The term Um al-Dunya, which means "Mother of the World" in Arabic, is often used to describe Egypt. No wonder. Recorded history in this fascinating country dates back more than 5,000 years, but Egypt's story is so much more than pyramids and hieroglyphics. From its run-in with Alexander the Great to occupation by the Roman, Ottoman, and French empires to the construction of the Suez Canal to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the region has played an important economic and political role in the world.