Country Information

Middle East, North Africa.

1,001,450 sq km (386,662 sq miles).

85,294,388 (2013).

85.2 per sq km.

Cairo (El Qahira).

Republic.

Traditional home of the roaming Bedouin, most of Egypt's landmass is comprised of flat, mostly featureless desert, supportive of minimal vegetation.

The Mediterranean Sea forms Egypt's northern border, bringing cooler weather to the seaboard city of Alexandria and providing a coastal getaway for Cairo's residents. To the east, lies the mountainous Sinai Peninsula, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Territories; to the south, the deserts of Egypt quietly roll into the deserts of Sudan; to the west, the Great Western Desert forms an almost seamless wilderness through Libya and beyond.

Sinai is divided from the main landmass of Africa by the country's busy shipping lane, the Suez Canal. For centuries, however, it was the River Nile, plied by felucca (traditional Nile sailing boats), that provided the main conduit for trade along the country's length. Railways and roads now compete for that distinction, but the Nile remains an important economic and cultural artery.

The Nile perfuses the Delta north of Cairo, supporting 90% of the population in a flood land of cotton and rice-growing crops. The river's potency has been reduced since the building of the Aswan Dam; on the positive side, the dam has provided the country with a safe and reliable electricity supply - and has had the side effect of keeping the crocodiles out.

Arabic is the official language. English and French are widely spoken.

About 90% of the population are Muslim, with the majority of the remainder being Christian, including followers of the Coptic Christian faith. There is also a small Jewish population.

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).

Islam is part of all aspects of daily life with many social conventions stemming from the teachings of the Koran, the Muslim holy book. Hospitality is a significant element, especially to visitors. Shaking hands is the normal greeting but male visitors should wait for a woman to offer her hand first. Dress should always be conservative and women should cover upper arms and legs. This is particularly important when visiting religious buildings - when hair should also be covered - and conservative towns. Dress standards tends to be a little more relaxed in modern nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and bars in Cairo, Alexandria and other tourist resorts. Official or social functions and smart restaurants usually require more formal wear. Smoking is widespread.. Photography: Tourists are required to pay a fee if wishing to take photographs inside pyramids, tombs and museums. Ask permission when taking pictures of someone, especially women. Some traditionally-dressed locals demand money when they ‘pose’ outside historic sites, especially temples and pyramids.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Sockets take the continental European-style two-pin plugs.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab since 2014.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi since 2014.

Egypt’s history is one of the richest, oldest and most varied of any country in the world, ever since the creation of the powerful kingdom in around 3180 BC.
The pre-Hellenic period is distinguished by Kingdoms (Old, Middle and New) and divided into dynasties, including the IVth dynasty with the construction of the Great Pyramid, and Tutankhamun’s rule briefly during the XVIIIth dynasty. The Pharaonic period was brought to an end by Alexander the Great, in 332 BC.
From the middle of the fourth century, Egypt became part of the Eastern Empire, and the Fatamids gained control of the country in the late 10th century.
The arrival of Napoleon in AD 1798 brought Egypt once more into violent contact with a European power. By 1805, however, the struggle for independence had been won, with Muhammad Ali being recognised as Sultan.
The Suez Canal was opened in 1869; British occupation lasted from 1882 - 1936. Thereafter, Egypt was formally independent but severely constrained by the British.
The 1952 revolution, led by Colonel Nasser, took the Suez Canal into public ownership which led to the Suez Crisis of 1956, in which a combined Anglo-French-Israeli military operation attempted to depose Nasser. It failed, which greatly enhanced Nasser's standing.
The defeat of Arab forces by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War deprived Egypt of the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip, recovered only after another defeat by the Israelis in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and the subsequent Egyptian-Israeli peace initiative, which culminated in the 1979 Camp David accord.
The treaty was signed on the Egyptian side by Nasser's successor, Anwar El-Sadat, who was assassinated in 1981. Sadat was succeeded by his deputy, Hosni Mubarak after winning a fifth term of office in 2005. In response to mass protests, Mubarak stepped down in January 2011 and appointed Ahmed Shafik as the new Prime Minister. Shafik resigned in March 2011 and the country is currently under military rule.