World Atlas: Egypt. On this page you can see the map, country flag and many detailed information about the people, history and economy of Egypt.
Here you can find online selected information about the geography, inhabitants, government, economy and history of Egypt. Included are selected statistics, an overview map and the detailed map of Egypt. But let's start with the flag of Egypt here:
Egypt - Overview:
What you should know about Egypt? Let's start with this: The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Completion of the Suez Canal in 1869 elevated Egypt as an important world transportation hub. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty from Britain in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. Inspired by the 2010 Tunisian revolution, Egyptian opposition groups led demonstrations and labor strikes countrywide, culminating in President Hosni Mubarak's ouster in 2011. Egypt's military assumed national leadership until a new parliament was in place in early 2012; later that same year, Mohammed Morsi won the presidential election. Following often violent protests throughout the spring of 2013 against Morsi's government and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian Armed Forces intervened and removed Morsi from power in July 2013 and replaced him with interim president Adly Mansour. In January 2014, voters approved a new constitution by referendum and in May 2014 elected Abdelfattah Elsisi president. Egypt elected a new legislature in December 2015, the first parliament since 2012.
Geography of Egypt
Where on the globe is Egypt? The location of this country is 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. Total area of Egypt is 1,001,450 sq km, of which 995,450 sq km is land. So this is quite a large country. How could we describe the terrain of the country? This way: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta. The lowest point of Egypt is Qattara Depression -133 m, the highest point Mount Catherine 2,629 m. And the climate is desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters.
Inhabitants of Egypt
Let's take a look how many people live in Egypt. The number is: 97,041,072 (July 2017 est.). So this country is among the most populous in the World. Who lives here? Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% (2006 census). What are the languages in Egypt? Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes. And the religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox, other Christians include Armenian Apostolic, Catholic, Maronite, Orthodox, and Anglican) 10% (2015 est.). How old are the people in average? 23.9 years. We have to add that this number is the median - so one half of the people is older than this, one half is younger. And what is their life expectancy (at birth)? This: 73 years. Where the people live in Egypt? Here: approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited. The major urban areas of Egypt are: Cairo (capital) 18.772 million; Alexandria 4.778 million (2015).
Government and Economy of Egypt
The capital of Egypt is Cairo and the government type presidential republic. Let's take a look at the administrative divisions - 27 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah (Alexandria), Al Isma'iliyah (Ismailia), Al Jizah (Giza), Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah (Cairo), Al Qalyubiyah, Al Uqsur (Luxor), Al Wadi al Jadid (New Valley), As Suways (Suez), Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id (Port Said), Dumyat (Damietta), Janub Sina' (South Sinai), Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina' (North Sinai), Suhaj. Regarding the economy of Egypt, important industrial products are textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures. Important agricultural products are cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats. The most important export commodities are crude oil and petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals, processed food and the most important export partners are UAE 12.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.7%, Italy 6.5%, Turkey 6.3%, UK 4.6%, US 4.5% (2016). The most important import commodities are machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels and the most important import partners are China 12.9%, Germany 8.7%, US 5.3%, Italy 4.5%, Turkey 4.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2016). How rich is Egypt and how rich are people in this country? The most important number here is GDP per capita (PPP): $13,000 (2017 est.). This is quite good. Let's add that this means Gross Domestic Product per person, which is recalculated with respect to the relative cost of local goods and services. And one more important number - population below poverty line: 25.2% (2011 est.).