LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Egypt: North Africa
built 237 days ago
Egypt's missile program began in earnest in the 1960s. With West German assistance, Egypt began developing three missile systems: al-Zafar (375-km range), al-Kahir (600-km range) and al-Raid (1,000-km range); ... with the withdrawal of West German assistance in 1966, these programs were abandoned. In the 1980s, Egypt aligned with Iraq and Argentina in an effort to develop a short-range, solid-fueled missile known in Argentina as Condor-II and in Iraq as Badr-2000 (the internal Egyptian designation is not known publicly). In 1989, Cairo ended the cooperative relationship with Baghdad, but it is likely that domestic-based efforts continue on this missile. Egypt has been more successful in its pursuit of Scud-B and perhaps Scud-C manufacturing capabilities. With the assistance of North Korea, Egypt was able to develop an indigenous Scud-B production capability, and there are reports that it has developed an enhanced Scud-C missile.
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In the postindependence years, Egypt's internal political life was largely a struggle for power between the Wafd party and the throne. The constitution was suspended in 1930, and Egypt was under a virtual royal dictatorship until the Wafdists forced the readoption of the constitution in 1935. During World War II, Egypt remained officially neutral. However, Egyptian facilities were put at the disposal of the British and several battles were fought on Egyptian soil (for details of the military engagements, see North Africa, campaigns in).
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Despite the dispute over the caliphate, the first century of Fatimid rule over Egypt was marked by religious toleration, economic prosperity, and relative political freedom. It was probably during Fatimid rule that the majority of the Egyptians became Muslims, although they embraced Sunni rather than Shia Islam. The Fatimids extended Al Fustat northward, creating a major commercial and political metropolis that they renamed al-Qāhira, or Cairo. Untroubled by foreign invaders or conquerors, Cairo soon surpassed other Islamic cities such as Baghdād and Damascus in wealth and population.
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Around 3000 B. C. the pharaoh of the north conquered the south and Egypt became united. The pharaoh's name was King Narmer (sometimes called Menes).He founded the first capital of Egypt where the two lands met. It was called Memphis.
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[One] export pipeline to Jordan began commercial operation in July 2003, making possible Egypt's first exports of natural gas. Egypt was responsible for building the section from the existing pipeline terminus at El-Arish to Aqaba in Jordan, with a subsea section in the Gulf of Aqaba bypassing Israeli waters. Construction of the section of the pipeline from Aqaba to northern Jordan is being undertaken by a Jordanian firm, the Al-Fajr Company for Natural Gas Transportation. A contract was awarded in January 2004, and construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2005. Egypt, Jordan, and Syria agreed in principle in early 2001 to extend the pipeline into Syria, with eventual natural gas exports to Turkey, Lebanon, and possibly Cyprus. The feasibility of this option is questionable, though, as Turkish demand probably would not support another source of piped gas (beyond agreements in place with Russia, Azerbaijan, and Iran).
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Rice hybrids developed locally in Egypt have blessed the country with unprecedented yields of the nation's principal staple crop. The successful seed breeding project comes as an answer to Egypt's rapidly growing population. The technology could later be used in sub-Saharan Africa. The Cairo Agricultural Research Center (link here) and the Rice Research and Training Center (RRTC) stood behind the wide-ranging project of breeding new hybrid rice types, adapted to the special conditions in Egypt. The project ... helped train seed breeders and production personnel as well as extension workers and farmers. As a result of the project, Egypt's average yields were boosted by the introduction of the newly-developed hybrid varieties such as SK 2034 and SK 2046, which outperformed the best local varieties by 20-30%.
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