Background: 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 3,200 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. 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 allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922 Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the British-backed monarchy 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 growing population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure. Egyptian youth and opposition groups inspired by events in Tunisia leading to overthrow of the government there organized a 'Day of Rage' campaign on 25 January 2011 (Police Day) to include non-violent demonstrations marches and labor strikes in Cairo and other cities throughout Egypt. Protester grievances focused on police brutality state emergency laws lack of free speech and elections high unemployment rising food prices inflation and low minimum wages. Within several days of the onset of protests President MUBARAK addressed the nation pledging the formation of a new government and in a second address he offered additional concessions which failed to assuage protesters and resulted in an escalation of the number and intensity of demonstrations and clashes with police. On 11 February recently appointed Vice President SULIMAN announced MUBARAK's resignation and the assumption of national leadership by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF). The SCAF dissolved the Egyptian parliament suspended the nation's constitution and formed a committee to recommend constitutional changes to facilitate a political transition through democratic elections. In early March Essam SHARAF replaced Ahmed SHAFIK as Prime Minister and by mid-month a constitutional referendum was approved. In early July the SCAF announced that elections for parliament would take place in September but the date was later changed to November and was to be followed by a redrafting of the constitution and a presidential election. In July 2011 opposition discontent over the slow pace of SCAF progress in transitioning the government led to a resumption of protests in Cairo and over a dozen other cities; less frequent smaller demonstrations and protests continued through October. Following the arrest of MUBARAK and other high-ranking officials in mid-April a trial in which MUBARAK is accused of corruption and complicity in the deaths of nearly 900 protesters began in early August was temporarily suspended in September and is scheduled to resume in late December. Elections for a new parliament were

Geographic coordinates: 27 00 N 30 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 1,001,450 km²
Rank: 30
Land: 995,450 km²
Water: 6,000 km²
Comparative: slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,665 km
Border countries: (4) Gaza Strip 11 km; Israel 266 km; Libya 1115 km; Sudan 1273 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: 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
Extremes highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas iron ore phosphates manganese limestone gypsum talc asbestos lead rare earth elements zinc

Land use
Arable land: 2.92%
Permanent crops: 0.5%
Other: 96.58% (2005)

Irrigated land: 35,300 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 86.8 km³ (1997)

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

Geography
Note: controls Sinai Peninsula only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal a 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 from Sudan and the Palestinian territories

Population: 82,079,636 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 15
Growth rate: 1.96% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 57
Below poverty line: 20% (2005 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Egyptian
Adjective: Egyptian

Ethnic groups: Egyptian 99.6% other 0.4% (2006 census)

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

Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90% Coptic 9% other Christian 1%

Age structure
0-14 years: 32.7%
15-64 years: 62.8% (male 26,187,921/female 25,353,947)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 1,669,313/female 2,031,016) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.3 years
Male: 24 years
Female: 24.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.96% (2011 est.)
Rank: 57

Birth rate: 24.63 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 64

Death rate: 4.82 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 192

Net migration rate: -0.21 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 124

Urbanization
Urban population: 43.4% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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; limited natural freshwater resources away from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 25.2 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 81
Male: 26.8 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 23.52 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.66 years
Rank: 123
Male: 70.07 years
Female: 75.38 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 65

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.83 physicians/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 44

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 115

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 123
People living with hivaids: 11,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 94
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 84

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: Rift Valley fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible r

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 30.3% (2006)
Rank: 8

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 6.8% (2008)
Rank: 74

Education expenditures: 3.8% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 109

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 71.4%
Male: 83%
Female: 59.4% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 11 years (2004)

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)

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Cairo
Geographic coordinates: 30 03 N 31 15 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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

Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK protectorate status; the revolution that began on 23 July 1952 led to a republic being declared on 18 June 1953 and all British troops withdrawn on 18 June 1956); note - it was ca. 3,200 B.C. that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politically

National holiday: Revolution Day 23 July (1952)

Constitution: 11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980 25 May 2005 and 26 March 2007; note - constitution suspended by the military caretaker government 13 February 2011 and a new provisional constitution adopted 30 March 2011

Legal system: mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil law and Islamic religious law; judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions)

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch
Note: following the resignation of President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK in February 2011 the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces headed by Defense Minister Muhammad Hussein TANTAWI assumed control of the government
Chief of state: president (vacant); vice president (vacant)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kamal Ahmad El-GANZOURI (since 25 November 2011)
Cabinet: Prime Minister GANZOURI asked to form a new government on 27 November 2011
Elections: NA
Election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6% Ayman NOUR 7.6% Noman GOMAA 2.9%

Legislative branch: bicameral system consists of the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (Shura Council) that traditionally functions mostly in a consultative role (264 seats; 176 members elected by popular vote 88 appointed by the president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half of the elected members) and the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (518 seats; 508 members elected by popular vote 64 seats reserved for women 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
Elections: Advisory Council - last held in June 2010 (next to be held in 2012); People's Assembly - last held in November-December 2010 in one round of voting and one run-off election (next to be held in 2015); note - on 13 February 2011 the ruling military council dissolved the parliament; new parliamentary elections to be held in late 2011 - early 2012
Election results: Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 80 Al-Geel 1 Nasserist 1 NWP 1 Tagammu 1 Tomorrow Party 1 independents 3; People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 419 NWP 6 Tagammu 5 Democratic Peace Party 1 Social Justice Party 1 Tomorrow Party 1 independents 71 seats undecided 4 seats appointed by president 10

Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders: Al-Geel; Democratic Peace Party; Nasserist Party [Ahmed HASSAN]; National Democratic Party or NDP (governing party) [Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Sayed EL-BEDAWY]; Social Justice Party [Mohamed Abdel Al HASAN]; Tomorrow Party [Ayman NOUR]
Note: formation of political parties must be

International organization participation: ABEDA AfDB AFESD AMF AU BSEC (observer) CAEU CICA COMESA D-8 EBRD FAO G-15 G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA MINURSO MONUSCO NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OIF OSCE (partner) PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNRWA UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sameh Hassan SHOUKRY
In the us chancery: 3,521 International Court NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 895-5,400
In the us fax: [1] (202) 244-4,319
In the us consulate general: Chicago Houston New York San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ann W. PATTERSON
From the us embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St. Garden City Cairo
From the us mailing address: Unit 64,900 Box 15 APO AE 9,839-4,900; 5 Tawfik Diab Street Garden City Cairo
From the us telephone: [20] (2) 2,797-3,300
From the us fax: [20] (2) 2,797-3,200

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top) white and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; the band colors derive from the Arab Liberation flag and represent oppression (black) overcome through bloody struggle (red) to be replaced by a bright future (white)
Note: similar to the flag of Syria which has two green stars in the white band Iraq which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band and Yemen which has a plain white band

National symbols: golden eagle

National anthem
Name: 'Bilady Bilady Bilady'
Lyricsmusic: Younis-al QADI/Sayed DARWISH
Note: adopted 1979; after the signing of the 1979 peace with Israel Egypt sought to create an anthem less militaristic than its previous one; Sayed DARWISH commonly considered the father of modern Egyptian music composed the anthem

Economy overview: Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley where most economic activity takes place. Egypt's economy was highly centralized during the rule of former President Gamal Abdel NASSER but opened up considerably under former Presidents Anwar EL-SADAT and Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK. Cairo from 2004 to 2008 aggressively pursued economic reforms to attract foreign investment and facilitate GDP growth. The global financial crisis slowed the reform efforts. The budget deficit climbed to over 8% of GDP and Egypt's GDP growth slowed to 4.6% in 2009 predominately due to reduced growth in export-oriented sectors including manufacturing and tourism and Suez Canal revenues. In 2010 the government spent more on infrastructure and public projects and exports drove GDP growth to more than 5% but GDP growth in 2011 is unlikely to bounce back to pre-global financial recession levels when it stood at 7%. Despite the relatively high levels of economic growth over the past few years living conditions for the average Egyptian remain poor.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 27
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 70

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 137
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 14%
Industry: 37.5%
Services: 48.3% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: textiles food processing tourism chemicals pharmaceuticals hydrocarbons construction cement metals light manufactures

Industrial production growth rate: 4.4% (2010 est.)
Rank: 96

Labor force: 26.2 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 22
By occupation agriculture: 32%
By occupation industry: 17%
By occupation services: 51% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 101

Population below poverty line: 20% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.9%
Highest 10: 27.6% (2005)

Distribution of family income gini index: 34.4 (2001)
Rank: 92

Budget
Revenues: $47.66 billion
Expenditures: $65.05 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 187

Taxes and other revenues: 21.8% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 140

Public debt: 83.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 20

Inflation rate consumer prices: 11.8% (2009 est.)
Rank: 205

Central bank discount rate: 8.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 40

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 11.975% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 84

Stock of narrow money: $35.91 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Stock of broad money: $158.1 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 42

Stock of domestic credit: $136.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 42

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 44

Current account balance: -$3.195 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 174

Exports: $23.09 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 65
Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products cotton textiles metal products chemicals processed food
Partners: US 7.6% Italy 7.3% India 6.1% Spain 5.4% Saudi Arabia 5.4% France 4.7% Libya 4% (2010)

Imports: $45.56 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 51
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs chemicals wood products fuels
Partners: US 11.8% China 10.4% Germany 6.5% Italy 6.4% Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $33.93 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 43

Debt external: $35.37 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 65

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $66.71 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 46

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $4.272 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 60

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 123.9 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 28
Consumption: 109.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 29
Exports: 1.022 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 896 million kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 62.69 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 13
Consumption: 44.37 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 18
Exports: 18.32 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 12
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 114
Proven reserves: 2.186 trillion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 17

Telephones
Main lines in use: 9.618 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 22
Mobile cellular: 70.661 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 16

Telephone system
General assessment: underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s; principal centers at Alexandria Cairo Al Mansurah Ismailia Suez and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
Domestic: largest fixed-line system in the region; as of 2010 there were three mobile-cellular networks with a total of more than 55 million subscribers
International: country code - 20; landing point for Aletar the SEA-ME-WE-3 and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks Link Around the Globe (FLAG) Falcon and FLAG FEA; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean 1 Arabsat and 1 Inmarsat); tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel (2009)

Broadcast media: mix of state-run and private broadcast media; state-run TV operates 2 national and 6 regional terrestrial networks as well as a few satellite channels; about 20 private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels are available via subscription; state-run radio operates about 70 stations belonging to 8 networks; 2 privately-owned radio stations operational (2008)

Internet
Country code: .eg
Hosts: 187,197 (2010)
Hosts rank: 67
Users: 20.136 million (2009)
Users rank: 21

Military expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 36

Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for male conscript military service; service obligation 12-36 months followed by a 9-year reserve obligation (2008)

Airports: 86 (2010)
Rank: 66
With paved runways total: 73
With paved runways over 3047 m: 15
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 36
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 15
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 5 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2010)

Heliports: 6 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate 320 km; condensate/gas 13 km; gas 6,628 km; liquid petroleum gas 956 km; oil 4,332 km; oil/gas/water 3 km; refined products 895 km; water 13 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 5,083 km
Rank: 34
Standard gauge: 5,083 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways
Total: 65,050 km
Rank: 70
Paved: 47,500 km
Unpaved: 17,550 km (2009)

Waterways: 3,500 km (includes the Nile River Lake Nasser Alexandria-Cairo Waterway and numerous smaller canals in Nile Delta; the Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) is navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m) (2010)
Rank: 29

Merchant marine
Total: 66
Rank: 64
By type: bulk carrier 11 cargo 24 container 3 passenger/cargo 7 petroleum tanker 12 roll on/roll off 9
Foreign owned: 13 (Denmark 1 France 1 Greece 8 Jordan 2 Lebanon 1)
Registered in other countries: 52 (Cambodia 12 Cook Islands 1 Georgia 11 Honduras 2 Malta 1 Marshall Islands 1 Moldova 5 Panama 11 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4 Saudi Arabia 1 Sierra Leone 2 unknown 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Ayn Sukhnah Alexandria Damietta El Dekheila Port Said Sidi Kurayr Suez

Disputes international: Sudan claims but Egypt de facto administers security and economic development of Halaib region north of the 22nd parallel boundary; Egypt no longer shows its administration of the Bir Tawil trapezoid in Sudan on its maps; Gazan breaches in the security wall with Egypt in January 2008 highlight difficulties in monitoring the Sinai border; Saudi Arabia claims Egyptian-administered islands of Tiran and Sanafir

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 60,000 - 80,000 (Iraq); 70,198 (Palestinian Territories); 12,157 (Sudan) (2007)

Illicit drugs: transit point for cannabis heroin and opium moving to Europe Israel and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site du