General Information
about Egypt
Egypt is officially
known as the Arab
Republic of Egypt
and is located in
north-eastern Africa
and southwestern
Asia. Cairo, the
capital and largest
city, is the most
modern in the Middle
East and Africa.
It is bounded on the
north by the
Mediterranean Sea,
on the east by
Israel and the Red
Sea, on the south by
Sudan, and on the
west by Libya. The
country has a
maximum length from
north to south of
about 1086 km (about
675 m) and a maximum
width, near the
southern border, of
about 1255 km (about
780 m). It has a
total area of about
1,001,450 sq km
(about 386,662 sq
m). Less than
one-tenth of the
land area of Egypt
is settled or under
cultivation, this
consists of the
valley and delta of
the Nile, a number
of desert oases, and
land along the Suez
Canal.
More than 90 percent
of the country
consists of desert
areas: In the
west, the Libyan
Desert, a part of
the Sahara Desert
which is also known
as the Western
Desert. The Libyan
Desert includes a
vast sandy expanse
called the Great
Sand Sea. Located
here are several
depressions with
elevations below sea
level, including the
Qattara Depression,
which has an area of
about 18,000 sq km
(about 7000 sq m)
and reaches a depth
of 133 m (436 ft)
below sea level, the
lowest point in
Africa. Also found
here are the oases
of Siwa, Kharga,
Baharia and Dakhla.
In the east the
Arabian Desert, also
called the Eastern
Desert (which
borders the Red Sea
and the Gulf of
Suez). Much of the
Arabian Desert
occupies a plateau
that rises gradually
east from the Nile
Valley to elevations
of about 600 m
(about 2000 ft) in
the east and is
broken along the Red
Sea coast by jagged
peaks as high as
about 2100 m (about
7000 ft) above sea
level.
In the extreme
south, along the
border with Sudan,
is the Nubian
Desert, an extensive
region of dunes and
sandy plains.
The Sinai Peninsula
consists of sandy
desert in the north
and rugged mountains
in the south, with
summits looming more
than about 2100 m
(about 7000 ft)
above the Red Sea.
Mount Catherine (Jabal
Katrìnah - 2637
m/8652 ft), the
highest elevation in
Egypt, is in the
Sinai Peninsula, as
is Mount Sinai (Jabal
Mosa), where,
according to the Old
Testament, Moses
received the Ten
Commandments.
The Nile enters
Egypt from the Sudan
and flows north for
about 1545 km (about
960 m) to the
Mediterranean Sea.
For its entire
length, from the
southern border to
Cairo, the Nile
flows through a
narrow valley lined
by cliffs. Lake
Nasser, the world's
largest man-made
reservoir and formed
by the Aswan high
dam, extends south
across the Sudan
border. The lake is
about 480 km (about
300 m) long and is
about 16 km (10 m)
across at its widest
point. About
two-thirds of the
lake lies in Egypt.
South of a point
near the town of
Idfu, the Nile
Valley is rarely
more than 3 km
(2 m) wide. From
Idfu to Cairo, the
valley is about 23
km (about 14 m) in
width, with most of
the arable portion
on the western side.
In the vicinity of
Cairo the valley
merges with the
delta, a fan-shaped
plain, the perimeter
of which occupies
about 250 km (about
155 m) of the
Mediterranean
coastline. Silt
deposited by the
Rosetta (Rashid),
Damietta (Dumyat),
and other
distributaries has
made the delta the
most fertile region
in the country.
However, the Aswan
High Dam has reduced
the flow of the
Nile, causing the
salty waters of the
Mediterranean to
erode land along the
coast near the Nile.
A series of four
shallow, brackish
lakes extends along
the seaward
extremity of the
delta. Another
larger lake, Birkat
Qarun, is situated
inland in the desert
north of the town of
Al Fayoum.
Geographically and
traditionally, the
Nile Valley is
divided into two
regions, Lower Egypt
and Upper Egypt, the
former consisting of
the delta area and
the latter
comprising the
valley south of
Cairo.
Although Egypt has
about 2450 km (about
1520 m) of
coastline,
two-thirds of which
are on the Red Sea,
indentations
suitable as harbours
are confined to the
delta. The Isthmus
of Suez, which
connects the Sinai
Peninsula with the
African mainland, is
traversed from the
Mediterranean to the
Gulf of Suez by the
Suez Canal.
Governorates
|
Governorate |
Capital |
Location |
|
Alexandria |
Alexandria |
Northern |
|
Aswan |
Aswan |
Upper |
|
Asyut |
Asyut |
Upper |
|
Beheira |
Damanhur |
Lower |
|
Beni Suef |
Beni Suef |
Upper |
|
Cairo |
Cairo |
Middle |
|
Dakahlia |
Mansura |
Lower |
|
Damietta |
Damietta |
Lower |
|
Faiyum |
Faiyum |
Upper |
|
Gharbia |
Tanta |
Lower |
|
Giza |
Giza |
Upper |
|
Ismailia |
Ismailia |
Canal |
|
Kafr el-Sheikh |
Kafr el-Sheikh |
Lower |
|
|
Governorate |
Capital |
Location |
|
Matruh |
Mersa Matruh |
Western |
|
Minya |
Minya |
Upper |
|
Monufia |
Shibin el-Kom |
Lower |
|
New Valley |
Kharga |
Western |
|
North Sinai |
Arish |
Sinai |
|
Port Said |
Port Said |
Canal |
|
Qalyubia |
Banha |
Lower |
|
Qena |
Qena |
Upper |
|
Red Sea |
Hurghada |
Eastern |
|
Sharqia |
Zagazig |
Lower |
|
Sohag |
Sohag |
Upper |
|
South Sinai |
el-Tor |
Sinai |
|
Suez |
Suez |
Canal |
|
|
Fact Sheet
|
Population:
|
|
|
77,505,756
(July 2005
est.)
|
|
Age
structure:
|
|
|
0-14 years:
33% (male
13,106,043/female
12,483,899)
|
|
15-64 years:
62.6% (male
24,531,266/female
23,972,216)
|
|
65 years and
over: 4.4%
(male
1,457,097/female
1,955,235)
(2005 est.)
|
|
Median age:
|
|
|
total: 23.68
years
|
|
male: 23.31
years
|
|
female:
24.05 years
(2005 est.)
|
|
Population
growth rate:
|
|
|
1.78% (2005
est.)
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
|
23.32
births/1,000
population
(2005 est.)
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
|
5.26
deaths/1,000
population
(2005 est.)
|
|
Net
migration
rate:
|
|
|
-0.22
migrant
(s)/1,000
population
(2005 est.)
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
|
|
at birth:
1.05 male
(s)/female
|
|
under 15
years: 1.05
male
(s)/female
|
|
15-64 years:
1.02 male
(s)/female
|
|
65 years and
over: 0.74
male
(s)/female
|
|
total
population:
1.02 male
(s)/female
(2005 est.)
|
|
Infant
mortality
rate:
|
|
|
total: 32.59
deaths/1,000
live births
|
|
male: 33.31
deaths/1,000
live births
|
|
female:
31.83
deaths/1,000
live births
(2005 est.)
|
|
Life
expectancy
at birth:
|
|
|
total
population:
71 years
|
|
male: 68.5
years
|
|
female:
73.62 years
(2005 est.)
|
|
Total
fertility
rate:
|
|
|
2.88
children
born/woman
(2005 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS -
adult
prevalence
rate:
|
|
|
less than
0.1% (2001
est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS -
people
living with
HIV/AIDS:
|
|
|
12,000 (2001
est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS -
deaths:
|
|
|
700 (2003
est.)
|
|
Ethnic
groups:
|
|
|
Eastern
Hamitic
stock
(Egyptians,
Bedouins,
and Berbers)
99%,
1% Greek,
Nubian,
Armenian,
other
European
(primarily
Italian and
French)
|
|
Religions:
|
|
|
Muslim
(mostly
Sunni) 94%,
Coptic
Christian
and other 6%
|
|
Languages:
|
|
|
Arabic
(official),
English and
French
widely
understood
by educated
classes
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
|
definition:
age 15 and
over can
read and
write
|
|
total
population:
57.7%
|
|
male: 68.3%
|
|
female:
46.9% (2003
est.)
|
|
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
|
total:
1,001,450 sq
km
|
|
land:
995,450 sq
km
|
|
water: 6,000
sq km
|
|
Land
boundaries:
|
|
|
total: 2,665
km
|
|
border
countries:
Gaza Strip
11 km,
Israel 266
km, Libya
1,115 km,
Sudan 1,273
km
|
|
Coastline:
|
2,450 km
|
|
Maritime
claims:
|
territorial
sea: 12 nm
|
|
contiguous
zone: 24 nm
|
|
exclusive
economic
zone: 200 nm
|
|
continental
shelf: 200-m
depth or to
the depth of
exploitation
|
|
Climate:
|
desert; hot,
dry summers
with
moderate
winters
|
|
Terrain:
|
vast desert
plateau
interrupted
by Nile
valley and
delta
|
|
Elevation
extremes:
|
lowest
point:
Qattara
Depression
-133 m
|
|
highest
point: Mount
Catherine
2,629 m
|
|
Natural
resources:
|
|
|
petroleum,
natural gas,
iron ore,
phosphates,
manganese,
limestone,
gypsum,
talc,
asbestos,
lead, zinc
|
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
2.87%
|
|
permanent
crops: 0.48%
|
|
other:
96.65%
(2001)
|
|
Irrigated
land:
|
|
|
33,000 sq km
(1998 est.)
|
|
Environment
-
international
agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity,
Climate
Change,
Climate
Change-Kyoto
Protocol,
Desertification,
Endangered
Species,
Environmental
Modification,
Hazardous
Wastes, Law
of the Sea,
Marine
Dumping,
Ozone Layer
Protection,
Ship
Pollution,
Tropical
Timber 83,
Tropical
Timber 94,
Wetlands
|
|
signed, but
not
ratified:
none of the
selected
agreements
|
|
Environment
-
international
agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity,
Climate
Change,
Climate
Change-Kyoto
Protocol,
Desertification,
Endangered
Species,
Environmental
Modification,
Hazardous
Wastes, Law
of the Sea,
Marine
Dumping,
Ozone Layer
Protection,
Ship
Pollution,
Tropical
Timber 83,
Tropical
Timber 94,
Wetlands
|
|
signed, but
not
ratified:
none of the
selected
agreements
|
|
Country
name:
|
conventional
long form:
Arab
Republic of
Egypt
|
|
conventional
short form:
Egypt
|
|
local long
form:
Jumhuriyat
Misr al-Arabiyah
|
|
local short
form: Misr
|
|
|
|
Government
type:
|
republic
|
|
Capital:
|
Cairo
|
|
National
holiday:
|
|
|
Revolution
Day, 23 July
(1952)
|
|
Constitution:
|
|
|
11 September
1971;
amended 22
May 1980
|
|
Legal
system:
|
based on
English
common law,
Islamic law,
and
Napoleonic
codes;
judicial
review by
Supreme
Court and
Council of
State
(oversees
validity of
administrative
decisions);
accepts
compulsory
ICJ
jurisdiction,
with
reservations
|
|
Suffrage:
|
|
|
18 years of
age;
universal
and
compulsory
|
|
Executive
branch:
|
chief of
state:
President
Mohammed
Hosni
MUBARAK
(since 14
October
1981)
|
|
head of
government:
Prime
Minister
Ahmed NAZIF
(since 9
July 2004)
|
|
cabinet:
Cabinet
appointed by
the
president
|
|
elections:
president
elected by
popular vote
for six-year
term; note -
a national
referendum
in May 2005
approved a
constitutional
amendment
that changed
the
presidential
election to
a
multicandidate
popular
vote;
previously
the
president
was
nominated by
the People's
Assembly and
the
nomination
was
validated by
a national,
popular
referendum;
last
referendum
held 26
September
1999; first
election
under terms
of
constitutional
amendment
held 7
September
2005; next
election
scheduled
for 2011
|
|
election
results:
Hosni
MUBARAK
reelected
president;
percent of
vote - Hosni
MUBARAK
88.6%, Ayman
NOUR 7.6%,
Noman GOMAA
2.9%
|
|
Legislative
branch:
|
bicameral
system
consists of
the People's
Assembly or
Majlis al-Sha'b
(454 seats;
444 elected
by popular
vote, 10
appointed by
the
president;
members
serve
five-year
terms) and
the Advisory
Council or
Majlis al-Shura
- which
functions
only in a
consultative
role (264
seats; 176
elected by
popular
vote, 88
appointed by
the
president;
members
serve
six-year
terms;
mid-term
elections
for half the
members)
|
|
elections:
People's
Assembly -
three-phase
voting -
last held 7
and 20
November, 1
December
2005;(next
to be held
November-December
2010);
Advisory
Council -
last held
May-June
2004 (next
to be held
May-June
2007)
|
|
election
results:
People's
Assembly -
percent of
vote by
party - NA;
seats by
party - NDP
311, NWP 6,
Tagammu 2,
Tomorrow
Party 1,
independents
112 (12
seats to be
determined
by rerun
elections,
10 seats
appointed by
President);
Advisory
Council -
percent of
vote by
party - NA;
seats by
party - NA
|
|
Judicial
branch:
|
Supreme
Constitutional
Court
|
|
National
holiday:
|
|
|
Revolution
Day, 23 July
(1952)
|
|
Constitution:
|
|
|
11 September
1971;
amended 22
May 1980
|
|
Legal
system:
|
based on
English
common law,
Islamic law,
and
Napoleonic
codes;
judicial
review by
Supreme
Court and
Council of
State
(oversees
validity of
administrative
decisions);
accepts
compulsory
ICJ
jurisdiction,
with
reservations
|
|
Suffrage:
|
|
|
18 years of
age;
universal
and
compulsory
|
|
Executive
branch:
|
chief of
state:
President
Mohammed
Hosni
MUBARAK
(since 14
October
1981)
|
|
head of
government:
Prime
Minister
Ahmed NAZIF
(since 9
July 2004)
|
|
cabinet:
Cabinet
appointed by
the
president
|
|
elections:
president
elected by
popular vote
for six-year
term; note -
a national
referendum
in May 2005
approved a
constitutional
amendment
that changed
the
presidential
election to
a
multicandidate
popular
vote;
previously
the
president
was
nominated by
the People's
Assembly and
the
nomination
was
validated by
a national,
popular
referendum;
last
referendum
held 26
September
1999; first
election
under terms
of
constitutional
amendment
held 7
September
2005; next
election
scheduled
for 2011
|
|
election
results:
Hosni
MUBARAK
reelected
president;
percent of
vote - Hosni
MUBARAK
88.6%, Ayman
NOUR 7.6%,
Noman GOMAA
2.9%
|
|
Legislative
branch:
|
bicameral
system
consists of
the People's
Assembly or
Majlis al-Sha'b
(454 seats;
444 elected
by popular
vote, 10
appointed by
the
president;
members
serve
five-year
terms) and
the Advisory
Council or
Majlis al-Shura
- which
functions
only in a
consultative
role (264
seats; 176
elected by
popular
vote, 88
appointed by
the
president;
members
serve
six-year
terms;
mid-term
elections
for half the
members)
|
|
elections:
People's
Assembly -
three-phase
voting -
last held 7
and 20
November, 1
December
2005;(next
to be held
November-December
2010);
Advisory
Council -
last held
May-June
2004 (next
to be held
May-June
2007)
|
|
election
results:
People's
Assembly -
percent of
vote by
party - NA;
seats by
party - NDP
311, NWP 6,
Tagammu 2,
Tomorrow
Party 1,
independents
112 (12
seats to be
determined
by rerun
elections,
10 seats
appointed by
President);
Advisory
Council -
percent of
vote by
party - NA;
seats by
party - NA
|
|
Judicial
branch:
|
Supreme
Constitutional
Court
|
|
International
organization
participation:
|
ABEDA, ACCT,
AfDB, AFESD,
AMF, AU,
BSEC
(observer),
CAEU, COMESA,
EBRD, FAO,
G-15, G-24,
G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICCt
(signatory),
ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO,
Interpol,
IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU,
LAS, MIGA,
MINURSO,
MONUC, NAM,
OAPEC, OAS
(observer),
OIC, ONUB,
OSCE
(partner),
PCA, UN,
UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD,
UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNITAR,
UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNOMIG,
UNRWA, UPU,
WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO,
WTO
|
|
Flag
description:
|
three equal
horizontal
bands of red
(top),
white, and
black; the
national
emblem (a
gold Eagle
of Saladin
facing the
hoist side
with a
shield
superimposed
on its chest
above a
scroll
bearing the
name of the
country in
Arabic)
centered in
the white
band; design
is based on
the Arab
Liberation
flag and
similar to
the flag of
Syria, which
has two
green stars,
Iraq, which
has three
green stars
(plus an
Arabic
inscription)
in a
horizontal
line
centered in
the white
band, and
Yemen, which
has a plain
white band
|
|
