Background: One of the four great ancient civilizations, Egypt, ruled by powerful pharaohs, bequeathed to Western civilization numerous advances in technology, science, and the arts. For the last two millennia, however, Egypt has served a series of foreign masters—Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, and the British. Formal independence came in 1922, and the remnants of British control ended after World War II. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1981 altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population will stress Egyptian society and resources as it enters the new millenium.

Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip

Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 1,001,450 sq km
land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries:
total: 2,689 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 km

Coastline: 2,450 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 32,460 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms

Environment—current issues: 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; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining natural resources

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography—note: controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, shortest sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics

Population: 67,273,906 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36% (male 12,260,845; female 11,712,752)
15-64 years: 61% (male 20,604,620; female 20,211,012)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,099,517; female 1,385,160) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.82% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 26.8 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 67.46 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 62.39 years
male: 60.39 years
female: 64.49 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.33 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic groups: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic Christian and other 6% (official estimate)

Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.4%
male: 63.6%
female: 38.8% (1995 est.)

Country name:
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)

Data code: EG

Government type: republic

Capital: Cairo

Administrative divisions: 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, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj

Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 23 July (1952)

Constitution: 11 September 1971

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 Kamal Ahmed El-GANZOURI (since 4 January 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president nominated by the People's Assembly for a six-year term, the nomination must then be validated by a national, popular referendum; national referendum last held 4 October 1993 (next to be held NA October 1999); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: national referendum validated President MUBARAK's nomination by the People's Assembly to a third term

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 NA-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly—last held 29 November 1995 (next to be held NA 2000); Advisory Council—last held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)
election results: People's Assembly—percent of vote by party—NDP 72%, independents 25%, opposition 3%; seats by party—NDP 317, independents 114, NWP 6, NPUG 5, Nasserist Arab Democratic Party 1, Liberals 1; Advisory Council—percent of vote by party—NDP 99%, independents 1%; seats by party—NA

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party or NDP [President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader] is the dominant party; legal opposition parties are as follows: New Wafd Party or NWP [Fu'ad SIRAJ AL-DIN]; Socialist Labor Party or SLP [Ibrahim SHUKRI]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or NPUG [Khalid MUHI AL-DIN]; Socialist Liberal Party [Mustafa Kamal MURAD]; Democratic Unionist Party [Mohammed 'Abd-al-Mun'im TURK]; Umma Party [Ahmad al-SABAHI]; Misr al-Fatah Party (Young Egypt Party) [leader NA]; Nasserist Arab Democratic Party [Dia' al-din DAWUD]; Democratic Peoples' Party [Anwar AFIFI]; The Greens Party [Kamal KIRAH]; Social Justice Party [Muhammad 'ABDAL-'AL[
note: formation of political parties must be approved by government

Political pressure groups and leaders: despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK tolerated limited political activity by the Brotherhood for his first two terms, but has moved more aggressively in the past two years to block its influence; trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned

International organization participation: ABEDA, ACC, ACCT (associate), AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BSEC (observer), CAEU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, ESCWA, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURCA, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed MAHER al-Sayed
chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319, 5131
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah Street, Garden City, Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 3557371
FAX: [20] (2) 3573200

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with the national emblem (a shield superimposed on a golden eagle facing the hoist side above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band; also similar to the flag of Syria that has two green stars and to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band

Economy—overview: At the end of the 1980s, Egypt faced problems of low productivity and poor economic management, compounded by the adverse social effects of excessive population growth, high inflation, and massive urban overcrowding. In the face of these pressures, in 1991 Egypt undertook wide-ranging macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform measures. This reform effort has been supported by three IMF arrangements, the last of which expired in September 1998. Egypt's reform efforts—and its participation in the Gulf war coalition—also led to massive debt relief under the Paris Club arrangements. Substantial progress has been made in improving macroeconomic performance. Cairo tamed inflation, slashed budget deficits, and built up foreign reserves to an all-time high. Although the pace of structural reforms—such as privatization and new business legislation—has been slower than envisioned under the IMF program, Egypt's steps toward a more market-oriented economy have prompted increased foreign investment. The November 1997 massacre of foreign tourists in Luxor affected tourism enough to slow the GDP growth rate for 1998 compared to earlier projections. Tourism's slow recovery, coupled with low world oil prices, caused a downturn in foreign exchange earnings in 1998, but external payments are not in crisis.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$188 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: 5% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,850 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 16%
industry: 31%
services: 53% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9%
highest 10%: 26.7% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1998)

Labor force: 17.4 million (1998 est.)

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 40%, services, including government 38%, industry 22% (1990 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1998 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $20 billion
expenditures: $20.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.4 billion (FY97/98)

Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals

Industrial production growth rate: 9.4% (1997 est.)

Electricity—production: 46 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 76.09%
hydro: 23.91%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 46 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats; fish

Exports: $5.5 billion (f.o.b., FY97/98 est.)

Exports—commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals

Exports—partners: EU, US, Japan

Imports: $16.7 billion (c.i.f., FY97/98 est.)

Imports—commodities: machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer goods, capital goods

Imports—partners: US, EU, Japan

Debt—external: $28 billion (FY97/98 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: ODA, $2.4 billion (1996)

Currency: 1 Egyptian pound (ŁE) = 100 piasters

Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds (ŁE) per US$1—3.4 (November 1994); market rate—3.3880 (January 1999), 3.3880 (1998), 3.3880 (1997), 3.3880 (1996), 3.3900 (1995), 3.3910 (1994)

Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June

Telephones: 3.168 million (1996); 70,000 digital cellular telephone subscribers (1998); 7,400 analog cellular telephone subscribers (1997)

Telephone system: large system by Third World standards but inadequate for present requirements and undergoing extensive upgrading
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations—2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; 5 coaxial submarine cables; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations: AM 57, FM 14, shortwave 3 (1998 est.)

Radios: 16.45 million (1998 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 42 (in addition, there are nine channels received from Europe by satellite) (1997)

Televisions: 5 million (1998 est.)

Railways:
total: 4,751 km
standard gauge: 4,751 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km electrified; 951 km double track)

Highways:
total: 64,000 km
paved: 49,984 km
unpaved: 14,016 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta); Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 16.1 m of water

Pipelines: crude oil 1,171 km; petroleum products 596 km; natural gas 460 km

Ports and harbors: Alexandria, Al Ghardaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta, Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez

Merchant marine:
total: 180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,334,406 GRT/2,022,785 DWT
ships by type: bulk 25, cargo 63, container 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 14, passenger 56, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 16, short-sea passenger 3 (1998 est.)

Airports: 89 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 70
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 19
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 2 (1998 est.)

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command

Military manpower—military age: 20 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 17,756,706 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,507,058 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 694,468 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $3.28 billion (FY95/96)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 8.2% (FY95/96)

Disputes—international: Egypt asserts its claim to the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km under partial Sudanese administration that is defined by an administrative boundary which supersedes the treaty boundary of 1899

Illicit drugs: a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium moving to Europe and the US; popular transit stop for Nigerian couriers

Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook