ANALYTICAL REPORT

Analytical Report on Egypt

Analytical Report on Egypt

Language

Arabic is the official language. Written Arabic differs from the dialects spoken in daily life throughout the country. A variety of Arabic dialects are spoken in Egypt. Cairene Arabic is spoken in Cairo and the surrounding areas. Speakers of different dialects are able to understand one another without much difficulty. Egyptians are enormously proud of their rich language. Wordplays, jokes, clichés, and riddles are an integral part of Egyptian culture. Arabic is the language of instruction in schools. English is also a part of the national curriculum (Murphy, Alexander and Fouberg, 2006).

Religion

A majority of the population are Muslims in Egypt. According to the 2006 census, 90% of the population is Muslim, followed by 9% of the population being Coptic and balance 1% belong to the Christianity .Muslims accept and revere all major Judeo-Christian prophets from Adam to Jesus, but they proclaim Muhammad to be the last and greatest prophet.

Although Egypt is officially a secular state, Islamic principles guide the nation's laws, business relations, and social customs. Islam also permeates daily life through dress and dietary codes, frequent prayers, and constant references to Allah's will or blessings. Muslims are obliged to pray five times daily, always facing Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Coptic Christians, whose religion dates back to the first century AD, are Egypt's largest religious minority, making up 9 percent of the population. Although they make up a sizable portion of the population, Coptic Christians hold very few positions in the government and have little influence in running the country. Clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians are uncommon but do occur occasionally. The Coptic Orthodox Church has strong ties to the Eastern Orthodox Church, and churches are built facing the east. The most important day of worship is Sunday, and services may last as long as four hours (Wilfong, 2003).

Family

Families are extremely important in Egypt. One of the highest complements in Egypt is to describe someone as coming from a good family or having respectable parents. Such comments may refer mainly to wealth, reputation, religious piety, and education. While in previous generations larger families were the norm throughout the country, today family size has decreased in urbanized areas. Urban families have an average of two to three children, while families in rural areas may have as many as six or seven children (Cannuyer, 2001).

Males generally exert most of the control in family decisions, although this is changing in more Westernized circles. In most homes, a young woman is protected by her brothers and may even be accompanied by them in public. Traditionally, a man's honor is based on how well he protects the women in his care. In rural areas, a young woman may discontinue her schooling when she comes of age either because her family cannot afford to continue her schooling or because education for women is not valued. Today, women often work outside the home. Many are the primary breadwinners for their families, and women often outnumber men at ...