Political and National Boarders of Egypt

The year 1952 marks when Egypt officially became a country, finalizing its boarders. Before then, however, many boundary changes, conquests by different rulers, and short wars had taken place in trying to attain pieces of land surrounding Egypt. Each of these disruptions have affected not only the political and natural boundaries of the nation, but also the lives of the Egyptian people.

Natural National Boarders 

Mediterranean and Red Seas. [6]

            Some of the greatest national boarders around Egypt have been the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Both of these bodies of water provide a natural boundary from enemies, consisting of over 2,500 kilometers of coastline.[1] This vast amount of water in such close proximity to Egypt has had a profound impact on the people who live near the coast. Because of the great abundance of water, many people choose to use fishing as a way to provide financially for their families. Fishermen take advantage of this, using the Mediterranean Sea to catch 45% of the demanded fish. These water boundaries have not changed throughout the years, remaining constant during the course of time.

European conquest

Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796. [7]

            One of the main people groups that attempted to take over the Egyptian region was Bonaparte and and his French army. In July of 1798, Napoleon drove 35,000 of his soldiers straight into Egypt, desiring the great wealth of history, religion, and wealth that laid in its boarders.[2] Alexandria and Cairo were soon conquered, but not without a fight. Bonaparte, having taken over each of these cities, disrupted life for the Egyptians living there, causing them to fight back in order to keep their land.[2] French men battled against over 22,000 Middle Eastern soldiers, thousands of which lost their lives trying to defend their own land. This battle alone greatly disrupted Egyptian national boarders because Egypt no longer had control over Cairo and Alexandria. This was French land now, resulting in a loss of territory from what used to be Egypt.

Muslim Conquest

Map of Egypt under Muhammad Ali. [6]

           The main difference in Ancient Egyptian borders and modern Egypt is the literal line of where the country begins and ends. One of the major changes happened throughout 1805-1914 when Muhammad Ali ruled over the land with his powerful dynasty. There were many political modifications as Muhammad desired to build a kingdom that stretched far and wide. Ali used his militaristic strength to threaten the Ottoman Empire, eventually overpowering them and expanding the borders of Egypt. Such power did provide a better infrastructure for the country as a whole, adding many postal services, railways, harbors, schools, canals, and irrigation systems.[3]

Modern War

Israeli fighter planes. [9]

             Egypt had settled its boarders in 1952, officially marking out the defining points of the nation. This  was a relatively peaceful time to citizens throughout Egypt and Syria who united to create the United Arab Republic.[4] However, in 1967 the Six-Day war occurred due to boarder tensions between Israel and Egypt. Israel launched air attacks over the Sinai Peninsula, gaining control of the Suez Canal and Sinai Peninsula. This short war had great effects on the people who lived specifically in the Sinai Peninsula, because they were in the middle of battle in their everyday lives. By 1982, Egypt and Israel were able to make a peace negotiation, returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, thus changing the national boundary again. [5] This helped begin the restoration of relations between both countries' Prime Ministers, commercial workers, and other diplomatic leaders.   

---

[1] "FAO Fishery Country Profile - THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT." FAO Fishery Country Profile - THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT. Accessed May 06, 2016. http://www.fao.org/fi/oldsite/FCP/en/EGY/profile.htm.

[2] "The Egyptian Campaign." PBS. Accessed May 06, 2016. http://www.pbs.org/empires/napoleon/n_war/campaign/page_3.html.

[3] "Muhammad Ali Dynasty." - New World Encyclopedia. December 5, 2014. Accessed May 06, 2016. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Muhammad_Ali_Dynasty.

[4] "Egypt: Maps, History, Geography." Infoplease. 2016. Accessed May 06, 2016. http://www.infoplease.com/country/egypt.html?pageno=2.

[5] History.com Staff. "Six-Day War Ends." History.com. 2010. Accessed May 04, 2016. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/six-day-war-ends.

[6] CIA. The World Factbook. 2004. Egypt. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Egypt-CIA_WFB_Map.png

[7] Antoine-Jean Gros. Palace of Versailles. 1796. France. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1801_Antoine-Jean_Gros_-_Bonaparte_on_the_Bridge_at_Arcole.jpg

[8] https://commons.wikimedia.or/wiki/File:Egypt_under_Muhammad_Ali_Dynasty_map_de_2.png
[9] Zionism and Israel Information Center. Israel Mirage Jets returning from Egypt. 1967. http://www.zionism-israel.com/dic/6daywar.htm