When did the Arab Republic of Egypt exist?

The Arab Republic of Egypt existed 1971 – present. On this map it is drawn 1973–2024.

How large was the Arab Republic of Egypt?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Arab Republic of Egypt covered about 995,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Africa · Independence and the modern states

Arab Republic of Egypt

Republic · 1971 – present

The Arab Republic of Egypt is the official name, adopted under Anwar Sadat's 1971 constitution, of the modern Egyptian republic — a country of about 1.01 million km² spanning northeast Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, home to over 100 million people, the most populous Arab nation. Cairo is the capital.

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Type: Republic
Existed: 1971 – present
Shown on the map: 1973–2024
Peak area: 995k km²
Region: Africa

Overview

History

Egypt's civilisation along the Nile is among the world's oldest: unified c. 3150 BCE, its pharaonic dynasties built the pyramids and endured three millennia before Persian, Greek (Ptolemaic), Roman, and Byzantine rule. Arab armies brought Islam in 639–642; Cairo, founded by the Fatimids in 969, later anchored the Mamluk Sultanate and, from 1517, Ottoman Egypt. Muhammad Ali Pasha's dynasty (from 1805) modernised the state, but debt and the Suez Canal (opened 1869) led to British occupation in 1882. Egypt gained nominal independence in 1922 as a monarchy; the 1952 Free Officers revolution of Naguib and Nasser abolished the monarchy and declared a republic in 1953.

Nasser (president 1956–1970) nationalised the Suez Canal — surviving the 1956 tripartite invasion — championed pan-Arabism, briefly merged with Syria as the United Arab Republic (1958–1961), and lost Sinai in the 1967 Six-Day War. Sadat (1970–1981) renamed the state, expelled Soviet advisers, launched the 1973 October War, then made peace with Israel at Camp David (1978–79), regaining Sinai but being expelled from the Arab League; Islamists assassinated him in 1981. Hosni Mubarak ruled under emergency law for three decades until the 2011 Arab Spring revolution forced his resignation. The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi won the 2012 election but was overthrown by the military in July 2013 after mass protests. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, president since 2014, has consolidated an authoritarian, military-backed semi-presidential republic under the 2014 constitution.

Later history and present status

Egypt has Africa's second-largest economy, driven by the Suez Canal, gas, tourism, agriculture, and remittances, though poverty and debt remain severe. Islam is the state religion (~90% Sunni); Coptic Christians form a large, contested minority (5–20%). Arabic is official. Egypt is a regional power, a U.S. ally, and a BRICS member.

Common questions

What was the Arab Republic of Egypt?: The Arab Republic of Egypt is the official name, adopted under Anwar Sadat's 1971 constitution, of the modern Egyptian republic — a country of about 1.01 million km² spanning northeast Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, home to over 100 million people, the most populous Arab nation. Cairo is the capital.
When did the Arab Republic of Egypt exist?: The Arab Republic of Egypt existed 1971 – present. On this map it is drawn 1973–2024.
How large was the Arab Republic of Egypt?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Arab Republic of Egypt covered about 995,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Arab Republic of Egypt?: Egypt's civilisation along the Nile is among the world's oldest: unified c. 3150 BCE, its pharaonic dynasties built the pyramids and endured three millennia before Persian, Greek (Ptolemaic), Roman, and Byzantine rule. Arab armies brought Islam in 639–642; Cairo, founded by the Fatimids in 969, later anchored the Mamluk Sultanate and, from 1517, Ottoman Egypt.
What is the present status of the Arab Republic of Egypt?: Egypt has Africa's second-largest economy, driven by the Suez Canal, gas, tourism, agriculture, and remittances, though poverty and debt remain severe. Islam is the state religion (~90% Sunni); Coptic Christians form a large, contested minority (5–20%).

Sources

Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.

Wikipedia — Egypt en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt

This entry was written from the sources above and last updated 10 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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