Many people with little knowledge of Egypt and less interest in exploring this ancient land believe it to be a desert.

Egypt is much more diverse than deserts surrounding the fertile Nile Valley, though few of us have actually had the opportunity to seek out these various habitats where one may very well freeze to death under a blanket of snow in the high Sinai mountains, view tropical birds and a marshy lake district, or explore the rich pristine coral reefs and marine life of Egypt's coastal waters.

Yet many of these areas are but a stone's throw away from the ancient monuments and the sandy beaches that are so popular among tourists.
Perhaps this is why, since the early 1980's that the Egyptian government has been so intent on establishing Nature Reserves, or as they are often referred to in Egypt, Protected Areas.

Today, there are some 21 national parks in Egypt, of which perhaps the best known and one of the oldest is at Ras Mohamed on the tip of the Sinai Peninsula.
This is actually a marine reserve that is, to the outside world, most familiar to scuba divers.

Here, one finds mangrove trees, along with some 200 species of coral, around 1,000 species of fish, along with various birds such as Osprey and White-eyed gulls, but also endangered turtle populations and even threatened mammals such as the Dorcas Gazelle.

‘The Great Wisdom flows in Egyptians’ blood, but it flows without their knowledge. Yet, it is true the Egyptian mind make-up is a product of thousands of years of accumulated history. Successive invaders left their mark, but were eventually assimilated into Egypt which the Egyptians call the Mother of the World, Om Eddunia.

Egyptians are friendly, hospitable and modest. They also have a sense of balance and moderation. Problems in Egypt, however, have a tendency to resist solutions. Everybody seems to accept that trouble will somehow work itself out. Insha’Allah and Ma'lesh are essential vocabulary for the visitor. A key to enjoying any visit to Egypt is infinite patience.

Egypt has its fair share of problems. More than 40% of its men are illiterate (more for women); it is over populated and poor. There is a large degree of mal-distribution of wealth. With no class system in Egypt, and no titles, the only way to climb up the social ladder is by acquiring more wealth.

Egyptians are proud and sensitive. Proud of their history but sensitive of their present. This paradox explains why people do not like foreign photographers poking their cameras into their everyday life. Unless photographed at their best or in situations they are proud of, Egyptians are more comfortable away from the cameras.

Egyptians are, positively speaking, color blind. Other races are regarded as equal and given the same consideration. Foreigners who live in Egypt are treated with respect and tolerance. Egyptians abroad are sometimes shocked and surprised by race hate problems in other countries.

The Arabic language has its mark on the Egyptian mind. Classical Arabic is used by the media and in formal writing, but the spoken Arabic is colloquial and varies from one region to the next. The colloquial Arabic of Cairo is widely understood throughout the Arab world, because of the cultural influence of films, songs and TV programs.

Classical Arabic, the language of the Qur’an, is the living proof of past glory. For the average Egyptian over-emphasis and exaggeration in speech is normal and common. This is reflected also in the colloquial form of the language, used in everyday conversation. People aspire to the classical form of speech but can only use and feel comfortable with the colloquial.

Egypt remains one of the more secure and friendly countries in the world for tourists. Egyptians are easy to get on with and will go out of their way to help foreign visitors find their way, or invite them for a meal or a tea. Their offers are usually authentic and not for expected reward. This generosity is part of the culture and a product of the harsh living conditions which value sharing and giving. The hustle of the market place for selling local ware to tourists has nothing to do with the national character and more to do with free market competition for more income.

Egyptians are very religious. They ask for God’s mercy when they get desperate, using the expression Rahmetak Ya Rabb (Your Mercy, O’ Lord).

In Egypt, the prominent culture is that of Islam. There is a tangible Coptic Christian part of Egypt. But Copts are not a minority, in the since that they are of the same race and culture as their Moslem countrymen. The resulting culture is moderate and inclusive, even of those who are non-Egyptian.

In all social aspects there is no great distinction between Moslems and Copts. Except for religious occasions, the social code is for all Egyptians. Fortunately, foreigners are not expected to know or follow that code, but are so much appreciated if they show awareness of local customs and the language, however rudimentary. It is prudent to avoid arguments about politics, religion or status of women in Egypt. These are the topics which are likely to create misunderstanding and frustration. But a chat in simple Arabic and English, a joke about the crowds and the traffic, a comment about the positive aspects of life in Egypt, will be so much appreciated. For the tourist, a little effort will go a long way to make his stay welcome and enjoyable..

Egypt could be said to have six different tourist super-sites. Each has its own flavor, and mostly each serves a different purpose. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, most of these tourist areas do not depend on ancient monuments to sustain them. In fact, only Luxor is completely dependent on this trade. These super-sites consist of:

Alexandria and the immediate area around the City. It could in fact be argued that this area extends to Marsa Matruh to the west on the coast. The area has a Mediterranean feel about it, and the attraction is the Mediterranean Sea, and to the people of Cairo, a somewhat cooler climate.

Cairo and the immediate area around the City have everything. Cairo has great hotels, entertainment, restaurants, all manner of monuments from throughout the history of Egypt and it is often the entry point for most people visiting Egypt. It even has bowling allies and several golf courses to choose from.

Luxor and the surrounding area is a living museum with vast numbers of ancient Egyptian monuments. It is also highly oriented to tourists, and might be thought of in the same regard as a theme park, where the attractions just happen to be real monuments.

Aswan and the surrounding area probably the least of the super-site tourist areas, but has great hotels, along with the huge Lake Nasser just to the south.

Hurghada and the surrounding area, particularly El Gouna. Not too far apart are El Gouna, Hurghada and Safaga, and these areas contain just about everything a tourist would like to have, with the exception of ancient monuments. They make up for that with every variety of water sports, several golf courses, casinos and more. The Red Sea area has less of an Egyptian feel, but not as European as the Sinai.

Sharm El Sheikh, and the surrounding area including Sharks Bay. This is the Sinai super-site, again with most everything any tourist might wish. There are even some wonderful Christian monuments nearby, and the water sports, as at Hurghada, are all inclusive.

This is not to say that there are many more tourist destinations, particularly on the Red Sea and in Sinai, and on Egypt's mainland interior, the oases. However, in much of the rest of the mainland interior, travel and destinations are limited. However, the tourist super-sites encompass perhaps ninety-five percent of the ancient monuments.

Egypt is probably the world's oldest civilization having emerged from the Nile Valley around 3,100 years ago, historically.

Egypt is probably one of the oldest vacation spots. Early Greeks, Romans and others went there just for fun, and to see the wonders of some of mankind's earliest triumphs.

But Egypt is much more than Pyramids and monuments. It is also Red Sea scuba diving, hot night spots, luxury hotels and five star restaurants. It is romantic cruises down the Nile on festive river boats, a night at the grand opera and it is a cultural experience like none you have ever experienced. Egypt is a land bustling with life, sound, visual beauty and excitement.

More than anything else, we want you to think of Egypt as fun. For thousands of years, it has been the playground of emperors and kings, and I hope you will take the time to find out why.

With some 16 million inhabitants Cairo is the biggest city in Africa and the Middle East. It is also home to a rapidly growing street children population of around 150,000.

Many of these unfortunate children have to deal with broken families, poverty, abuse and violence. Sadly, drugs such as cannabis herb, tablets, and solvents, are all too often used to cope with the pain, violence, and hunger of the streets.

Nearly 66 per cent of these street children consume substances of abuse on a regular basis. Illicit substances consumed include: glue, Bango (cannabis herb), hashish,
solvents and tablets (Parkinol, Rohypnol).

Eighty per cent of the children are exposed to real or constant threat of violence from employers, hostile or abusive community members, and their peers.

Seventy per cent of those children were school dropouts, 30 per cent had never attended schools.

Two-thirds have a sense of what they would like their lives to be(i.e., stable blue collar work as mechanics, carpenters or drivers), and even have a general understanding of what they need to "get there", (i.e., literacy, vocational training). Few have any conception of how to craft a strategy to realize this vision.

The Egyptian government has launched its strongest commitment to improve the lot of street children.

There is a significant change from past trends in the treatment of street children as a policy issue. The philosophy of the report and its recommendations is an understanding of the problem as a socio-economic phenomenon rather than a purely legal or criminological one. The report argues that there is a dearth of existing policy in addressing the needs of street children beyond the often inflexible framework provided by Egypt's Child Law. The current policy takes little account of the particular emotional and physical vulnerabilities of a child.

Indeed children making a life on the street are too often regarded as delinquents under the existing policy. Today society gives little respect to the rights of children on the street. There is an incredibly strong negative attitude in evidence."

There is a proactive mobilization of national resources for the protection and rehabilitation of street children. Such a mobilization would presumably initiate training programs at the grass-roots level of the teachers, police officers, psychologists and social workers who come into contact with children every day.

Additionally crucial is defining the parameters of the problem. No unanimous definition of street children is in use in Egypt today, particularly given the sensitive nature of the situation and its intimate links with child labour, education and poverty.

Beyond the sensitivity of the issue, life on the street often defies simple categorization. While some children may not have a place to sleep at night, others may not be homeless but forced to be out on their own all day working to support the family. For these families, school fees are often too overwhelming to even consider. While they may have a home to go to at the end of the day, these children are just as vulnerable to exploitation as those who sleep on the streets.

It remains to be seen, nevertheless if tangible change will take place on the street it will be up to the ministries, NGOs and, finally, the local authorities who have contact with these children on a daily basis to reverse a set of deplorable trends.