazingly cheap (for
Egypt that is!)

Cairo and Old Cairo are
fascinating places to visit in
their own right.

Languages:
Arabic, English and French.

Time: GMT+2

Electricity: 220v AC

Currency:
Egyptian Pound = 100 Piastres

All major credit cards are
accepted.

Health:
Although not compulsory the
British visitor is recommended
to obtain Yellow Fever,
Typhoid, Polio and Malaria
vaccinations.

Water:
Not drinkable

Religion:
Islam
(Alcohol is however available
in cafe style bars)

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Foreign Office Advice:

A campaign of violence has
been conducted by extremists
since the summer of 1992,
mainly in the Governorates of
Assiut, Minya (in and around
Mallawi), Sohag and Qena and
occasionally elsewhere. They
have warned foreigners not to
visit Egypt. Attacks on
tourist targets have since
1992 caused the death of two
Britons and several other
foreigners and injured some
fifty others. In the most
recent serious incidents, a
German tourist was shot dead
in Hurghada on the Red Sea
coast in September and a
British tourist was killed
when a minibus was fired on 23
km north of Luxor in October.
The authorities are giving the
highest priority to protecting
visitors. By the end of
October, nearly 200,000
Britons had visited Egypt in
1994 without experiencing
security difficulty, but total
security can never be
guaranteed. Visitors should
not travel by road, rail, or
river to or through the
Governorates. Those wishing to
travel via Qena between Luxor
and the Red Sea coast should
notify the local authorities
of their plans. All visitors
should be vigilant and are
reminded to behave and dress
discreetly.

For more information ring:

 Foreign Office Travel Unit

       0171-270-4129