Egypt - Tourism and Travel

The Arab Republic of Egypt is a country in North Africa, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Egypt has an area of 386,199 square miles (1,000,250 square kilometers).

The capital of Egypt is Cairo.

The pyramids at El Giza, near Cairo, were originally tombs for pharaohs.

Egypt has a presidential system of government.

The official currency the Egyptian pound, which is equal to 100 piastres.

Geography and Climate

The Nile River runs through Egypt. The Nile is the longest river in the world, at 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers) long.

It empties into the Mediterranean at the Nile Delta in northern Egypt, where it deposits large amounts of silt and alluvium, making the region very fertile.

At the base of the Nile Delta, the river divides into two main channels. A dense network of drainage channels and canals links these two main channels together.

Lake Nasser, in Egypt and Sudan, is an artificial lake that was created by damming the Nile.

Almost one fourth of Egypt's electricity comes from hydroelectric power.

Outside of the NileValley, Egypt consists of desert and semi-desert.

Summers are hot and winters are mild. There is negligible rainfall.

The land in Egypt is low-lying.

The Qattara Depression in northwestern Egypt is below sea level.

Northeastern Egypt contains the Sinai Peninsula, the only land bridge between Africa and Asia.

The Sinai Peninsula is made of up desert that is broken up by many wadis, dry riverbeds that fill with water during rainy seasons.

The Suez Canal, which joins the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, separates the Sinai Peninsula from the rest of Egypt. This Suez Canal is an important shipping route between Europe and Asia.

People

82,999,000 people live in Egypt.

99% live in the Nile Valley.

94% of the people are Muslim, primarily Sunni Muslim.

Arabic is the official language. English, French and Berber are also spoken.

Economy

About one third of the workforce is involved in farming.

The primary cash crop is cotton.

Less than 4% of the land is cultivated.

Most of the cultivated land is in the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta.

Egypt has reserves of oil and natural gas.

Important exports are oil, oil products, cotton, clothing and textiles.