Muhammad Ali Pasha by Auguste Couder is in the Public Domain
Muhammad Ali was one of the most influential pieces of the development of Egypt's economy. While much of his actions aimed to benefit himself, he developed an economy that revolved around goods that remained important to Egypt for a number of years. Establishing the production of cotton was one of the most important actions, as Egypt became one of the world's largest exporters of the crop.
Cotton
Cotton is one of Egypt's most famous exports to this day and production of this crop began in Egypt in 1822.
Frenchman named M. Jumel informed Muhammad Ali that he could earn high profits growing cotton
Ali, as the sole proprietor of most of the land, monopolized cotton and placed its importance over other crops
By 1860, cotton exports had reached 120,000 bales
In 1864, exports had grown to 420,000 bales due to a lack of production in the American South during the Civil War
By the turn of the century, exports grew to 1.2 million bales of cotton (Kamel, 2011)
A Study in the Diversity of Egyptian Cotton by O.F. Cook is in the Public Domain
Egypt remained one of the world's largest exporters of cotton into the 20th century. The American Civil War was essential to the growth of this industry, as Egypt took over for the lack of production in the United States during this time. Egyptian cotton exports peaked during this era, and are now on a decline due to competition and new preferences among farmers. (Hamza, 2016)
Suez Canal
Canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez
Construction began by the Suez Waterway Company in 1859
Shortens a ships journey between the North Atlantic and Indian Ocean by 4,300 miles
Excavation took 10 years, made use of forced labor
Opened under French control in 1869
Allowed for less costly international trade due to shorter expeditions (Fondation Napoleon, 2010)
Suez Canal from the Archives of New Zealand used under CC BY 2.0
Though greatly overshadowed by the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal is an important development in worldwide trade. Reducing the amount of time and resources necessary for transporting goods worldwide meant reduced prices and greater globalized trade. In 2014, there were 17,148 transits along the Suez Canal, with an annual tonnage of 963,000,000 metric tons. (Fisher, 2015)
Learn more about economics in North Africa
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Africa 1890 from Americanized Encyclopaedia Britannica is in the Public Domain
Slave Trade
Inspection and Sale of a Slave by Brantz Mayer is in the Public Domain
References Charles Gordon Smith, W. B. (2015, December 29). Suez Canal. Retrieved from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Fondation Napoleon. (2013, September 14). THE BUILDING OF THE SUEZ CANAL. Retrieved from Napoleon.org. Hamza, M. (2016, June 7). Beyond All Expectations: Egypt’s 2016 Cotton Production Set to Plummet . Retrieved from USDA Foreing Agriculture Service. Kamal, S. (2011, August 11). Cotton: One of Egypt's Most Famous Exports. Retrieved from Tour Egypt. Susser, A. (2015, March 15). Lecture 16 - 2.2.1 Muhammad Ali in Egypt (part 1). Retrieved from Coursera.