Egypt flag
Basic facts of Egypt
Official name: Arab Republic of Egypt
Capital: Cairo
Area 997,739 sq km,385,229 sq mi
Population: 81,713,517 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate 1.68 percent (2008 estimate)
Population density 82 persons per sq km, 213 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution:
Share urban 42 percent
Share rural 58 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest citie: Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Port Said
Languages: Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by the educated
Religious affiliations:
Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94 percent
Coptic Christian and other 6 percent
Life expectancy:
Total 71.8 years ,
Female 74.5 years
Male 69.3 years (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate:
Total 59.3 percent
Female 48.9 percent
Male 69.4 percent (2005 estimate)
Armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force
Total number of military personnel 468,500 (2004)
Introduction:
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, country in northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia. Most of the country lies in Africa, but the easternmost portion of Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, is usually considered part of Asia; it forms the only land bridge between the two continents. Most of Egypt’s terrain is desert, divided into two unequal parts by the Nile River. The valley and delta of the Nile are the main centers of habitation. The capital and largest city is Cairo.
Cairo,Egypt
Cairo, the capital and largest city in Egypt, lies on the Nile River in the northern part of the country. The tall Cairo Tower, right, was completed in 1957 on Zam´lik, an island in the center of the city.
Nile River, Egypt
The Nile River flows northward through Egypt, dividing the country into two arid regions. The Nile provides a vital source of transportation, and its fertile valley and delta contain most of the country’s agriculture and population.
Al-Azhar University, Cairo
Founded by a former slave, the Islamic Al-Azhar University in Cairo began as a mosque in ad 970 and emerged as a university in ad 988. The university's curriculum was expanded to include courses on nonreligious subjects in 1924, and women were first admitted in 1962. Al-Azhar is the oldest continuously operating institute of higher education in the world.
Camel Riders
Camels are no longer relied upon for transportation as they once were, and riders like the one shown here use the animals more for recreation than utility. This photo was taken at the Giza Pyramids, outside Cairo in northern Egypt.
Sinai Mountain Road, Egypt
This road at Mount Sinai winds its way to Bir Zreir, Egypt. According to the Old Testament, Mount Sinai, sometimes called Horeb, is the sacred mountain on which Moses received the Ten Commandments from Jehovah.
Aerial View of Alexandria (Egypt)
Alexandria was founded in 332 bc by Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, who planned it as one of the finest ports of the ancient world. The modern city is situated mainly on a peninsula around the mole, a breakwater built to the island of Pharos.
Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo
The Mosque of Muhammad Ali stands within the walls of the Citadel in Cairo. Built between 1830 and 1857, it is the largest and grandest of the four mosques contained in the Citadel. Muhammad Ali led a resurgence of national strength which put much of Arabia in Egyptian hands and almost led to the toppling of the Ottoman Empire. However, the momentum of his conquests and his modernization efforts was not sustained by his successors after his death in 1849.
Egyptian Pyramids
Located on the west bank of the Nile River on the outskirts of Cairo, the pyramids at Giza, Egypt, rank as some of the best-known monuments in the world. The ancient Egyptians constructed the pyramids to serve as royal tombs. Built without the use of cranes, pulleys, or lifting tackle, the massive structures stand as testaments to the engineering skills of their makers.