My Teenage Life in Egypt

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sewage, and polluted runoff fromindustries threaten it. Cities oftenencroachon farmland as they increase their boundaries, thereby re- ducing the food supply. Oil pollution threatens Egypt’s coastal regions. Reviving Tourism Recent developments have made many peo- ple reluctant to travel to Egypt. They feel the country has become too dangerous. The governmentmust prove it is stable, while also guarding against the possibility of terrorist attacks on tourists. Also, some of Egypt’s most prized antiq- uities are at risk because of environmental factors. Many visitors are surprised at how close the Great Pyramids are to the suburbs of Cairo. Air pollution is slowly eating away at the old stones, aswell as blowing sand from windstorms. The body heat and humidity generated by throngs of tourists in enclosed

A New Capital? In March 2015, the Egyptian government announced am- bitious plans to construct a new capital city. The currently unnamed site would be several miles east of Cairo. Besides government offices, it would have living space for 5,000,000 people. It would also contain a massive medical center, a new university, and the world’s largest park. Planners estimate that people could begin moving in by 2020. Not everyone likes the idea. Previous satellite cities around Cairo have proven too expensive for most people to afford. Others say the money would be better spent raising the standard of living in existing cities.

spaces can be harmful, too. Add to that the effect of thousands of feet going up and down ancient stone stairs. In some cases access to sites has been limited. There’s also a sad revival of an ancient custom. Thousands of years ago, grave robbers plundered the immense riches of the pharaohs’ tombs. Today robbers—who are often heavily armed and outgun the pistols of guards—are looting some of these sites. In addition, many of Egypt’s ancient treasures remain buried. Robbers often find these buried objects

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