Egypt - 1

Question 1

List the social factors which contribute to the high birth rates.

Answer 1

90% of the country is Muslim.

Muslims have pro natalist beliefs, in Islam, children are considered a “gift from Allah”.

Contraception is considered “haram” (forbidden by Islamic law).

The poorer population of Egypt tend to earn a living through cultivation. Most of these people see children as economic assets, as more hands means more workers on the fields. This is why approximately half of Egypts total births occur in the rural South, along the banks of the River Nile.

Almost 25% of Egyptians are illiterate, meaning people less likely to be educated on the ideas of family planning.

Question 2

List the types of Egypt’s issues and challenges.

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Answer 2

1. High unemployment rates (13% in 2016) especially among the youth (34%). This has led to social and civil unrest e.g riots in 2011.
2. Illiteracy rates of 25%.
3. Egypt ranks 132/155 countries in gender equality.
4. Overcrowding and traffic congestion, together with pollution and an increase in crime.
5. Egypt faces severe water, energy, and wheat shortages as a result of overpopulation.
6. The education system is under huge strain, avg. classroom sizes are 40 students, with some reaching 60.
7. The government is facing the challenges providing the basic needs to its citizens, adequate housing, sanitation, health care, and education and jobs.

Question 3

State the location and distribution of the issues and challenges.

Answer 3

95% of the country is inhospitable desert, thus Egypt has one of the highest population densities in the world.

97% of the total population lives in the urban areas of Cairo and Alexandria, the Nile Delta, and the banks of the Nile River.

In Cairo, the population density can reach 40,000 people per sqkm.