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Resources >>> oil, natural gas, manganesium, molybdenium, phosphate, tungstrn, gold, iron, chromium.
Climate >>> All the country is under a dry-desertic climate), making the population naturally concentrated near the Nile, in a fertile valley, the only farmable area.During winter, the temperature are bearable, around 17°celsius. During Summer, they reach very often 35°celsius. Absence of moisture is straight: Assuan get the lowest amount of rain in Africa (1 millimeter, rounded up). In the desert, the Khamsin, dry sand wind), reaching speed of about 150 kilometers per hour, can make the temperature rises of twenty degrees in two or three hours.
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EGYPTE - Profile Location : Africa, north-eastClimate : desertic tropical Grounds : desert, rocky mountains, fertile Nile valley Political structure : United Republic of Egypt Population : 75 millions Per capita income : 8000¥ Criminality : 0.7% Major languages spoken: arab, english, mediterranaen slang (french-arab), various |
Linguistic >>> the arab is the official language, and english a second hand one, as well as a bit of French. but Egypt is one of the most multi-speaking country in the world: the national radio broadcast in about forty different languages, and that's only a part of the language spoken in the country. The literracy barely reach 50%, and unlike what some might expect, very very few people know how to read the ancient hyeroglyphs.
Religion >>> The main religion in the country is the Sunni Islam, although the Muslim Republic of Egypt has become the United Republic of Egypt in 2034, in the aftermath of the Jyhad. The percentage of muslims in the country dropped to 72%, the rest being divided between copts christians and Ancient Gods followers, a special subject I will touch later. the religous issue is a major point in the current Egyptian situation.
2011: first bombing claimed by the Saharian Liberation Front, in Casablanca, Morrocoo. The movement for the creation of a tuareg independant state warn that all the Saharian states will be targeted. 2013: During ten days, Tuaregs rebels harass the Aswan Dam security crew. It's the first action of the SLF in Egypt. 2022: The governemental computers, hacked, display a warning against the governement, signed by "Pharao". 2029: Computer Crash. The presidential elections are delayed. 2031: First presidential election by universal suffrage. "Green Sahara" project starts. 2033: Islamist Jyhad. The Saudi launch an attack on the Suez area, supported by islamist terrorists inside. Megacorporations send troops from Lybia. 2034: The Arab Republic of Egypt becomes the United Republic of Egypt, following the downfall of the islamic political movements. 2038: Alexandria Bombing cause project "Green Sahara" to stop. 2045: Project "Green Sahara" starts back. the assassination of the Prime Minister Al-Soufir will never be claimed. 2061: Resurgent astral constructs start appearing on ancient construction sites. |
Institutions >>> The head of state is the President of the Republic, elected for six years by universal suffrage. The People Assembly vote first to indicate to the voters which candidates it support (actually, the new system just allow some candidate to run against the Assembly's candidate). The 444 members of the People's Assembly are elected for 5 years, and seat with 10 members chosed by the President. The Prime Minister is the head of the governement, responsible in front of the Assembly. The other House, the Choura, only have a consultative duty. It's notoriously more conservative than the Assembly, since a third of its members are chosen by the President.
Political forces >>> The Assembly does not work with a partisan logic. It's a motly set, with a large range of skills and tendancies, from communists to islamists and even some ultra-moderates. Elected in 2061 after one of the most late but shaky campaign Egypt ever know, the sucessor to the President Amir El-Barrani, a moderate conservative, is Arhmed Naguib. The new President is a 53 years old republican, chosen by the Assembly as well as the European and American corporations. He started his mandate without support from the militaries and the security services, a shift that went wider with the regional tensions following Badr al Ibn Eisa new stance.
Foreign relationships >>> The Egyptian government have a decent relationship with the British governement, and the new President extended them to France, and tried, to no succes, with Spain. Greece, Israel and Egypt went closer for a few years, trying to make a block against the muslims countries. Constantinople remains aside, but the Egyptian work heavily for that to change. The relationship with the other muslim countries who support the Egyptian fanatical groups, mainly Arabia and Syria, are extremely tense. The same with Amazonia, who allegly support the tuaregs. In the world, a few countries, as far as Australia, cooperate a lot against terrorist groups that helped each other for a long time as well.
Ares Africa |
The agronomic project "Green Sahara" aimed to develop agriculture in extrem environment, was dropped in 2038 by JRJ International and Tanamyre Resources. In 2045, Renraku accepted the governement's offer to continue. Tanamyre kept however several other governmental contracts for territory's monitoring. Astral watching recently became their main focus. |
Kuroyama Minerals North Africa |
Alexandria (Al Iskandariah) |
Cairo
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>>> The Old City (right bank of downtown) remains the same over the years: officials buildings in the outside, the Bazar, the mosques, including the al-Azhar which host a uniververity, the medieval citadel, and the Egyptian Art Museum on the bank, in front of the Cairo Twoer on its island. The preceding island on the Nile host the Zoologival Gerdens, with at the same level on the left bank, the University of Cairo. Most of the streets are pedestriniazed, and the Ministry of Tourism spend a lot of money for the district to remain picturesque but clean enough for the average Western tourists.
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The Northern Giza is the main industrial district in Cairo. The Giza military base, west from it, hosts the troops that are deployed in town, including the special forces. The Archeological Area, located in the south-west suburbs, forbid any building. The Sphynx and the Three Great Pyramids (Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos) are in the northern part. The astral space in the sector is widely disrupted. An experimentation field of the project "Green Sahara" was installed at the Area's side. This field below the Pyramids aims mainly the media. The mana variations affect so much the magic used in the fields that this one cost three times more than one elsewhere in the country. |
North of the left bank, Imbabah became the business district, where were build the corporate tower and the westernized supermarkets. Because of the bombing, there's not a single garbages can and the parking is limited to 20 minutes in the streets. In spite of this, the district remains the favorite terrorist's target.
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The north-eastern districts of El-Maj, El Salam and El Obu are the poorest. It's the place for hideouts and smugglings. The wealthiest district is Heliopolis, east of the city. Since most of the corporate employees live here, life is very westernized. The Cairo Heliopolis Airport. Its two runways ends in the desert, they are long enough for suborbital flights. The security is taken very seriously. Nasser City is the fashionable district, where tradition and modernity meet. The corporations also have extraterritorial enclaves with housing, production units and military forces hidden in the middle of normal streets. It's also the district which count the lesser number of bombing and police intervention. |
Police
The Egyptian Law have been reshaped by the crisis situation caused by terrorist activities in the country. Any crime or offense linked to terrorism always cause big troubles. The police use widely custody as long as 96 hours for a minor offense, just to check if people are not related in any way to a terrorist organization.
In any way. If he was intouched five years ago with some supporters of a group that didn't even exist back then, the case will be transmitted from the police to the intelligence services. From this point of view, a foreigner is a lot less disturbed than a local: the foreigner can carry a gun (it may be a corporate agent afterall) without half the trouble a local would get for that.
After years of emergency state, when the army almost replaced the police, this one was deeply refitted. The Egyptian Police have no longer any administrative territorial division. The Cairo Police Headquarters centralize police activites in the whole country, thanks to a computer network spread all over and even in the patrol vehicles. The maintenance of this network take most the of the budget, while the cops are just issued a light armor jacket and semi-automatic weapons.
Moukhabarat el-Amman |
In Egypt, the intelligence services have priority over almost every other governement's bodies. They widely, and nearly officially, use assassination and torture. The "national security's needs" can stop a political career in the blink of an eye.
The Moukhabarat el-Amman (Directorate of General Intelligence) is the centralizing bodyof Egyptian intelligence. Depending on the President's cabinet head (and thus from the president himself), it coordinates all the other services. This coordination essentially concerns the softening of political sensivity of the various groups during negociations. A less strong possition of the President Naguibhas caused a reduction of the service's activities, especially the investigations about corporate operations started under Barani presidency.
The Maba'hath Amn el-Daoula (Bureau of State Security) was in charge of the state officials' security until 2045. The service was used as a fuse and scapegoat after the Prime Minister Al-Souffir assasination. The Bureau is currently on hold for an undetermined period. Its fonctions are hold by the special forces AT division.
The Moubakhat Al-Ammah (Directorate of General Investigations), depending on the Home Ministry, is the core of counter-terrorism in Egypt. Everything's fine to fightr against the terrorists: blackmail, raid, torture, assassination, and even bombing against known terrorist hideout. Since 2037, it integrates five judges in charge of the terrorist affairs with an extended authority. It can be somebody purely and simply disappear. Its director, replace regularly, can be considered during his short term as the third figure of the State behind the President and the Prime Minister, and even more important than the Prime Minister actually. This situation was build by the former President Barani to create a counterweight to the military power, without letting any director becoming too powerful.
But the largest structure of the Egyptian intelligence remains the Moukhabarat el-Kharbeya (Directorate of Military Intelligence). It's the only service who maintain operations outside the country, especially in the countries supporting terrorists. Within the country, it mostly gather intelligence without intervening. It successfully infiltrated several terrorist groups, or the revided Ancient Religion movement. It handles most of the non-terrorist cases, as well as the astral phenomenon studies, a mission for which it seeks more importants means.
Armed forces
The Egyptian armed forces are very independant from their governement, and the opinion of the general officers is predominant about anti-terrorism, itself the heart of Egyptian politic life. A military coup d'état remains an all-time possible. The military are probably more tied to the corporations who supply their gear than to the government.
The field conditions for the Egyptian army are very restricting concerning equipment choice. Electronics, as implants, hardly support the desert. The Jesh (army) is fully equipped with vector-thrusted armored vehicles, very well adapted to the desert. The Bakrah (air force) aircraft are also vector models. But those being costly equipments, to buy and to maintain, Egypt wants to replace them with anything cheaper. The military capacity is focused on controlling the territory, to the detriment to the reduced Jawih (navy).
The special forces division is the most active part of the armed forces. It includes the "Desert Reconnaissance Teams" and the AT section. The AT section, Anti-Terrorism, is on the forefront against the terrorism. It is splitted into specialized teams: protection units, Bombsquads, the two hostage rescue teams, and the interception team, the elite in charge of highest profiles operations, arrestation of terrorist leaders or assault against their stronghold.
Egyptian islamists |
A country with a muslim majority, Egypt always suffered a strong pressure from islamist groups. The change from Arab Republic to United Republic of Egypt in 2034 only strengthen this opposition, supported from Sudan. Among the dozain of islamist terrorist groups found in Egypt, the "moderate", mainly the Jamiiyat Ikhwa al-Mouslimin (Society of the Egyptian Brothers), aim to have the Qur'an rules applied and the return to a theocratical democracy. Most of their actions target the infidels, and more especially the Ancient Religion. More dangerous, the pan-arab, including the Gamaât el Ilamiya (Islamic Group) want to build a large pan-arab theocracy, now in complete agreement with the Badr al Ibn Eisa's Islamic Unity Movement. Their attacks target nearly anybody: the governement, the infidels, the corporations, or the metahumans. As for the FIS Egyptian section, the FISS (Sait Islamic Front for Salute), it is one of the most dangerous and bloddiest terrorist groups in the world. For them, any enemy of the Islam deserves death, and even the Jihad X's leaders felt under their bullets for not being extremist enough...
Demanding the creation of a Saharian State for several centuries (these demandes date back to the Ottoman Empire's end), the FLS spreads from the Atlantic coast to Egypt. Its two main components are the Tuaregs and the Nubians. The Beduins, between the two geographically, are rather won over the islamist cause. On Egypt's border, the Nubians are involved in the struggle against the Sudanese islamist governement. In theory, Egypt would rather tend toward the legal governement of Khartum, but things aren't that easy. On the other end the contacts between the Nubians and the Pharaonists are for real. Although most of their forces are light nomadic group, the rebels also have a few heavy weapons moving around. Part of their equipments was stolen to corporate troops, but it seems some corporations passed deals with the Tuaregs, supplyinh them with weapons in exchange for some cooperations concerning the Desert Wars.
Since 2022, the fiercest opposition to the governement is the "Pharaonist" group who blame the governement for betraying the "Egyptian Legacy". Very few is know about this organisation, who refers to the ancient Egyptian traditions and use a lot of magical techniques. The informations about their supposed leader, the Pharao Asemosis, was only a maneuver from the intelligence service to uncover one of their member in the governement. The "Pharao" who sign their claims is more probably the organization's name. If the revival of the Ancient Religion is not their feat, they naturally deeply infiltrated it at least, but the authorities didn't oppose to strongly, since it weakens the islamists as well. An ultra fringe attacks the muslims and the non-coptes, but most of the actions onyl target the government, the police and the militaries.
Tradition
Surnatural
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Chom the air Tefnut the moisture Geb the sky, Chom and Tefnut's son Nout the earth, Geb's sister and wife Osiris King-God, Geb and Nout's son Isis lunar goddess of healing, Osiris' sister and wide Seth greyhound god of violence and darkness, Osiris' brother Nepthys Seth's sister and wife Ra (or Re) falcon god of Sun, source of the Ba, Nout's son. Horus falcon god of horizon, Osiris and Isis' son, sometime amalgamated with Ra Sobek (or Sebek) crocodile god of the Nile, considered by some as an avatar of Ra Apophis (or Apopis) serpent or jackal god of death, Ra's adversary in the solar run Anubis jackal gopd taking the dead Hathor (or Athor) Isis' avatar, cow goddess of fertility Bastet cat goddess of feminity Thot ibis or baboon god, gods' scribe, god of knowledge Khnoum ram god, created the humanity Maat Ra's daughter, truth and harmony Sekhmet, lion goddess and Selkis, scorpion god, are dangerous and hostile deities. Bes, a "crouched and bearded dwarf, benefactor genius", and Sia, the Gods' omniscience scouring the world for them, are closer from a modern point of view to free spirits. |
The Egyptian Pantheon suffered a large number of changes during the centuries of existence of the Two Kingdoms of Egypt. Thus the modern revival count numerous sects and local cults. This religious revival was at first greatly favored by the resurrection of the Egyptian culture by the mages.
The Egyptian magic relies on the knowledge of the real name of things. Knowing the name of somebody or something grants the full power upon it. Image also possess a certain power. The mage is the one who can know the real nature, the real form and the real identity of the things (a concept close to the astral perception). Another concept, the divide of the individual between his soul, the Ba, and his body, the Ka. While a man have only one Ka, Horus age 14, for each of itsdifferent physical incarnations.
On the basis of Ancient texts retrieved long before the Awakenings, it would be possible to get through the Nile waters the knowledge of a text, learning it just by driking that water. It could be the oldest know spells of hermetic magic known to this day, except nobody have yet successfully casted it following the indications given. A lab in the Magic and Technology University of Alexandria work full time on that single text. Indeed, it's known and documented the emotions of a text are echoed in the astral plan, but nobody have ever perceived real knowledge from the astral plane.
Surnatural
Egypt is a place of major astral phenomenon. The pyramids in the country have their own set of Astral Lines. In this case it seems the idea of a reproduction of the Orion constellation was the good one. But a new phenomenon have greatly disrupted the astral observation in Egypt since 2061: throughout the country; a growing number of Egyptian building show in the astral plan a construct showing them as they probably were in the ancient times. Spontaneous appearances of spirits are also occuring nearby. According to studies, all the buildings have alreayd appearing in the astral plane, but for most blew the threshold of human perception. At the same time, the Nile crocodile undertook ther own awakenings to a specy called the Sobek Crocodile. It seems however the governement tried to hide early case of the awakenings years prior to 2061. The last phenomenon of the so-called Year of the Comet happened in Alexandria (and nowhere else as far as we know). About fourty people have allegly acquired a part of memoeries and knowledge of Ancient Egyptians, confirmed so far by the best archeologists. All these events have sparkled a major growth of the Ancient Religion in Egypt.