What do Egyptians call Egypt?

Misr. The full name of the country in Arabic is Jumhuriyah Misr al-Arabiyah, which means the Arab Republic of Egypt. Egyptians call their country Misr; when they talk about Cairo, if they live outside of the capital, they refer to it as Misr, too.

When did Egypt attain independence, and from whom?

In 1922 from the UK. Egypt had been part of the Turkish empire. In 1882 there was a revolt and the British invaded Egypt; it was declared a British protectorate in 1914. In 1922, after Egypt had appealed to the Paris Peace Conference, the British were forced to recognize Egyptian independence. Independence day is celebrated on 28th February.

What is the currency of Egypt?

Egyptian Pound. 100 piastres make up one Egyptian pound.

The longest river in Africa flows through Egypt. What is it called?

Nile. The River Nile flows from Central Africa to the Mediterranean Sea - a distance of 4,160 miles (or 6,695km). It comes from two tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile. They meet at Khartoum in the Sudan. The Nile is also considered the world's longest river. However, there is some dispute about this.

Much of Egypt is desert, but which desert is it?

Sahara. The Sahara is the largest desert in the world, covering about 3,500,000 square miles of North Africa.

Ferdinand de Lesseps. Various attempts were made to design and create a canal, starting in the time of the Pharaohs and on to the time of Napoleon. However, it was not until 1854 that Ferdinand de Lesseps started the construction of the canal. It was opened on November 17th, 1869. The canal divides Africa from Asia, so part of Egypt is actually in Asia.

Pharaoh. Tutankhamen was a famous Pharaoh, who died aged about 18. Ramses II is another well known Pharaoh, whose mummified body is preserved in a mausoleum in Cairo.

Hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphic writing was used a lot in tombs; it was how important or religious documents were written in ancient Egypt. It is a form of writing that uses pictures instead of letters.

The Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops. It was built around 2560 BC, making it more than 4500 years old. The lighthouse at Alexandria was also one of the wonders of the ancient world, although nothing remains of it today.

Alexander the Great. The Greek warrior Alexander entered Egypt and ordered a city to be founded in his name. He chose a sight at the mouth of the River Nile and in 332BC Alexandria was founded. Alexander the Great was buried there on his death in 323BC. Alexandria was famous for its library, which was supposed to contain 500,000 volumes. Alexandria is a beautiful city, with around 20km of waterfront and is an important tourist resort.

True. Anwar Sadat had been a member of the group of young military officers who overthrew British rule in Egypt. He succeeded Nasser as President of Egypt, and was President during the Six Days War with Israel. He was in charge when Egypt launched an attack on Israel, driving the Israelis out of the Sinai Peninsula, which had been taken by Israel in the Six Days War. He was assassinated during a military review in October 1981.

Singer. Umm Kulthum was well loved across the Arab world. She died in 1975, but sales of her records still continue, even outselling some of the more modern Arabic singers.

Omar Sharif. Omar Sharif was born in 1932; he has starred in numerous English and Arabic language films. At the time of 'Doctor Zhivago' and 'Lawrence of Arabia' he was a very popular actor with audiences in Britain and Egypt.

Aswan High Dam. When the Aswan Dam was built in the 1950s Lake Nasser was created. It is in southern Egypt, located near the city of Aswan. The dam is 11,811 feet long, 3215 feet thick at the base and 364 feet tall. Nasser, president at the time of the dam's construction, paid for it by nationalizing the Suez Canal. When it was created, Lake Nasser was the largest man made lake in the world.