Its three wars with Israel in 1948, 1967 and 1973, then its eventual peace with its adversary in 1979, have seen Egypt move from being a warring nation to become a key representative in the peace process.

OVERVIEW

But the historic step taken by President Anwar Sadat in the Camp David agreement with Israel saw the expulsion of Egypt from the Arab League until 1989, and in 1981 Mr Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists angry at his moves to clamp down on their activities.

Since then, President Hosni Mubarak has taken a more moderate line, but Islamic groups have continued their campaigns sporadically, being responsible for several large-scale killings of tourists.

Campaigners for political reform have become more vocal in recent times and have taken to the streets in defiance of an emergency law, in force since 1981. Activists say the law restricts political expression. Egypt's ancient past and the fact that it was one of the first Middle Eastern countries to open up to the West following Napoleon's invasion means that it is seen by many as the intellectual and cultural leader in the region.

The head of Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque is one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam. Egypt's teeming cities - and almost all agricultural activity - are concentrated along the banks of the Nile, and on the river's delta. Barren deserts occupy most of the country.

FACTS

• Population: 74.9 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Cairo
• Area: 1m sq km (386,874 sq miles)
• Major language: Arabic
• Major religion: Islam
• Life expectancy: 67 years (men), 71 years (women)(UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Egyptian Pound = 100 piastres
• Main exports: Petroleum, petroleum products and cotton
• GNI per capita: US $1,390 (World Bank, 2003)
• Internet domain: .eg
• International dialling code: +20

LEADERS

President: Muhammad Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak is Egypt's longest-serving ruler since Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century and one of the longest-serving leaders in the Arab world. He succeeded President Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated in 1981, and was re-elected in 1987, 1993 and 1999. He is expected to run for a fifth six-year term in September 2005.

Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's long-serving leader He is a great survivor, having escaped no fewer than six assassination attempts. Mr Mubarak was born in 1928. He and his wife Suzanne, who is part Welsh and part Egyptian, have two sons, Ala and Gamal.

As a military man he was credited with modernising the air force after Egypt's defeat in the six-day war with Israel in 1967. He helped to plan the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which led to a peace accord with Israel and the return of the Sinai to Egypt. Mr Mubarak is an economic liberal.

His government has promised economic change, intended to spur growth. But the country remains plagued by high unemployment and low standards of living. The president has pursued friendly relations with the West. He broke the isolation imposed on Egypt by Arab countries opposed to peace with Israel.

At home he has reined in Islamist groups responsible for attacks in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The succession has become a hot topic. Reports that Mr Mubarak's younger son Gamal is being groomed for office have angered the opposition and have been denied by the president. Since 1952, when army officers led by Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew the monarchy, Egyptian leaders have been drawn from the military.

The country holds presidential referendums on a single candidate approved by parliament. However, in early 2005 Mr Mubarak said he had asked parliament to change the constitution to allow multiple candidates to stand in direct presidential elections.

• Prime minister: Ahmed Nazif
• Foreign minister: Ahmad Ali Abu-al-Ghayt
• Finance minister: Yusuf Butrus Ghali

MEDIA

Egypt is a major regional media player. Its press is one of the most influential and widely-read in the region, and its TV and film industry supplies much of the Arab-speaking world with shows from its Media Production City, an enterprise launched with a view to creating the "Hollywood of the East".

Media criticism of the government is commonplace, but press laws which allow prison sentences for libel and "insults" and an ongoing state of emergency have encouraged self-censorship on sensitive issues.

Egypt has two state-run national TV channels and six regional channels. It is a key player in satellite TV; the Egyptian Space Channels are widely-watched across the Arab-speaking world. The channels enjoy the support of the country's huge programme-making industry and have access to a large archive of Egyptian films and TV programmes.

Egypt was the first Arab nation to have its own satellite, Nilesat 101. The country's first private TV stations - Dream 1, Dream 2 and Al-Mihwar TV - came on air in 2001, broadcasting via satellite. The state monopoly on radio broadcasting was broken with the arrival of private, commercial music stations in 2003. Egypt aims to attract foreign media companies to its "Free Media Zone", launched in 2000, by offering the use of its media infrastructure and economic support.

The press

• Al-Ahram - state-owned daily
• Al-Ahram Weekly - English-language
• Al-Jumhuriyah - state-owned daily
• Al-Akhbar - state-owned daily
• Al-Ahali - opposition
• Al-Wafd - opposition
• Al-Messa - pro-government
• Middle East Times - English-language weekly

Television

• Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) - state-run, operates domestic and satellite networks
• Nile TV International - satellite station run by ERTU, some programmes in English and Hebrew
• Dream TV - privately-owned satellite network, operates Dream 1 targeting young viewers and Dream 2, an entertainment channel

Radio

• Egypt Radio Television Union (ERTU) - state-run, operates eight national networks and external services Radio Cairo and Voice of the Arabs
• Nile FM - private, Western pop
• Nogoum FM - private, Arabic pop

News agency

 Middle East News Agency (MENA) - state-run