Imperialism in Egypt

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The country I decided to research is Egypt. Egypt is located in northern Africa along the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The majority of the country however is located in northeastern Africa, but its Sinai Peninsula extends out into Southwest Asia, connecting the two continents. European nations wanted to colonize Egypt because it was considered to be a treasure, due to its fertile land and production of crops, such as: wheat, fruits, vegetables, corn, and cotton. Also because of its strategic location at the head of the Red Sea, that appeared valuable to countries such as Britain and France. Another reason was because they wanted to control Egypt in order to secure the main route to India, Malaya, Australia, New Zealand and to Hong Kong.This route was known as the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal was viewed as the “Lifeline of the Empire” because it allowed quicker access to its colonies in Asia and Africa. It also connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, built mainly with French money from private interest groups using Egyptian labor. Egypt was also targeted due to its weak economy and government, making it an easy target to imperialize. Egypt was colonized three times each by different civilizations. It was colonized by the Ottomans in 1517, by the French in 1799, and by the British in 1882. A key person involved in Egypts colonization was Muhammad Ali. After taking power in 1805, he strengthened the army and focused on cultivating the land. He also increased trade with Europe and sent officials to Britain to be educated.

The effects of colonization were different under each country. While under the Ottomans, French, and British, Egypt saw different ways of colonizing a land. The Ottomans put a Viceroy in charge of Egypt along...

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...roblem was that the British reserved the right to station troops throughout Egypt. The Egyptians had trouble getting the British to leave, improving the living conditions, and maintaining power over the British. Finally in 1936 Egypt and the UK solidified Egypt’s independence by signing a treaty that reduced British influence by restricting their troops to the Suez Canal, which still allowed them to trade through the Red Sea. However their independence wasn't finalized until Nasser had England agree to remove all their troops by 1956.

Works Cited

"Egypt Imperialism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Prezi.com. Web. 19 May 2014.
"Imperialism In Egypt." Imperialism In Egypt. Web. 18 May 2014.
"Colonial Rule - Imperialistic Egypt." Colonial Rule - Imperialistic Egypt. Web. 19 May 2014.
"When Did Egypt Gain Its Independence?" WikiAnswers. Answers Corporation. Web. 19 May 2014.

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