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EGYPT
Map of EGYPT
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula |
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Geographic coordinates:
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27 00 N, 30 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km |
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Coastline:
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2,450 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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Climate:
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desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters |
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Terrain:
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vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m
highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.92%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 96.58% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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34,220 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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86.8 cu km (1997) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 68.3 cu km/yr (8%/6%/86%)
per capita: 923 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms |
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Environment - current issues:
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agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Population:
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81,713,517 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 31.8% (male 13,292,961/female 12,690,711)
15-64 years: 63.5% (male 26,257,440/female 25,627,390)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 1,636,560/female 2,208,455) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census) |
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Religions:
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Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1% |
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Languages:
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Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.4%
male: 83%
female: 59.4% (2005 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria) |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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name: Cairo
geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in September |
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Administrative divisions:
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26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, As Suways, Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj |
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Independence:
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28 February 1922 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)
Source: http://cia.gov
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