Product Description

The author describes the problems of food supply for a rapidly growing population, reviews the effects of water and land shortage, and considers the impact of globalization on Egypt's attempt to industrialize. The structural difficulties besetting Egypt's economy - population explosion, a seriously negative balance of payments, massive debt, unemployment, brain drain and corruption - have already been eased by the rise of tourism which is so vulnerable to Islamist terrorism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3165406 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
"very useful and remarkably up-to-date textbook... It certainly fills a gap in the...literature on the geography of North Africa and the Middle East...excellent textbook." -Keith Sutton, Manchester University "A comprehensive and informative synopsis of the economic and social issues of a crucial country within the Arabic world (...) which deserves to be read as widely as possible." -Eckart Ehlers, Erdkunde: German Geographical Journal (translated from German)

About the Author
Fouad N. Ibrahim is Professor of Social Geography at the University of Bayreuth. Barbara Ibrahim has researched and written extensively on social and economic issues as they relate to the geography of Africa in general and Egypt in particular. She has taught geography at a number of institutions in Germany.

Customer Reviews

An invaluable resource
I have been visiting Egypt twice or three times a year for the last four or five years, for research, conferences and as a tour leader. I found that this book offered a brilliant insight into modern Egypt, which represented a vast gap in my knowledge of the country. It is very easy to read and the arguments are made as transparent as possible.

It is a true economic geography in that it looks at all aspects of Egyptian life - history, people, land, religion, natural resources, industry, income potential, politics, economic status, etc.

The analysis of the Aswan High Dam turned out to be such a talking point on one of the tours I took into the Egyptian desert that I had difficulty getting the group back onto the subject of archaeology!

I always have it with me when I go to Egypt and my copy of it is now falling apart.

I am sure that not everyone would agree with all of the conclusions that the authors come to, but for my needs it is an excellent and thought-provoking summary of all aspects of modern Egypt.