Egypt from Outer Space

An astronaut’s-eye view of Egypt.

An astronaut’s-eye view of Egypt.

As far back as the fourth century B.C., Greek historian Herodotus observed that Egypt was “an acquired country, the gift of the Nile,” owing its very survival to the life-giving waters flowing down from a mysterious source, now identified as the Ethiopian highlands and three African Great Lakes. Even today the population of modern Egypt remains concentrated in the Nile Delta and a narrow ribbon of fertile land snaking through the inhospitable desert. This photo—taken from the International Space Station by a member of Russian-led Expedition 36—gives an astronaut’s-eye view of it all.

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2017 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Out of This World”).

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