Egypt is a transcontinental country in Northeast Africa and a gateway to the Middle East, home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, famous for its ancient monuments like the pyramids and the Sphinx. It is a developing country and a regional power with a mixed economy, where most of the population lives along the fertile Nile River and its delta. Key aspects include a predominantly Islamic culture, Arabic as the official language, and the Suez Canal, a vital global shipping route.