The Suez Canal, which is 103 miles long, is built. It creates a sea route between Europe and Asia without ships having to go around Africa. The British government takes over Egypt, a rule that lasts until 1922. British troops, however, remain in Egypt until the 1950s. Egypt becomes a republic.
Family life is very important in Egypt.
Most people have large families, and most Egyptian young men and women live with their parents until they marry. The vast majority of Egypt's people are Muslim. The religion of Islam was first introduced here in the seventh century. Some Egyptians are also Coptic Christians. In big cities such as Cairo, most people wear Western-style clothes.