People have lived along the Nile since the earliest of times. The development of civilization in the Nile Valley was influenced by numerous cultural groups. The earliest recorded Egyptian dynasty united the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3110 BC.
Almost all of the people are Egyptians, Bedouins, or Berbers. The rest of the population is composed of Nubians, Greeks, Armenians, and other Europeans. Almost all Egyptians live along the Nile; the rest of the country is mostly desert. Cairo, the capital, has between 11 and 14 million inhabitants�an exact count is impossible because of migrants, informal residents, and other factors. Alexandria has a population of 3,577,000 .

Arabic is the official language in Egypt, although English and French are used in business and education. The formal written language differs from the dialect used in daily life. Many dialects are spoken, of which Cairene is the most common.

More than 90 per cent of Egyptians are Sunni Muslim. Although Egypt is officially a secular state, Islamic principles strongly influence its laws, business relations, and social customs. The Islamic day of worship is Friday, a day for men to pray at the mosque�as opposed to praying at home or at work as on other days�and to hear a sermon. Women pray at home or in a separate part of the mosque. The laws of Islam are observed daily through dress and dietary codes, prayer, and frequent references to Allah�s will or blessings. Muslims pray five times daily, always facing Mecca (Makkah) in Saudi Arabia. Other religious groups include a significant minority of Coptic Christians (more than 7 million), whose religion dates back to Egypt�s separation from Rome in the 5th century AD.

The family is a great source of stability and support in Egypt. In most homes, a girl is protected by her brothers and may be accompanied by them in public. Traditionally, a man�s honour is based on how well he protects the women in his care. In rural areas, a girl may discontinue her schooling when she reaches adolescence. Many people live in traditional extended families, including aunts, uncles, and cousins. In cities, nuclear families are more common, although close ties are usually maintained, with cousins as well as with siblings. Parents often play a large role in planning the future of their children, and their influence ranges from the choice of profession to the selection of the wife or husband. For their part, children assume responsibility for supporting and caring for their parents in their old age.
Traditionally, marriages were arranged between heads of families, often with little input from the couple involved. Now, however, individuals have more say about their future partner. Both families are heavily involved in wedding preparations, because a marriage joins whole families as well as individuals. Moral purity is highly valued in a woman and is usually a key requirement in the marriage contract. Housing is expensive and hard to acquire, and engagements may last until the couple has saved enough money to buy their own home.

The diet of many Egyptians includes rice, bread, fish, lamb, chicken, turkey, and stuffed vegetables. Tahina (a paste made with sesame, oil, garlic, and lemon), tomatoes, yoghurt, and cucumbers are also eaten with meals. Traditional foods include fava beans prepared as foul, or ta'miyya, and flat (unleavened) Egyptian bread. Kofta (minced meat with spices skewered and grilled over a fire) and kebab (similar to kofta but using cubes of meat) are two popular local dishes. Snack food includes pitta bread served with spreads such as tahina, hoummos (made with chickpeas), and baba ghanoug (made with mashed aubergine and tahina). Meat is expensive and only eaten occasionally. Bread is eaten with every meal. Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol.
Many Egyptians prepare elaborate and expensive meals when they have guests. Sometimes a person will not eat everything on the plate in order to compliment the host for providing so well. In restaurants people may leave food on the plate to demonstrate that they are wealthy enough to afford to do so. Finger food is eaten with the right hand.

Greetings are often elaborate. Phrases used for greetings depend largely on the differences between the individuals� social classes. Generally, however, friends of the same sex shake hands and kiss on the right and left cheeks. If the greeting comes after a long absence, the kisses may be repeated more than once, sometimes ending with a kiss to the forehead. Men greet women with a handshake only if the woman extends her hand first. Otherwise, the greeting is verbal. It is considered improper to use first names unless one has been invited to do so. Good friends exchange first names in informal settings, but they may add a title to the first name on formal occasions. A compliment is often returned with another compliment on the same subject or with a wish for Allah�s blessings.
Members of the same sex tend to stand close to one another in conversation, but members of the opposite sex do not. Good friends of the same sex may walk hand in hand in public, and married or engaged couples may walk arm in arm. Otherwise, a man does not touch a woman in public.
Visiting is one of the most important pastimes in Egypt because it demonstrates the importance of a relationship. Married children often visit their parents on Fridays and holidays. Business visits usually begin with light conversation and coffee or tea to establish trust and confidence.
Wealthy men often go to private clubs to socialize, and most men go to coffee shops to relax with friends and play table games such as backgammon and dominoes. Even the smallest village will have at least one coffee shop. Women usually socialize in the home.

Football (Soccer) is the national sport, but clubs also offer tennis, swimming, and horse-riding, as well as other sports. In urban areas, many people enjoy going to the cinema where a wide variety of Egyptian and foreign films are shown. The arts are highly valued.

In Egypt, the western Gregorian calendar is used for all business and government purposes, but the lunar calendar is used to calculate the dates of Muslim holidays. The lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, so holiday dates vary from year to year.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims go without food or drink between sunrise and sunset. 'Aid el-Fitr, the second most important Islamic holiday, is a three-day feast to celebrate the end of Ramadan.
'Aid el-Adha is the most important Islamic holiday. It is observed by those who have not gone on the pilgrimage to Mecca. This holiday commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at Allah's behest. Animals are sacrificed by many Egyptian families to symbolize the permission Allah gave Abraham to substitute a ram for his son.
Sham el-Nasseem, the Monday after Coptic Easter, is a festival celebrating spring that has been observed for thousands of years. It is a day to breathe in the spring breezes (nasseem means �spring breeze�) and have a picnic on the banks of the Nile.
Labour Day is observed on 1 May. Revolution Day (23 July) celebrates the revolution of 1952, in which Egypt was transformed from a monarchy to an independent republic. Armed Forces Day (6 October) marks Egypt's surprise attack on Israel in 1973 to take back the Sinai Peninsula.
Other holidays include the Coptic New Year and the Birthday of Muhammad (Maulid el-Nabey).

The Ministry of Culture directs cultural activities in Egypt. The country has various cultural facilities, including the Pocket Theatre, the National Puppet Theatre, the Opera House, and the National Symphony. Egypt is the principal film-making country in the Arab world, with a state-operated cinema corporation and numerous private film companies. Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize for literature, becoming the first Arabic writer to do so.

Archaeological evidence and surviving instruments show that music was important to the ancient Egyptians, but little is known about its performance technique or context. After coming into contact with Islam in AD 642, Egyptian music adopted Arab melodic and rhythmic modes, sung or performed on the �ud (or oud; a short-necked lute), the ney (an end-blown flute), and accompanying drums.
There are many varieties of local folk music in Egypt. The Nubians, who live in the south of the country, frequently play lutes or lyres in distinctive rhythms. The Berbers, who live in the eastern and western deserts, sing unaccompanied or play flutes and double-headed drums. Saiyidi is the folk music of the Saiyidi people in the upper Nile Valley and is known for its poetry. Another vocal folk music form is the sawahili from the Mediterranean coastal area, accompanied by the guitar-like simsimaya. Since the early 1960s there has been a growing interest in folk dancing, and there are two national dance groups.
In the 20th century popular music in Egypt developed into a major industry, combining elements of classical Arab music with local and western musical traditions. It developed partly as a reaction against four centuries of Turkish Ottoman rule, and much of it emphasized Arab cultural identity. The late Umm Kulthum, singer and pioneer of this modern genre, continues to be widely revered throughout Arab countries. The street poetry of shaabi and the electronic dance form el-jil are popular music genres that have developed since the 1970s.
The Coptic Christian Church in Egypt has a liturgical music that some claim is related to that of the ancient pharaohs.

Among the many outstanding museums in Cairo is the Egyptian Museum, also known as the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, which houses a vast collection of relics and artefacts from almost every period of ancient Egypt.

The 444 directly elected members of the People�s Assembly, along with 10 members appointed by the president, nominate the president, who is then elected by referendum for a six-year term. The president has executive power and is assisted by a prime minister and a cabinet. A 210-member Magles El Shura council that is partly elected and partly appointed acts as a consultative body. Egypt is divided into 26 administrative zones.

Egyptian society has become increasingly divided by the debate about whether the country should become an Islamic state or remain a secular state in which multiculturalism, a free press, and diversity are tolerated. Radical Islamic fundamentalists have resorted to violence to further their aims, while the authorities have in turn been accused of abuses of human rights in actions taken against them.
In 1981 the Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat was assassinated by Muslim fundamentalists who disagreed with his policies. He was succeeded by former Vice President Hosni Mubarak, who introduced greater democracy and established himself as an important leader of moderate Arab nations. Although re-elected in 1987 and 1993, Mubarak has faced strong and increasingly violent opposition from fundamentalists who want Egypt to become an Islamic state. In June 1995 an assassination attempt was made against Mubarak while he was travelling to an Organization of African Unity (OAU) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Two separate Egyptian Islamic groups claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt: the Islamic Group and the Vanguards of Conquest. Since then, there have been two terrorist attacks against Egyptian targets abroad. On 19 November 1995 a suicide bomber attacked the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing 16 people. Earlier in the month, on 13 November, an Egyptian diplomat was shot and killed in Geneva, Switzerland. In both cases, Islamic militants claimed responsibility.

Agricultural crops include sugarcane, corn, rice, wheat, cotton, and a wide range of vegetables and fruits, including citrus fruits. However, the country has to import almost half of the food it needs. The chief industries are food processing, textiles, chemicals, cement, petroleum, and metals. The main exports are cotton (raw and in spun form), textiles, petroleum, and petroleum products. In addition to oil, natural resources include natural gas, lead, and other minerals. The Suez Canal continues to be an important source of revenue.

 The currency is the geneh.