The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa B. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in B. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries.
A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in Completion of the Suez Canal in elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in , but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until Partially independent from the UK in , Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in The completion of the Aswan High Dam in and the resultant Lake Nasser have reaffirmed the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt.
A rapidly growing population the largest in the Arab world , limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's fast-growing population as it implements far-reaching economic reforms, including the reduction of select subsidies, large-scale infrastructure projects, energy cooperation, and foreign direct investment appeals.
Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new parliament was in place in early ; later that same year, Muhammad MURSI won the presidential election. Simultaneously, the government began enacting laws to limit freedoms of assembly and expression.
Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world and the third most populous country in Africa, behind Nigeria and Ethiopia. The large cohort of women of or nearing childbearing age will sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future an effect called population momentum. To increase contraceptive use and to prevent further overpopulation will require greater government commitment and substantial social change, including encouraging smaller families and better educating and empowering women.
