Egypt was a nation state when majority of Europeans were living in mud huts, but it was only ever a regional power.
Egypt protected by deserts on three sides and might have become a great power in the Mediterranean region but why this dream never came true?
Some of you will be surprised but there are hardly any trees in Egypt, and for most of history, if you didn’t have trees you couldn’t build a powerful navy with which to project your power.
There has always been an Egyptian navy but the navy's power tied to Lebanon.
Egypt used to import cedar from Lebanon to build ships at great expense – but it has never been a strong navy.
Egypt used to import cedar from Lebanon to build ships at great expense – but it has never been a strong navy.
Today's Egypt has the most powerful armed forces of all the Arab states, thanks to US military aid; but it remains contained by deserts, the sea and its peace treaty with Israel.
Egypt still struggling to cope with feeding around 100 million people a day while battling an Islamist insurgency, especially in the Sinai, and guarding the Suez Canal, through which passes 8% of the world’s entire trade every day.
Despite having fought 5 wars with Israel, Egypt is likely to come into conflict with next is Ethiopia, and the issue is the Nile.
Two of the continent’s oldest countries, with the largest armies, have at times edged towards conflict over the region’s major source of water. #H2O
Two of the continent’s oldest countries, with the largest armies, have at times edged towards conflict over the region’s major source of water. #H2O
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