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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
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,
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
salinization 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
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Population: 66,050,004
(July 1998
est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36%
(male 12,173,882; female 11,637,239)
15-64 years: 60%
(male 20,108,426; female 19,718,302)
65 years and over: 4%
(male 1,074,271; female 1,337,884)
(July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.86%
(1998
est.)
Birth rate: 27.31 births/1,000 population
(1998 est.)
Death rate: 8.41 deaths/1,000 population
(1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.35
migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 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: 0.8 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 69.23 deaths/1,000
live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total
population: 62.07 years
male: 60.09
years
female: 64.14 years
(1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.41 children
born/woman (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups:
(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.)
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Country name:
conventional long
form: Arab Republic of Egypt (ARE)
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
National 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
Atef ABED
cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the president 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) Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional
Court
Political parties and leaders: National
Democratic Party (NDP), President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader, is
the dominant party; legal opposition parties are as follows: New
Wafd Party (NWP), Fu'ad SIRAJ AL-DIN; Socialist Labor Party (SLP),
Ibrahim SHUKRI; National Progressive Unionist Grouping (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, AG (observer), 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,
MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIBH, UNMOP,
UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
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 in a horizontal line centered in the white band
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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 successive IMF
arrangements, the last of which was concluded in October 1996.
Egypt's reform efforts—and its participation in the Gulf war
coalition—also led to massive debt relief under the Paris Club
arrangements. Although the pace of reform has been uneven and slower
than envisaged under the IMF programs, substantial progress has been
made in improving macroeconomic performance. Budget deficits have
been slashed while foreign reserves in 1997 were at an all-time
high. And Egypt has been moving toward a more decentralized,
market-oriented economy. These economic reforms and growing
investment opportunities have prompted increasing foreign
investment, but incoming capital has largely been concentrated in
stock market portfolio flows. Egypt's economy also has been hit by a
sharp downturn in tourism—a key foreign exchange and job producing
sector—following the 17 November 1997 massacre of foreign tourists
at Luxor. Although Egypt will probably regain these revenues over
time, the slump in tourism is likely to slow the GDP growth rate in
1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$267.1
billion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 5.2%
(1997
est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power
parity—$4,400 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by
sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry:
32%
services: 51%
(1996)
Inflation rate—consumer price index: 4.9%
(1997)
Labor force:
total: 17.4
million (1996 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 40%,
services, including government 38%, industry 22% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9.4%
(1997
est.)
Budget:
revenues: $19.2
billion
expenditures: $19.8 billion, including capital
expenditures of $4 billion (FY96/97 est.)
Industries: textiles, food processing,
tourism, chemicals, petroleum, construction, cement, metals
Industrial production growth rate: 8.5%
(1996 est.)
Electricity—capacity: 13.04 million kW
(1995)
Electricity—production: 48.5 billion kWh
(1995)
Electricity—consumption per capita: 778
kWh (1995)
Agriculture—products: cotton, rice, corn,
wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep,
goats; annual fish catch about 140,000 metric tons
Exports:
total value:
$5.1
billion (f.o.b., FY96/97 est.)
commodities: crude oil and
petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw cotton, textiles, metal
products, chemicals
partners: EU, US, Japan
Imports:
total value:
$15.5
billion (c.i.f., FY96/97 est.)
commodities: machinery and
equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood products, durable consumer
goods, capital goods
partners:
US, EU, Japan
Debt—external: $30.5 billion
(1996/97
est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA,
$1.713 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 Egyptian pound (£E) = 100
piasters
Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds
(£E) per US$1--5.3 Fiscal year: 1 July—30 June
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Telephones: 2.2 million (1993)
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 39, FM 6,
shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 41
Televisions: 5 million
(1993 est.)
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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: 161
ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,225,989 GRT/1,899,818
DWT
ships by type: bulk 24, cargo 60, liquefied gas tanker
1, oil tanker 15, passenger 42, refrigerated cargo 1,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 15, short-sea passenger 3 (1997 est.)
Airports: 89 (1997 est.)
Airports—with paved
runways:
total: 70
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 39
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3
(1997
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
(1997 est.)
Heliports:
2 (1997 est.)
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Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force,
Air Defense Command
Military manpower—military age: 20 years
of age
Military
manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 17,350,925
(1998 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military
service:
males: 11,247,896 (1998 est.)
Military manpower—reaching military age
annually:
males: 683,868 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure:
$3.28 billion (FY95/96)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP:
8.2% (FY95/96)
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Disputes—international: administrative
boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary
creating the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq
km
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; large
domestic consumption of hashish from Lebanon and Syria
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