NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Arab Republic of Egypt
Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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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 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 by Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegience to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty following World War II. 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 ready the economy for the new millennium through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip |
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Geographic coordinates:
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27 00 N, 30 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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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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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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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: 2.85%
permanent crops: 0.47% other: 96.68% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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33,000 sq km (1998 est.) |
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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; very 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, 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
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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Geography - note:
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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; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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70,712,345 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 33.96% (male 12,292,185; female 11,721,469)
15-64 years: 62.18% (male 22,190,637; female 21,775,504) 65 years and over: 3.86% (male 1,191,091; female 1,541,459) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.66% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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24.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.58 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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58.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 64.05 years
female: 66.24 years (2002 est.) male: 61.96 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.99 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.02% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1% |
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Religions:
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Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6% |
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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: 51.4% male: 63.6% female: 38.8% (1995 est.) |