In Sohag province, where Al Kosheh lies, the population growth rate is double that of Cairo, the literacy rate half.

ECONOMIST: Egypt’s vulnerable Copts | The

Umm al-Hiran lies in a wadi, or small valley, not far from the large town of Beersheba at the top end of the Negev desert.

BBC: Israeli threat to Bedouin villages

The crossing, which lies opposite the Syrian border post of Bab al-Hawa, has been the scene of clashes in recent months.

BBC: Syria crisis: 'Powerful' minibus explosion kills 13

It lies on the edge of the sweeping Alawite stronghold known as al-Sahel, Arabic for coast.

WSJ: U.S. Blasts Russia Over Syria