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Cairo, Egypt
Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the
Middle East. Although Cairo itself is only about 1,000 years
old, parts of the metropolis date back to the time of the
Pharaohs. The Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza, for example, are
visible evidence of the Ancient Egyptian civilization around the
Nile river. The first Muslim settlement of Egypt was Al-Fustat,
now a part of old Cairo. In later years, Cairo was conquered and
controlled by a host of invaders including the Mamluks, the
Turks, and Napoleon Bonaparte of France.
In the 19th century, one of the city's rulers, Khedive
Ismail (1863-1879), sought to transform Cairo into a European-
style city. This, along with the British occupation of Cairo in
1891, led to the development of new suburbs for the affluent
Egyptians and foreigners. The old city was neglected and has
gradually fallen into disrepair. By the turn of the century, most
commercial activity was also moving in to modern Cairo.
Although the conservation of agricultural land has long been a
priority of Egyptian development policy, much of the critically
needed arable land in Cairo is being lost to urban development;
half of which consists of illegal development and the remainder
is planned new developments in the desert. Although a housing
crisis has been broadcast by the international news media, it is
estimated that Cairo may have a surplus of some 1 million housing
units.
Surface waters from the Nile River are the major source of bulk
water supply in Cairo. However, its distribution system is
inadequate. One of the largest sewerage projects in the world
vastly improved the hydraulic capacity of the waste-water system
of Cairo, and has nearly eliminated the problem of sewerage
flooding. However, the lowest income groups in informal
settlements on the periphery remain unserved by existing water
and waste-water systems.
Cairo has a serious air pollution situation due to motor
vehicles and industry. The city government frequently monitors
air pollution to measure concentration of noxious gases. In
addition, it utilizes all forms of media to promote environmental
conservation within the city, including celebrations like the
annual Nile Inundation to encourage environmental awareness.
Cairo is one of the world's most densely populated cities, with
one of the lowest provisions of road space per capita and
dramatic growth in the number of private vehicles. Government
actions have only exacerbated this situation by spending on
bridges and flyovers, and heavily subsidizing fuel, all of which
promote the use of private automobiles.
According to a United Nations 1994 estimate, the Cairo urban
agglomeration remains home to 9.6 million people and the figure
is projected to reach 13.2 million by the year 2010.
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