Impacts of British Imperialism in Egypt
British imperialism in Egypt had short term alterations on their society and it also changed Egypt in the long term. While many educated Egyptians resented the British for neglecting social concerns such as public health and education, the British left a number of positive impacts. Under British rule, Egypt's finances were organized and they were provided an efficient government. The British also constructed a series of dams to modernize Egyptian irrigation systems. Besides short term modifications in Egypt, British imperialism transformed the country in ways that are still evident today. Western clothing was introduced to the Egyptians during the time of British imperialism, and similar clothes, worn nowadays, are a consequence of the imperialism. The textile and cotton industries were also a fallout of British ruling in Egypt. At the time which Egypt was under Britain's control, the British had just come out of their Industrial Revolution. With new and quicker inventions to manufacture textiles and cotton, they brought these ideas over to Egypt and helped expand their modernization in production. British imperialism changed the languages spoken in Egypt as well. While most Egyptian natives speak different varieties of Arabic, English has become the most commonly spoken foreign language. Also, because of their previous interactions with Britain and to benefit Egyptian economy, Egypt is still trading with countries in the Southern Mediterranean region of Europe as well as Britain. As for the impacts of British imperialism on Egyptian religion, Christianity is now a minor religion in Egypt. While Christianity expanded during British imperialism, Muslim Egyptians maintained the dominant presence of Islam. Today, approximately ten percent of the population in Egypt is made up of Christians.