Washington ( CNN ) -- As political turmoil engulfs Egypt , Americans are watching closely -- and they should be : What happens in Egypt will directly affect Americans in many ways . 1 . Travel : See the pyramids along the Nile -- NOT . Egypt , with its 5,000-year history , the pyramids and pharaohs , was always a luxury travel destination for Americans but the political and social violence that has wracked the country for 2Â½ years has virtually destroyed Egypt 's U.S. tourist business . Post-coup violence erupts in Egypt . Now , the State Department is warning citizens not to travel to Egypt and U.S. citizens living in Egypt to leave . It also ordered non-emergency personnel and families of Americans working at the U.S. Embassy and consulate to leave . Cordesman : U.S. must not fail Egypt . 2 . Money . Egypt is America 's closest ally in the Arab world and it gets $ 1.5 billion a year in U.S. taxpayer money for military and civilian programs . In fact , in the last 30 years , the United States has sent more foreign aid to Egypt than to any country except Israel . Now , that money hangs in the balance as the Obama administration decides whether to call the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsy a `` coup . '' Gen. Martin Dempsey , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , tells CNN : `` If this were to be seen as a coup then it would limit our ability to have the kind of relationship we think we need with the Egyptian armed forces . '' 3 . Mideast peace . The United States helps Egypt because it 's one of only two Arab countries -- along with Jordan -- that made peace with Israel . If Washington pulls its aid , it could affect prospects for peace in the Middle East . ElBaradei : Morsy 's ouster was needed so Egypt can not 'fail ' `` All of these things are tied together , '' says CNN 's Fareed Zakaria . `` The aid is tied to Egypt 's peace treaty with Israel , so if our aid gets cut off what happens to the peace treaty with Israel ? It 's a hornets ' nest and that 's why the administration is trying not to stir it too much . '' 4 . Gas prices . Egypt controls the Suez Canal , a crucial sea route for more than 4 % of the world 's oil supply and 8 % of seaborne trade . So far , the canal is running smoothly -- but increased violence could end up hitting Americans in the pocketbook . 5 . The linchpin . With 83 million people , Egypt is a cultural heavyweight in the Arab world . `` The great trends that have affected the United States have come out of Egypt , '' says Zakaria : everything from pan-Arab nationalism of the 1950s , Islamic fundamentalism which began in Egypt in the 1970s -- even al Qaeda has its roots in Egypt and Islamic Jihad . `` Egypt is the source of all the pop music , the soap operas , the movies of the Arab world , '' he added , `` so what happens in Egypt tends to have a much wider resonance throughout the Arab world . '' Until the Egyptian military ousted Morsy , Egypt also had a claim to fame politically : a democratically elected president and his Muslim Brotherhood party . It was a message to the Islamic world that democracy just might work . Now , there 's a danger the military could violently repress the Muslim Brotherhood and it , in turn , could resort to violence . Will Egypt 's Muslim Brotherhood survive ? That would make the whole Mideast region more unstable -- a worrisome development for the United States .
Turmoil in Egypt over past two years has virtually halted travel by Americans . The U.S. State Department said it was aware of the reports but had no further comment. The most populous Arab country , Egypt 's stability is seen as key to Mideast peace .