Population of Egypt. The population of Egypt. Population of ancient Egypt. Religion and customs

According to historical data in such a country as Egypt, the population began to form about twelve thousand years ago. Then the northern tribes came to its territory in search of fertile lands and later representatives of other areas of the continent were later added. Thus, in the valley of the Nile, several tribes at once lived. Over time, after a number of bloody wars, skirmishes and enslavement, the indigenous population of Egypt was formed. Initially, it consisted of several hundred thousand people, and during the twilight of the country reached a mark of several million.

As of the beginning of the twentieth century, more than forty million people lived in the Nile Valley. Moreover, almost one million was added to this quantity every year. The number (2013), according to official data, is 83.66 million people. This is the largest number of the country's history. Now the state takes 16th place in the world in such an indicator as the population. According to scientists, if the situation does not change, as of 2050, the number of residents of the country will exceed 120 million people.

It should be noted that the territory of the state settled unevenly. People mostly live on five percent, it is about one million kilometers square. The average is 76 people per 1 km 2. At the same time, in the area and Delta Nile, this indicator grows up to 1500 inhabitants per 1 km 2. The most weakly-free in the country are the coast of the Bay of Red and Mediterranean Seas, Shakhtar Towns in the Eastern, as well as the oases of the Western Desert.

Egypt, whose population is 90 percent of the Arabs of the East Khamita Group, is the Muslim country (94% of believers). The remaining 6% confess Christianity. The ethnic minority includes Bedouins, Nubians and other nomadic nations that live mainly in the southern part of the state. More than half of the inhabitants are peasants. An interesting fact is that in such a state as Egypt, the population for one third consists of children under the age of fifteen.

In the capital of the country, Cairo lives more than twenty million people. In all major cities you can find a large number of Europeans. Despite the relatively bad natural conditions, in Egypt quite high is such an indicator as the average life expectancy: 73 and 68 years old in women and men, respectively. Most of the Egyptians due to the low level of life of the peasant is illiterate. The reason for such a situation can be called the fact that the system of six-year compulsory education is practically not working. The fact is that children are mainly working on the fields along with adults during the harvest and sowing.

Due to the disadvantage of arable land, millions of rural residents annually move into addition, many Egyptians went to earn money in neighboring rich oil production countries.

The government of the state believes that Egypt, the population of which is constantly growing, will develop better if the rates of this increase will be reduced. That is why in the country a lot of effort is attached to regulate the birth rate. In particular, the idea is now actively promoted that there should be no more than two children in each family.

There are not many countries in the world, the ethnic composition of which would be so homogeneous as in Egypt. About 98% of the population are Arabs, and only about 2% are Nubians, as well as Berbers, Armenians, Greeks and representatives of other peoples.

The Egyptians are one of the Arab peoples of the Europeanid race, which has developed on the basis of the mixing of ancient Egyptians with Arabs, Berbers, Turks, Nubians and other peoples of North Africa and anterior Asia. According to the appearance of the Egyptians, the most often people of medium height, black-haired, dark-eyed, with wide persons, strongly outstanding chin and dark skin color. The inhabitants of the southern country are distinguished, as a rule, higher growth and dark skin color.

They say the Egyptians on the Egyptian dialect of Arabic. Public documents are published on literary Arabic, books, newspapers and magazines are published. English and French got widespread in cities. Many people from aristocratic families have been educated in Western European and American universities. In Egyptian educational institutions, especially the highest, among teachers, many foreigners reading lectures in English and French. A significant part of people engaged in service and trade, without knowing how to read and write in Arabic, speak English and French. Berber's oasis and some other oases are common in Siva and some other oases.

More than 90% of the population is an adherents of the Islam of the Sunni sense, which is a state religion. Muslim clergy enjoys a certain influence. Higher state posts occupy exclusively Muslims.

Copt-Christians of the monophysic sense, which are over 4 million people, constitute a special group of the population. They strictly adhere to the canons of the Coptic Church and rarely go to mixed marriages. Adherents of the Coptic religion are often found in the largest cities - Cairo and Alexandria, and in the southern regions there are whole villages inhabited by kopts. A particularly significant concentration of Copdes is characteristic of the Governors of the AC, Mina, Sokhag.

The population of Egypt is growing rapidly. In 1882, when the first census was conducted in the country, it consisted of only 6.8 million, and in 1981 - already over 43 million (i.e. increased more than 6 times). The birth rate in the 1980s amounted to 38 per thousand people on average, and mortality - 15. Thus, the natural increase has numbered 2.3% per year. Significant population growth is due to the high rates of fertility. Over the past ten years, the population of the country increased by an average of 1 million people per year.

The use of cheap child labor in the peasant economy contributes to early marriage and largeness. Especially they are characteristic of rural areas. Children bring Fellah's family income, and the cost of the maintenance of the child is negligible. From five to six years, children are already involved in agricultural work. The traditions of the population are also promoted by the tradition: a numerous family is the subject of the pride of the Muslim population, and bastard is condemned. In addition, multiwear raises the prestige of a married woman in society. At the same time, the polygamy is not characteristic of Egypt, although Muslim religion admits polygamy. Among the Coptic population, as a rule, the fertility is much lower.

Along with a high birth rate, a great mortality is celebrated, especially among children. Of each seven children in the family, one usually dies at birth or at an early age. The spread of various diseases in the absence of necessary medical care largely determines the increase in mortality. In rural areas, such diseases such as bilharciosis, anquositomosis, malaria, trachoma are widespread. Due to the lack of in many rural settlements of benign water, the peasants are forced to eat contaminated water from the Nile or from irrigation water bodies, which leads to different gastric diseases (dysentery, abdominal typhoids, etc.).

The average life expectancy of the Egyptians, according to the mid-70s, was about 50 years. More than 50% of the population - persons under 20 years old.

The predominant part of the men of working age is busy in various spheres of social production or is interrupted by random earnings. Women and children living in the village are widely involved in agricultural work. In cities, only a minor part of women participates in public production, but child labor is widely used in factories and in service sector.

Over 98% of the population focused in the Delta and the Nile Valley - less than 4% of the country. Therefore, the population density on territories developed in economic relations exceeds 800 people per 1 square meter. km and is constantly increasing: in 1882, it was 196 people per quarter. KM, in 1907 - 325, in 1937 - 466, in 1975 - 845 people. No other country in the world (with the exception of some extremely small in the area of \u200b\u200bstates, such as Singapore, Kuwait) does not have such a high population density on the economicly mastered territories and does not have such a high rates of its growth.

The highest density of the population is about 20 thousand people per 1 sq. M. KM - in the capital Cairo, who, together with the surrounding suburbs, is Cairo Governors. In the Governorship of Alexandria, which occupies second place in this indicator, the population density exceeds 6 thousand people.

External population migrations are distributed only in recent years, emigrate intelligentsia and skilled workers. There is no significant influx of the population from absent. However, internal migrations are very developed. Huge masses of people move from the southern (upper) areas of Egypt to more economically developing in economic relations northern (lower) areas, as well as from villages to cities.

Especially rapidly grow large cities. Currently, about 45% of the population of Egypt is already concentrated in cities, more than 30% - in large, with the number of residents over 100 thousand. The population of large cities is growing rapidly due to translated peasants there.

Most of the Egyptians are farmers, or Fellahi. The village and the field are that little world in which Fellah spends his whole life. The seizure of the crafts were not widely distributed in Egypt. Fellahi rarely leave their native village, limited, as a rule, visiting the markets of nearby cities.

A special group of the population is a Bedouins (nomads) researchers, which are about 30 thousand. Most of them are poisoned through the Sinai Peninsula and the Libyan Desert, while working in breeding camels, sheep and goats. Some of the tribes-Bedouins that worsch in the Libyan desert are engaged in agriculture and distant cattle breeding.

National minorities, presented mainly by the Greeks, Armenians, Budja, Italians, are concentrated in cities. In Alexandria and Cairo, the Greeks live, where they are mainly engaged in trading, serve in cafes and hotels. (Part of them lives in the villages and is engaged in trade and usury.) Armenians are engaged in trade, as well as hand-crafts. Among Italians are dominated by small entrepreneurs engaged in the service sector (owners of small coffee shops, shops, hotels), as well as qualified industrial and construction workers.

The lifestyle of urban residents is not much different from the lifestyle of the European urban population. However, the poorest citizens dressed almost the same as Fellahi, and their daily diet is a little different from that food that Fellahi consumes. The prevailing part of the Egyptians living in the cities is small artisans and peddler traders, widely using the work of members of their family. In large cities, the number of factory workers, employees, students are growing.

The population of Egypt increased 7 times in the 20th century, which, in general, is not such a big growth. However, in 1900, Egypt was already a country with a large population (at that time, the number was about 10 million), and today's population of Egypt (2016) in 90 million is very high, given how much the territory of Egypt is a dry desert . Therefore, Egypt has long been overcoiled - probably the overpopulation rate in Egypt is the worst of all countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

After decades of significant but stable growth, today the growth of the population in Egypt has decreased somewhat. By 2009, this figure was 1.6% per year, and 2,7 children accounted for one woman in Egypt. The average age is 24 years old, one death accounts for about 4 births. According to forecasts, by 2050, the population of Egypt will be from 110 to 120 million people.

Dynamics of changes in the population of Egypt

The peoples of Egypt

With the exception of small clean ethnic groups of Berber and Nubi residents in the south of the country, the population of Egypt is presented by mixing predominantly Egyptians and Arabs, with admixture of Nubian and Berber roots.

Since Egypt has always been multinational, the mixing of races occurs in the country is already at least 6,000 years. For this reason, it is difficult to indicate the initial Egyptian nation. But it is possible to say exactly that the number of Arab blood in the peoples of Egypt is rather small, compared with Egyptian - although the Arabs had a strong influence on the Egyptians, introducing a change in the language and cultural identification. Today's Egyptians consider themselves the Arabs, as well as the direct descendants of the ancient Egyptians. Both opinions are correct.

Egyptians belonging to the Coptic Church, as ethnically somewhat different from the rest of the Egyptians. Copts are usually considered a group that is less mixed with invading peoples, at least starting with the Muslim era, which began in the 7th century.

Egypt languages

In the most populated regions of Egypt, Arabic is fully dominated. There are exceptions, especially in the Far Southern and Southeast, where they speak languages \u200b\u200bclosest to Sudansky.

The main foreign language of Egypt is English, which is very important both in the field of higher education and in the field of international business.

Arabic

There are at least 4 dialects of the Arabic language, which can be considered relative to Egypt. The largest dialect is known simply as an Egyptian, although it is often called the Cairo dialect, which is distributed in the Arab world due to many films and serials where it is used.

Said dialect is used in the region starting south of Cairo, and stretching along the shores of Nile, right up to Sudan. The south begins a greater variety of languages, and here also use Nubian and Sudanese Arabic.

Two types of Bedouin Arabic belong to either Sinai, where they speak the Siro-Palestinian dialect of Arabic, or to the Western desert, where Western Beduensky prevails.

Nubian language

Most of Nubi residents in the south were an arabity, and now many of them consider themselves as Arabs, even if they are not ethnically. A large minority of them, however, still speaks Nubian, or on Nobin, or on Kenuzi-Dongola.

Mostly on Nubian they speak in the segregated communes in Aswan and in the field of com-ombo.

Language of Domari.

On Domari in Egypt, only the minority of houses speaks, which contrasts with others the country of the Middle East and North Africa, where the houses, in general, have retained their language. This may be an indicator of better assimilation, compared with neighboring countries.

Domari remains a living language in Mukhafase Dacia in the Nile Delta, as well as in Luxor.

Language of Bedja

East of the Nile, and along the coast of the Red Sea, the peoples of the Besja retain their language, which is also called the Bedja. Also, the east of the Nile in the oasis Harga lives a community speaking a hip - this community moved to the territory of this oasis due to the flooding of Asuan hydrogenation. Regions, where they speak the hip, extend far to the territory of Sudan, where it is one of the major languages.

Berber

Berbers living in the West (in Oasis Siva, west of Nile, along the coast to the west of Alexandria), mainly speak Arabic, but Berber tongue is also Silen.

Other languages

Greek remains alive in Alexandria and Cairo, among the Egyptians with Greek roots. Armenians migrated to Egypt from the Ottoman Empire, mainly due to the Armenian Genocide, and formed a strong community in Cairo.

Religion Egypt

The population of Egypt is predominantly Muslims, with a significant Christian minority. In 1980, Islam was defined as a state religion, before that time Egypt was a secular state.

In the given moment, the adherents of the ancient Egyptian religion remained, but different concepts and rituals that occurred from this religion can be found in modern Christianity and Islam. Some modern practices are directly borrowed from ancient cults.

Muslims

Almost all Egyptian Muslims are Sunnis. Traditionally significant strength in Egypt was Sufism, but in recent decades he became less popular.

People's Islam and institutionalized Islam are in opposition to each other. Islam in the villages and villages is a syncretic and tolerant, while Islam, practiced by a majority of theologists, has the same structure as Islamism - a religious faith, purified from extra-Islamic ideas, practice is simplified, and values \u200b\u200band rules are advised so As if they can explain all aspects of life. Islam in Egypt is very strict - Egypt is one of the centers of Islamism, and extreme views on other religions and on the Western world are common among a significant, but never measured part of the population of Egypt.

Christians

The size of the Christian community is estimated only at approximately, and the numbers range from 3% to 10%, and even up to 20%. Christians of Egypt usually overestimate this figure, and the state undertakes. The uncertainty in the amount of the Christian community will determine the annoying policy of the majority against the minority held in Egypt over the centuries. Arriving that the size of the Christian community in the country is only 3%, Muslims can receive most of government financing, and have more influence in politics, culture, and education.

The overwhelming majority of Christians of Egypt belong to the Coptic Church - the original church of Egypt, with their pop, located in Alexandria. The Copt Church has a descendant - Coptic Catholic Church. There are no special differences between these two churches.

The remaining Christians of Egypt are concentrated mainly in the northern regions of the country - the result of centuries-old international trade and other forms of migration. Christians who confess Greek Orthodoxy to largely reflect the long presence of the Greeks in Egypt; Melkites have a Lebanese origin; The followers of Armenian Orthodoxy are descendants of refugees from Turkey (due to the Armenian Genocide).

Jews

The remaining community, adhering to the Jews, today has only a few hundred people. They attend at least 3 synagogues - two in Cairo, and one in Alexandria. In the mid-1940s, the Jewish community has numbered about 65,000 people. Many left in Israel, but many were expelled in 1956 during the Suez crisis - only because they were Jews.

The population of Egypt is in the number 15th place in the world ranking. Among the African and Arab states of the Egyptians are completely leading. In order for the trip to Egypt to be more interesting, we offer to study the population structure in advance, and also to get acquainted with the customs and nuts of the inhabitants.

Population size

According to the estimates, by the end of 2015, the population of Egypt reached a mark of 92.5 million inhabitants. Annually the number of Egyptians increases. So, in 2003, 72 million people lived in the country. Such a consistent high increase is ensured by a high birth rate. Over the past year, about 2.585 million people were born, and only 564 thousand Egyptians died. Population density is 92 people / km².

Due to the large number of children, the population of the country is very young, which corresponds to the model of developing countries. With a high birth rate, life expectancy is not very high, and adults are counting on supporting the younger generation in old age. The average age in the country is 25 years old, the share of children up to 15 years is 32%. The average life expectancy is 72 years:

• 70 years in men;
• 75 years in women.

Quite an acute question of mortality due to AIDS and various infections. Neil has long turned from the water artery in the seatingman of the disease. Tourists, and and local residents, it is not recommended to swim and even wet the legs in it, as well as drink water from the crane. Getting clean drinking water today has become the most profitable business.

The migration indicator over the past year amounted to -45 thousand people. That is, the number of forever who left the country exceeded the number of newcomers. Most often, the Egyptians emigrate to Arab countries, Europe and the USA.

Ethnic composition

The composition of the population of Egypt is rather uniform. More than 95% of residents are indigenous Egyptians. The remaining citizens when moving to Egypt prefer to assimilate with local, and not to form separate communities.

From ethnic minorities, you can allocate the following:

• turks;
• greeks;
• bedouins;
• berbers;
• nubian.

The main language for residents is Arabic, but a large flow of tourists stimulates the Egyptians to study foreign languages. This is especially common among young people. It is easy to meet a person who owns English, French or Berber.

Geographical distribution

Egypt is very inhabited. Almost all residents are focused on 7% of the country, along the banks of the Nile. In such major cities as:

• Cairo;
• Alexandria;
• Giza;
• Schubra El Khemia;
• Port Said.

In them, the maximum population density reaches 20 thousand people / km², whereas in the desert it is only 23 people / km². There is also a tendency to reduce the rural population, which intensively migrates to the city.

Religion and customs

More than 94% of residents are Muslims-Sunni. Among the remaining 6% of citizens prevail Christianity (Copts). This is one of the most ancient Christian branches. The difficulty of counting the Copdes is difficult to register and specify religion in the documents.

Egyptians living in accordance with Muslim traditions, strictly observe the rituals. They will definitely pray 5 times a day, do not consume pork and alcohol. In Ramadan before sunset, they do not take water or food. At the same time, residents of Egypt understand the important role of tourism in the economic development of the state, so tolerantly belongs to the desires of tourists. The use of visitors to Ramadan during the day, as well as pork and alcohol, does not cause censures.

There are many superstitions among the population. Residents wear numerous talismans and are escaped from the evil eye and dark forces. To protect children, they are dressing them in old things, and in a conversation instead of real names, unattractive nicknames use. Tourists should not praise kids or make them compliments, as well as mock the superstitious Egyptian rites.

Level of education and employment

The literacy of the older generation is at the middle level and is 75%, and the indicator is very different on the floor. 83% of men and only 67% of women are able to read and write. Literacy of young people up to 24 years old is:

• 92.4% in men;
• 92% in women.

Egyptians have almost no opportunity to receive higher education. All learning comes down to primitive ability to read and write. Be sure only the initial six-year education. There are fewer children in high school, and further paid education receives units. Specialties, mostly, are mastered by substrucils already in production.

The big problem is employment. Due to the lack of fertile land, rural residents rushed to cities where they can not find a job. The average official unemployment rate in the country is at the level of 13.5%, among young people, he is even higher. The main income articles are industry (oil and gas, chemical, food), tourism and agriculture.

On the territory of the country were repeatedly found traces of the early human stay. Many artifacts are dated tens of thousands of years before our era. The first full-fledged settlements here began to appear only about 7,000 years ago. Proof of this was the finds of archaeologists, including in the Fayum oasis.

The population of Ancient Egypt, mostly amounted to farmers. They led a settling lifestyle off the coast of Nile. Ancient Egyptian nationality was formed by the tribes of East and North Africa. Few later came here came from tropical regions. The cause of mass migration to the territory of ancient Egypt was a deadly drought, from which whole tribes died. Oasis of salvation for aliens from the south, the River River River became the river.

As a result of migration, many tribes began to mix, unite. Nevertheless there were nomadic peoples that were industrialed by conquest and robbery. In any case, a few hundred years of fertile land from the coast of Nile became less and less. That is why in this area the most powerful clans were constantly fought for the territory. The story talks about numerous bloody battles on the shores and in the waters of the Nile.

In calm time, the peasants were engaged in the processing of land and cattle breeding. The most wealthy of them were produced by grain trading and sheep skins. What population of Egypt was at that time, tell the chronicles of antique Western historians. His number barely exceeded 5 million people. However, by different information, the population varied to 8 million inhabitants. From other crafts, copper and pottery processing flourished in ancient Egypt.

Modern administrative division

Currently, the country is divided into self-inflated provinces, which are called muhaphhas. In total in Egypt, 27 such administrative districts. There were only 25 for a long time, but in 2008 the authorities of the country were decided to form 2 more muhaphhas. They are called "October 6" and "Helun". Nevertheless, a year later, they were abolished and combined into one region. Place of 27th Mukhafase occupied a new administrative unit "Luxor". It is noteworthy that each such region is divided into marcases.

Cairo is considered the largest largest province. His population is more than 8.1 million people. The second largest is Alexandria. Her population indicators are almost 2 times less than 4.4 million inhabitants. Following Mukhafase Gira and Calubia. Their number of two equals 4.3 million people. Closes the five largest provinces of the country Garbium - just less than 900 thousand inhabitants. It is also worth highlighting Suez Muhafases, Port Side and Luxor.

Characteristic of the population

Modern Egypt is considered the most densely populated state of the Middle East. The dynamics of the number increased dramatically in the period from 1970 to 2010. Over these 40 years, a strong leap in medicine has occurred in the country, as well as the Green Revolution, as a result of which agriculture rose in terms of tens of times.

At the end of the 18th century, the population of Egypt was just over 3 million. Wine bloody steps of Napoleon. By 1940, the number of local residents exceeded 16 million people.

Most of the settlements are concentrated in the Nile Delta and along the Suez Canal. To date, almost 90% of local residents adhere to Islam, the rest are Christians and followers of other religions. The modern population of Egypt is a set of many nations. It is possible to distinguish such ethno groups like Turks, Bedouins, Abazines, Greeks, etc. It is interesting that many indigenous people migrate to Arab countries and North America.

Currently, only 3% of the population belongs to the prosperity layers. Unemployment is observed in the country, poverty flourishes. Middle day earnings is about $ 2. It is worth noting a low literacy.

Indigenous population

From time immemorial, the Coptic tribes lived on the territory of Egypt. They were an ethnic group of Egyptians of Naaraksky origin. It is them that they should be considered indigenous settlers of the country. Copts were Christians, loved independence, formed communities. According to different sources, their number ranged from 6 to 15 million people.

Nevertheless, today the indigenous population of Egypt is Arabs. Representatives of this ethnic group in the 7th century won the shores of the Nile, as part of the Middle East. Gradually, the Christian religion began to disappear, and I was shall for replacing it. The rebuilding of Egyptian society went hard and slowly. The whole process took about 5 centuries. At the moment, more than 90% of Arabs live in the country.

Number by year

Egypt's demographic indicators are far from ideal, but recently there is a slight fertility growth (up to 1.5%). Plus also goes and the average life expectancy, which is about 73 years. As for migrants, their share varies within up to 1%.

Back in 1960, the population of Egypt was about 28 million people. Over the years, demography increased due to increasing fertility. The authorities of the country strongly tried to stimulate families on three and more children.

By 1970, the population of Egypt exceeded the threshold of 36 million people. In the same period, the sailing of emigrants was noted. In the 1980s, the number amounted to almost 45 million people, and in the 1990s more than 56 million.

Population in 2014

Demographic growth amounted to a little less than 2%. As of 2014, the population of Egypt numbered about 85.5 million people. Thus, the increase was more than 1.6 million new residents. Most settled in Cairo and other developed muhaphs.

Interestingly, more than 2 million children were born this year. At the same time, mortality rates numbered only 404.5 thousand people. But there was a negative migration increase. In 2014, about 20 thousand people left the country.

Population today

Natural demographic increase still keeps at 1.6 million people. At the same time, migration indicators continue to fall, albeit a minor pace.

At the moment, the population of Egypt is just over 87.2 million people. According to analysts, the number of numbers at the end of the year is hardly changed. Racing are possible by 0.5% to any of the parties.

According to statistics, per day in Egypt, the population increases by 4.5 thousand people.