In the fifth century BC Herodotus wrote of Egypt that 'nowhere are there so many marvellous things...nor in the world besides are to be seen so many things of unspeakable greatness' - and not too much has changed. The Sphinx, the Nile, ancient Luxor, the pyramids - Egypt's scope is glorious.

It's not just the Pharaonic monuments that have drawn travellers to this country since long before the birth of Christ - it's the legacy of the Greeks, Romans and early Christians, and the profusion of art and architecture accumulated from centuries of successive Islamic dynasties.

Modern Egypt is an amalgam of these legacies and more, juxtaposed with modern influences. Mud-brick villages stand beside millennia-old ruins surrounded by buildings of steel and glass. Some townsfolk dress in long flowing robes, others in Levis and Reeboks, and city traffic competes with donkey-drawn carts and wandering goats. Nowhere are these contrasts played out so colourfully as in Cairo, a massive city thronged with people and ringing to the sound of car horns, ghetto-blasters and muezzins summoning the faithful to prayer. Egypt isn't all chaos and clatter, however. It's also a diver's dream dip, a trek across the sands on a camel or a long lazy punt down the Nile.

Warning

A bomb attack behind the Cairo museum followed by an attack on a tourist bus in the city on 30 April resulted in the deaths of three tourists. This attack follows an explosion in the Al-Husain area of Cairo near the al-Azhar mosque on 7 April which killed two people and injured 16. Though Egyptian officials are describing the attacks as exceptions, there is no doubt foreigners were targeted and travellers are warned to keep up to date with further developments coming out of Cairo and to check consular advice before visiting the city.

The vast majority of visitors to Egypt have hassle-free stays, but travellers are warned to keep a modest profile and avoid public political gatherings and demonstrations. There are numerous sources of social tensions within Egypt that occasionally erupt, and they can affect travellers.

Three explosions believed to be targeting Israeli travellers killed more than 20 people along the Sinai Peninsula in October 2004. The region is still sensitive with a higher security presence than usual and travellers should avoid the Rafah crossing if at all possible. Delays travelling around the Sinai peninsula and the border crossings at Rafah and Eilat can be expected.

Israelis have been urged to avoid Egypt while nationals of other countries should maintain a high level of vigilance and avoid large resorts and major hotels. Consult consular travel advisories for further warnings.

Travel in the country's south remains restricted, and unless you use public transport, protected convoy is the only way to get between the major sites.

Full country name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Area: 1 million sq km
Population: 69.5 million
Capital City: Cairo
People: Egyptians, Berbers, Bedouin, Hamitic Arabs and Nubians
Language: Arabic
Religion: 94% Muslim, 6% Christian
Government: republic
Head of State: President Mohammed Husni Mubarak
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed Nazif

GDP: US$247 billion
GDP per capita: US$3,600
Annual Growth: 5%
Inflation: 3%
Major Industries: Oil and gas, metals, tourism, agriculture (especially cotton), Suez Canal revenues
Major Trading Partners: USA, EU, Middle East