United Arab Republic

United Arab Republic (UAR), union of Egypt and Syria proclaimed in 1958 as a step toward Arab unity. Cairo was the capital, and Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser was president. The UAR effectively collapsed in 1961, when Syria withdrew. A 1963 attempt to unite Egypt, Syria, and Iraq failed. Egypt was still called the UAR until 1971, when its name was changed to Egyptian Arab Republic.