Egypt after Live Aid

Long known for its pyramids and ancient civilisation, Egypt is the largest Arab country and has played a central role in Middle Eastern politics in modern times. As the wealthiest country on the African continent, Egypt has a highly developed, prosperous economy. Tourism is one of the country’s main economic sectors, in addition to the oil and gas sectors, although both of these are threatened by the volatile political situation.

Deserts occupy most of the country, and almost all of Egypt’s cities and agricultural activity are concentrated along the banks of the Nile, and on the river's delta. Consequently, rapid population growth and the limited amount of arable land are straining the country's resources and economy, and continuing political turmoil has paralysed government efforts to address the problems.

However, the country has been working hard to tackle some of it’s most prominent social issues, such as education; Rates for primary and secondary education have strengthened in recent years, with ninety-three percent of children entering primary school today. But, the ever growing population is having detrimental effects on these efforts, as illiteracy rates prove difficult to decrease.

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Time Line

• 1953 Coup leader Muhammad Najib becomes president as Egypt is declared a republic.

• 1954 Fellow coup leader Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes prime minister and in 1956 president, ruling unchallenged until his death in 1970.

• 1967 Israel launches the Six-Day war, seizing Sinai, West Bank, Gaza and Golan Heights.

• 1970 President Nasser dies, and is succeeded by Sadat

• 1973 Egypt and Syria launch a surprise attack against Israel.

• 1976 Formation of political party introduced.

• 1997 SOS Children begin working in Egypt, building SOS Children's Village Cairo. 

• 1980 SOS Children's Village Alexandria opens.
  

• 1981 President Sadat is assassinated, Mubarak elected president by a referendum.

• 1984 SOS Children open a community at Tanta with a Nursery and Youth House.
  

• 1994 Severe flooding in Southern Egypt leaves hundreds dead and over 15,000 homeless.  SOS Children sets up an Emergency Relief Programme in Asyut, consisting of 42 temporary family houses, medical centres and social centres.

• 1995 Mubarak escapes an assassination attempt by fundamentalists in Addis Ababa.

• 2006 Up to 1,000 people die when a ferry carrying about 1,400 passengers from Saudi Arabia to Egypt sinks in the Red Sea

• 2010 The threat of Hepatitis C spirals, as researchers fear that a potential epidemic could spread across Egypt. The interim government launches a massive public awareness campaign. 99% of the population now have access to improved drinking water sources. The maternal death rate is 66 deaths per 100,000 live births, placing Egypt 92nd in the world.
  

• 2011 Egypt is in a state of civil unrest as protesters defy government-imposed curfews and take to the streets to demonstrate against President Hosni Mubarak’s government. SOS facilities remain largely safe, although two are targeted by mobs.
  

• 2012 Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi narrowly wins presidential election. The Egyptian court sentences ex-President Mubarak to life in prison for complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.

• 2013 Mass demonstrations on the first anniversary of Morsi’s rule were soon followed by his removal by the military. in August, Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters are forcibly removed from the encampments they have made around Cairo and the country more widely, scores are killed. The economic and political situation looks bleak.