Egypt borders Libya in the west, Sudan in the south, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, and the Red Sea and Israel in the east. The eastern region, across the Suez Canal, is Sinai. This region slopes up to the high mountains of Mt Catherine (Gebel Katherina at 2642 metres is Egypt's highest point) and Mt Sinai. Along Egypt's Mediterranean coast there are countless white-sand beaches, some developed as tourist resorts but many still pristine and isolated. North of Cairo the Nile splits into a series of tributaries that flow into the Mediterranean.

Most of the animals worshipped by the ancient Egyptians are now extinct in the country. Gone are the leopards, cheetahs, oryx and hyenas, and only two of the three varieties of gazelle still survive. There are plenty of rodents and bats, but domesticated camels and donkeys are the most visible forms of Egyptian animal life. There are around 430 species of birds, some of which breed in Egypt, but most pass through on migration from Europe to southern Africa. Up to two million birds are thought to pass over Egypt on annual migrations. There are also 34 varieties of snakes, the most well known of which is the cobra. Scorpions are common throughout the country, but being nocturnal, they are rarely seen. The Red Sea supports sharks, stingrays, turtles, dolphins, colourful corals, sponges, starfish and various molluscs.

Egypt's climate is hot and dry most of the year. During the winter months - December, January and February - average daily temperatures stay up around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) on the Mediterranean coast and a pleasant 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit) in Aswan. Maximum temperatures get to 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit) and 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively. Winter nights only get down to 8 degrees Celsius, a very Egyptian version of chilly. Alexandria receives the most rain with 19 cm each year, while Aswan is almost bone-dry with just 2 mm annually. Between March and April the khamsin blows in from the Western Desert at up to 150 km per hour.
Full country name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Area: 1,001,449 sq km
Population: 62,359,623
Capital city: Cairo
People: Berbers, Bedouins and Nubians
Language: Arabic
Religion: 90% Islam, 7% Christian
Government: Democracy
President: Mohammed Hosni Mubarak

Economic Profile

GDP: US$37 billion
GDP per head: US$658
Annual growth: 3%
Inflation: 16%
Major industries: Oil, gas, tourism and agriculture (especially cotton)
Major trading partners: USA, Italy, Germany and France

The major attractions in Egypt are Cairo, Alexandria and the northern coast, Nile cruises, Luxor, Abu Simbel, Aswan and the Pharaonic treasures, the Sinai peninsula, and the fabulous Red Sea coastline. Egypt's combination of beach resorts and ancient heritage make it one of the most exciting holiday centres within easy reach of Europe.

Cairo

The capital is a city of astonishing diversity and vitality, uniting elements of Africa, the Orient and Western Europe. Sprawling around the Nile and up towards the Delta, Cairo has a population of around 7 million and needs several days to visit properly.

The Egyptian Museum contains the largest, and one of the most impressive, collections of Pharaonic and Byzantine art and sculpture from the surrounding area. The witty statues of Akhenaten alone justify a visit, and of course the museum houses the celebrated treasures of Tutankhamun, a minor Pharaoh who ruled for a few years a millenium before Christ. Nearby is Tehrir (Revolution) Square, the focal point of downtown Cairo. This area, characterised by tall French neo-classical city blocks, was built in the middle of the 19th century by Pasha Ismail, whose ambitious plans to modernise his country reduced it to a state of bankruptcy (which lasted until Nasser came to power in 1952). The Cairo Tower,near the Gezira Sports Club on an island in the Nile, affords a wonderful view of the city; it stands amidst the elegant town-houses of a wealthy neighbourhood. By contrast there is the hustle and bustle of the Khan-el-Khalili Bazaar, where one can bargain for traditional leather work, brassware and excellent inexpensive tailor-made clothing. It is set in an area of narrow winding streets where the local inhabitants will always approach the traveller in the hope of doing a little business. A trip around Old Cairo is an enchanting return to a former age, and there are many fine examples of Islamic art and architecture. The Citadel and nearby Al Rif?ai and Sultan Hassan mosques should not be missed but numerous less well-known attractions may be found around almost every corner (Cairo has over 1000 mosques). There is also a Coptic Museum and an Islamic Arts Museum.

In Pharaonic times, the east bank of the Nile was for the living and the west was for the dead. Today's west bank is the most modern part of the city ? site of the university, the wealthy suburb of Zamalek and the apartment blocks of Dokki ? but where the city stops, the Egypt of the fellahin (peasants) abruptly starts ? date palms, canals, mud villages and lush green fields. To the south, the transition is even more startling. An area of casinos and luxury hotels suddenly gives way to rolling sand dunes and, towering above them, the magnificent Pyramids ofGiza. There are three, the largest being over 137m (450ft) high and containing some three million huge blocks of stone. One can explore deep inside the pyramids by means of labyrinthine tunnels and staircases. Adjacent is the massive Sphinx,much admired by Alexander, Caesar, Cleopatra and Napoleon. Camels and horses may be hired and there is a golf course nearby. The night skyline is illuminated by a light show (an unusual but effective way to see the pyramids and Sphinx).

Helwan, a famous winter resort and health spa, is 30km (18 miles) from Cairo. At nearby Sakkara, the step pyramids of Zoser are even older than those at Giza and there are fine wall reliefs, particularly in the Necropolis. Donkey rides can be taken to Sakkara from Giza. 50km (30 miles) further south is AlFaiyoum, a salt-water lake visited by Herodotus in 450BC (malaria is a serious risk here).

Nile Cruises

A number of tour operators offer Nile cruises, the majority operating from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa. Some trips include an extension to Abydos and Denderha. The Luxor/Aswan cruise lasts four nights/five days; the cruise which includes Abydos and Denderha six nights/seven days; while one or two companies operate long tours on special departure dates only to Minia(a charming town with Roman, Greek and Pharaonic ruins) and/or through to Cairo.

There are numerous cruise steamers on the Nile, and the majority operate to a very high standard of service. According to the particular vessel used they carry from between 50 to 100 passengers, with the facilities varying according to size of the individual vessel. Contacting a specialist operator is recommended for choosing a Nile cruise. Normally visitors can only book the complete package through the tour operators. Traditional felluccas may also be chartered.

The Northern Coast

Alexandria is more modern than Cairo but is graced by numerous Hellenistic and Roman relics from the age when it was the cultural capital of Europe. It remains a popular holiday resort for Egyptians.

The northern beaches stretch from the Libyan border to the Nile Delta and along the north of Sinai. West of Alexandria, the coast road takes one to the Mersa Matruh resort, which has a very fine beach; from there it is possible to head inland to visit the Siwa Oasis (site of Amon's oracle, visited by Herodotus and Alexander the Great) on the Libyan border. There are other fine beaches at ElAlamein (where World War II relics are on view), Baltim, Gamasa, Sidi Kreir andRas El Bar, where the temperatures are warm enough for bathing until November.

Luxor

Luxor ? Homer's ?Hundred-gated Thebes? ? is about 500km (300 miles) south of Cairo and contains a vast conglomeration of ancient monuments: the Temples of Amon at Karnak; colossal statues, obelisks and halls (there is, as at Giza, a son et lumière show); theValley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings,where 64 of the Pharaohs are depicted in an enormous relief hewn from the rock. The other temples, tombs and monuments are equally awe-inspiring. Since 1988 visitors have had the opportunity to view these monuments from a hot-air balloon. Many specialist guidebooks are available; the Egyptian State Tourist Office will also be able to supply more detailed information.

Aswan

As well as being a beautiful winter resort with many hotels, Aswan has a huge array of temples, monasteries, the Elephantine Island'sancient Nilometre, and the Aswan High Dam, one of the three largest dams in the world. 2km (1.2 miles) south of Aswan is Philae, a classical temple considered to be sufficiently important to be saved from the flooding caused by the opening of the Dam. Further to the south is Abu Simbel ? surviving largely thanks to a UNESCO-backed project in the 1960s ? with the two magnificent temples of Rameses II. 120km (75 miles) north of Aswan is the temple of Edfu, one of the best preserved in Egypt. There are three weekly sailings from Aswan down the Nile into the Sudan.

Sinai & The Red Sea

Sinai's diving resorts include Ras Mohammed, Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, Neweiba and Arish, most with diving centres offering lessons at all levels. The views across the Gulf of Aqaba to the Saudi Mountains are breathtaking and temperatures are warm until very late in the year. Other watersports are on offer and the whole Sinai east coast has beach resorts with hotels and beach huts where the desert merges into beach fringed by palm trees.Ras Mohammed, the southernmost point of the peninsula, is the site of the world's most northerly mangrove forest.

In the interior there are the rugged and scenic Sinai Mountains, amongst which is the Mount Sinai of the Bible. Nearby is the famous St Catherine's Monastery.This was first settled by hermits in the 4th century and attracted an increasing number of pilgrims, particularly after the construction of a sanctuary in 337. Almost every subsequent century saw additions to the architecture of the settlement, as well as intermittent periods of decline and abandonment. Many of the bequests made to the monastery over the years are also on display in the museum. Other attractions in Sinai include Saladin's massive Qalaat al-Gundifortress, one of the region's many reminders of the Crusaders? presence in the Middle East during the 12th and 13th centuries; and Al-Tur, on the Red Sea, capital of South Sinai.

The newest tourist attraction in Egypt is perhaps the western coast of the Red Sea. Hurghada, some 400km (250 miles) south of Suez, is a well-equipped diving resort with marvellous coral reefs. There is a modern tourist village at El Guftonnearby.

POPULAR ITINERARIES: 5-day: Luxor?Aswan? Hurghada (Nile River cruise). 7-day: Cairo?Abu Simbel?Aswan?Luxor'sinai'sharm el-Sheikh

When to go to Egypt will depend a lot on where you want to go. You'll find wandering around Upper Egypt and Luxor uncomfortably hot in the summer months (June to August) and winter is definitely the best time to be in these areas. Summer is also the time when the Mediterranean coast is at its most crowded. However, winter in Cairo can get pretty cool, so spring and autumn are the best times to be there. Ideally, mid-May to mid-April would be the best time to come to enjoy the warm days without the crush of bodies on the beaches and the midday heat of high summer.

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