Official Name
Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
Arab Republic of Egypt

Official Language
Arabic

International References
Coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea,
between Libya and the Gaza Strip
ISO Country Code: eg
Local Time: UTC +2 (Daylight Saving Time: UTC +3)

Area
Total Area: 1 million sq km (386,662 sq miles)
Land: 995,450 sq km, Water: 6,000 sq km
Populated Area: 55 thousand sq km (5.5% of total area)
Arable Land: Only a narrow strip in the Nile Valley and the Delta

Population
71.3 million (January 2006)
Annual Population Growth Rate: 1.91% (2006)
Number of Households (million): 15.3 (2006)

Major Cities
Cairo, the capital of Egypt est. population 16 million), is the largest city in Africa,
the Arab world, and the Middle East. It is also the industrial and commercial center of Egypt.
Other major towns include Alexandria (6 million), Egypt's chief port, and
Port Said, Luxor, Aswan, Zagazig, Assiut.

Administrative Division
Egypt is divided into 26 governorates, 217 cities and 4617 villages.
The geographical regions as set in the urban plan are as follows:
Upper Egypt, Central Egypt, North Upper Egypt, Metropolitan Cairo,
The Canal Zone, The Delta, Alexandria and Matrouh.

Topography
The Nile, which traverses over 1,000 miles within Egypt, from Wadi Halfa in the South to the Mediterranean in the north, divides the country into four broad regions:
1. The Western Desert: occupies almost two-thirds of the total area (671,000 km2);
extends from the Nile Valley in the east to the Libyan borders in the west, and from the
Mediterranean in the north to Egypt's southern borders, and includes the 5 important
oases located in Libyan Desert.
2. The Eastern Desert: occupies an area of 225,000 km2; extends from the Nile Valley in the west to the Red Sea, Suez Gulf, and Suez Canal in the East, and from Lake Manzala on the Mediterranean in the north to Egypt's southern borders with Sudan. This desert is rich in natural resources, which include various ores such as gold, coal, and oil.
3. The Sinai Peninsula: occupies an area of 61,000 km2; shaped like a triangle with its base at the Mediterranean in the north and its tip in the south at Ras Mohammed, the Gulf of Aqaba to the east and the Gulf of Suez and Suez Canal to the west. Abundant water resources derived from rainwater flows from southern heights to the central plateau.
4. The Nile Valley and Delta: the most densely populated region of the country,
occupy an area of 33,000 km2, which account to less than 4% of the total area of the country; extends from north of the valley to the Mediterranean Sea and is divided into Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

Border countries
Gaza Strip 11 km, Palestine 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, and 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
Dry, hot summers (May-October);
moderate winters (November-April).

Elevation
Lowest: Qattara Depression 436 m
Highest: Mount Catherine 2,629 m (at Sinai Peninsula)

Natural resources
Petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone,
gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc

Agricultural products
Cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats

Industries
Food processing, textiles, chemicals, petrochemicals, construction, light manufacturing,
iron and steel products, aluminum, cement, military equipment

Major Trade Partners
EU, US, Middle East, Japan

Currency
Egyptian Pound (L.E.) = 100 Piaster
Exchange rate: US$ 1 = L.E. 5.55 (December 2008 figures).

Business Hours
Government offices work Saturday through Thursday, with Friday as the day off.
The private sector normally works five days a week, Sunday through Thursday.