Egypt - One of the world's oldest nation-states that endured for thousands of years, the modern country began with its independence from Britain in 1922. With a population of over 95 million, it is the most populated Arabic country, the third most populated country in Africa, and the fifteenth most populated country in the world, but the vast majority of them live along the Nile river and delta, with the rest of the country being sparsely populated. With an area of over one million sq km (nearly 400,000 sq mi) it is the 29th largest country in the world.