The State of Egypt at the Beginning
of the Third Millennium
§ ancient Egyptians established a unique culture and an unprecedented
advanced civilization thousands of years ago. Before industrialization started
in Europe, Egypt was well equipped to compete with its neighbours beyond
the Mediterranean, but its current state of development is not easy to assess.
In modern times it has fallen behind countries in other parts of the world
in terms of development. It fits neither into the category of a developing
country, nor into that of an industrialized one. Egypt’s economic and social
characteristics provide contradictory indicators, some showing advancement,
others the opposite:
• Egypt has reached a relatively high standard of technological development,
though a large part of Egyptian society has no access to modern techno-
logy.
• Industrialization began in Egypt as early as in 1815, but in 2000/01 agri-
culture still employed 28.2 per cent of the total working population
– more than the industrial, mining and construction sectors put together
(see Table 9.2).
• The country has a remarkably well-qualified workforce and in recent
decades has exported between 2 and 4 million skilled labourers and uni-
versity graduates, mainly to the Arab states where they play a significant
role in the development of these countries. In the USA, in Canada and in
Australia, Egyptians rank among the best-qualified immigrants. However,
illiteracy rates are still very high in the country.
• Egyptian agricultural statistics show per acre yields comparable to those
of highly developed countries; this is partly due to the Green Revolution.
However, Egypt’s agricultural production depends to a considerable extent
still on man and animal power.
• In the second half of the twentieth century Egypt developed a fast-growing
energy sector based on its mineral oil and gas resources as well as on its
potential for hydropower, but the competitiveness of its industrial products
is decreasing year by year.
of the Third Millennium
§ ancient Egyptians established a unique culture and an unprecedented
advanced civilization thousands of years ago. Before industrialization started
in Europe, Egypt was well equipped to compete with its neighbours beyond
the Mediterranean, but its current state of development is not easy to assess.
In modern times it has fallen behind countries in other parts of the world
in terms of development. It fits neither into the category of a developing
country, nor into that of an industrialized one. Egypt’s economic and social
characteristics provide contradictory indicators, some showing advancement,
others the opposite:
• Egypt has reached a relatively high standard of technological development,
though a large part of Egyptian society has no access to modern techno-
logy.
• Industrialization began in Egypt as early as in 1815, but in 2000/01 agri-
culture still employed 28.2 per cent of the total working population
– more than the industrial, mining and construction sectors put together
(see Table 9.2).
• The country has a remarkably well-qualified workforce and in recent
decades has exported between 2 and 4 million skilled labourers and uni-
versity graduates, mainly to the Arab states where they play a significant
role in the development of these countries. In the USA, in Canada and in
Australia, Egyptians rank among the best-qualified immigrants. However,
illiteracy rates are still very high in the country.
• Egyptian agricultural statistics show per acre yields comparable to those
of highly developed countries; this is partly due to the Green Revolution.
However, Egypt’s agricultural production depends to a considerable extent
still on man and animal power.
• In the second half of the twentieth century Egypt developed a fast-growing
energy sector based on its mineral oil and gas resources as well as on its
potential for hydropower, but the competitiveness of its industrial products
is decreasing year by year.
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