Throughout the decades, Egypt has had a history of political instability caused by drastic economic refinements, terrorism, and overpopulation. Egypt was once a country with a thriving number of tourists and a flourishing economy. The increase of violent protests and horrific terrorist attacks have caused Egypt’s economy to deteriorate.
Overpopulation in Egypt is one of the leading causes of social and economic issues. Egypt is a country full of immigrants, mostly coming from Iran, Africa, and India. An estimated ninety-five million people living in Egypt. In order to supply enough housing, Egypt has been losing nearly sixty-thousand acres per year due to construction (Al-Wahaidy 2018). This loss of land has caused soil fertility to decay. There is no room left to keep agriculture growing due to the increasing population. Because of this overpopulation, Egypt has also been facing a decrease in food supply and fresh water. The increase in population will limit the number of supplies Egypt can provide for the citizens. If the state is not able to provide resources, Egypt will have to rely on imports from other countries, which will eventually cause the economy to crash (Al-Wahaidy 2018).
Another major threat Egypt has faced is terrorism. Most of the terrorist attacks are linked to Islamic extremism. The majority of Egypt’s economic problems began in 2011 when political revolutions lead to a sudden downfall in Egyptian tourism. The main cause of these terrorist attacks is the government allowing individuals to enter Egypt, who have violent criminal records. The government has also been allowing prisoners, who were convicted of terrorism, free from prison. There have been numerous incidents of Islamic terrorists attacking and killing tourists. One of the deadliest attacks in Egypt was the Luxor Massacre. Sixty-two tourists were murdered by Islamic extremists. In October 2015, the terrorist group ISIS used a bomb to bring down a Russian passenger plane in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, which tragically killed all 224 onboard (Cbs/ap 2015). This caused the tourism in Egypt to crumble even more. Governments around the world have issued travel warnings to Egypt and warned people of the dangers. Tourism is Egypt’s most essential business for the economy. The combination of mass protesting and frequent terrorist attacks have destroyed Egypt’s once-booming economy.
Overpopulation and terrorism problems have also been linked to social issues Egypt has been facing. An estimated forty percent of Egypt’s population is between the ages of ten and twenty years old. The youth employment rate is roughly thirty percent (Berman 2016). The employment rate for university graduates is only a pitiful thirty-four percent. This employment rate has caused the Egyptian government to panic because the youth who are not employed could be of good use for the Islamic forces working against the state.
The main cause of overpopulation in Egypt is due to women having on average three children. The limit to contraceptive access is more limited in Egypt, specifically in the more rural areas. Women in Egypt have said they want no more children, but they are not using contraceptives to prevent this (Al-Wahaidy 2018). A solution to prevent overpopulation is for the government to provide women with more affordable and easy access to contraceptives. Egypt should also work to provide education about contraception and family planning for men and women. Family planning clinics will be able to educate couples about how to avoid unplanned pregnancies. The Egyptian government could also introduce new policies that will help control the population. China implemented its one-child policy and since then has claimed this prevented four hundred million births (Lombardo 2017). Overpopulation is not an easy issue to resolve, but by taking the correct steps, governments will be able to provide a high quality of life for everyone.
In order to prevent further Islamic terrorist attacks in Egypt, the government must increase its security. Egypt has been allowing criminals into the country without any real security checks or measures. The Egyptian government must use background checks on anyone entering the country. This will allow the government to prevent criminals from entering. The government must also work to destroy the terrorist groups that are in the country already. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is an absolute solution to ending terrorism, but countries can work to prevent further terrorist attacks in the future.
In conclusion, Egypt has been facing political instability over the years. Egypt must battle the ongoing population and terrorism crisis to restore civility within the country. The Egyptian government and leaders must work to create a safe environment so that Egypt can once be a country that prospers with tourism.