1. Historical and General Background of Egypt
Medieval Egypt
In the 4th century the Roman Empire split into two. Egypt was part of the eastern half, known
to us as the Byzantine Empire. However in the 7th century the Arabs conquered it. The Arabs
invaded Egypt in 639 and by 642 all of Egypt was in their hands. It became part of an Islamic
Empire and was ruled from Baghdad. However in 868 an administrator called Ahmed IbnTulun
declared Egypt independent but independence did not last long. His son and successor was
assassinated and rule from Baghdad was reimposed.
Then in 969 Egypt was conquered by the Fatamids of Tunisia. The Fatamids ruled Egypt until
1171 and they built Cairo, which became the capital.
However in 1171 a Syrian named Salah-ad-Din, known in the West as Saladin, became ruler of
Egypt. He founded a dynasty called the Ayyubids who ruled Egypt for nearly 80 years. Then in
1250 a man named Beybars seized power in Egypt. He and his successors were called the
Mamlukes and they ruled Egypt until 1517.
During that period Egypt was rich and powerful. However in 1517 Egypt was conquered by the
Ottoman Turks.
Modern Egypt
Under the Ottomans Egypt was allowed some autonomy. As long as Egypt paid taxes the
Ottomans were content to let the Egyptians administer themselves. Nevertheless the 17th and
18th centuries were ones of economic decline for Egypt and in 1719 the country suffered a
devastating outbreak of plague.
Then in 1798 a French army led by Napoleon landed at Egypt. (Napoleon hoped that if he
occupied Egypt British links with India would be disrupted). Napoleon defeated the Egyptians
on land at the battle of the Pyramids but he was utterly defeated at sea by the British navy. So
Napoleon abandoned his army and left Egypt. Afterwards British and Ottoman forces defeated
the French army and forced them to surrender. However the French expedition led to a
renewed interest in Ancient Egypt in Europe.
After the French left there was a power struggle in Egypt. It was eventually won by Albanian
mercenaries led by Mohammed Ali, who became the Viceroy of Egypt. (Nominally he was under
the control of the Ottoman Sultan but in practice he was more or less independent). Ali tried to
modernise Egypt and he built factories and shipyards. However he died in 1849.
In 1859 work began on the Suez Canal. It was built by the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps
(1805-94).

2. Khedive Ismail (1863-79) carried on the policy of trying to modernise Egypt, establishing a
postal service and building railways. In 1869 the Suez Canal was completed. However he had to
borrow from European lenders at high rates on interest to fund modernisation. Eventually to
avoid bankruptcy Ismail was forced to sell his shares in the Suez Canal to the British in 1875. He
was followed by his son Tewfiq in 1879.
In 1882 there was an uprising in Egypt. Worried about their investments in the Suez Canal the
British sent troops to occupy Egypt. They kept Khedive as a puppet ruler. Naturally the
Egyptians resented becoming a British colony and in 1919 anti-British riots swept Egypt. In 1922
Britain recognised Egypt as an independent state. Yet the British still controlled the Egyptian
communication system, its legal system and its foreign policy! The British made a successor of
Khedive called Fuad king of Egypt but he had only limited power. In 1935 he was followed by his
son Farouk.
Then in 1942 German troops invaded Egypt but they were repulsed by the British at the battle
of El-Alamein.
However following anti-British riots the last British troops were withdrawn from Egypt in 1947.
In 1948 Egypt was defeated in a war with Israel. Farouk was blamed for the disaster and in 1952
a group of army officers called the Free Officers staged a coup and forced Farouk to abdicate.
Their leader, General Naguib became leader of Egypt but in 1954 he was replaced by Gamal
Abdel Nasser. In 1956 Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal. Britain, France and Israel formed an
alliance and in October 1956 Israel invaded Sinai. The British and French sent troops to Port
Said but American pressure forced them to withdraw.
Nasser introduced a socialist regime and moved Egypt closer to the Soviet Union. Under him
education and health care improved but it was a repressive regime and the economy stagnated.
However Egypt was defeated by Israel in the Six Day War of 1967 and Nasser died in 1970.
He was replaced by Anwar Sadat who reversed the discredited socialist policies and encouraged
foreign investment. As a result the Egyptian economy boomed (although Egypt fought another
unsuccessful war with Israel in 1973). In 1978 Sadat made peace with Israel by the Camp David
Agreement. However he was assassinated by extremists in 1981 and was replaced by Hosni
Mubarak.
Today Egypt faces the problems of a rapidly rising population and a lack of farming land.
However the tourist industry is booming and Egypt has great potential for exporting natural
gas.
In 2011 after demonstrations in Egypt Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign and a new chapter in
the history of Egypt began. Today the population of Egypt is 82 million.

3. Introduction Egypt
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 3200 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 following World War II. 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 ready the economy for the new
millennium through economic reform and massive investment in
communications and physical infrastructure.
Geography Egypt
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya
and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes
the Asian Sinai Peninsula
Geographic
coordinates:
27 00 N, 30 00 E
Map
references:
Africa
Area: total: 1,001,450 sq km

4. land: 995,450 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
Area -
comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
Land
boundaries:
total: 2,665 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km,
Sudan 1,273 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
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: 2.87%
permanent crops: 0.48%
other: 96.65% (2001)
Irrigated land: 33,000 sq km (1998 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 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; very limited natural fresh water resources away
from the Nile which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth
in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
Environment -
international
agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,

5. Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
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, 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
People Egypt
Population: 77,505,756 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 33% (male 13,106,043/female 12,483,899)
15-64 years: 62.6% (male 24,531,266/female 23,972,216)
65 years and over: 4.4% (male 1,457,097/female 1,955,235) (2005
est.)
Median age: total: 23.68 years
male: 23.31 years
female: 24.05 years (2005 est.)
Population
growth rate:
1.78% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 23.32 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 5.26 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration
rate:
-0.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality
rate:
total: 32.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 31.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy
at birth:
total population: 71 years
male: 68.5 years
female: 73.62 years (2005 est.)

6. Total fertility
rate:
2.88 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS -
adult
prevalence
rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS -
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS -
deaths:
700 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian
Ethnic groups: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers) 99%,
Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and
French) 1%
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%, Coptic Christian and other 6%
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated
classes
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.7%
male: 68.3%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)
Government Egypt
Country name: conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form:JumhuriyatMisr al-Arabiyah
local short form:Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Government
type:
republic
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

7. Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah, As Suways,
Aswan, Asyut, BaniSuwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, JanubSina', Kafr ash
Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, ShamalSina', Suhaj
Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK)
National
holiday:
Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)
Constitution: 11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980
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 Ahmed NAZIF (since 9 July
2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term; note -
a national referendum in May 2005 approved a constitutional
amendment that changed the presidential election to a
multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was
nominated by the People's Assembly and the nomination was
validated by a national, popular referendum; last referendum held
26 September 1999; first election under terms of constitutional
amendment held 7 September 2005; next election scheduled for
2011
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 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 six-year terms; mid-term elections for half the
members)
elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 19
October, 29 October, 8 November 2000 (next to be held October-
November 2005); Advisory Council - last held May-June 2004 (next

8. to be held May-June 2007)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NDP 388, Tagammu 6, NWP 7, Nasserists 3, Al-Ahrar
1, independents 37 (2 seats determined by a later byelection, 10
seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
Political parties
and leaders:
Al-Ahrar Party [Helmi SALEM]; Nasserist Arab Democratic Party or
Nasserists [Dia' al-din DAWUD]; National Democratic Party or NDP
[Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK (governing party)]; National
Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New
Wafd Party or NWP [No'man GOMAA]
note: formation of political parties must be approved by the
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 moved more aggressively since then to block its influence; civic
society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms;
trade unions and professional associations are officially sanctioned
International
organization
participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, EBRD,
FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS
(observer), OIC, ONUB, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UNMIL,
UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO
Diplomatic
representation
in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador M. Nabil FAHMY
chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San
Francisco
Diplomatic
representation
from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador designate Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr
embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 797-3300

9. FAX: [20] (2) 797-3200
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; design is based
on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria, which has
two green stars, Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic
inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band, and
Yemen, which has a plain white band
Economy Egypt
Economy -
overview:
Lack of substantial progress on economic reform since the mid
1990s has limited foreign direct investment in Egypt and kept
annual GDP growth in the range of 2%-3% in 2001-03. However, in
2004 Egypt implemented several measures to boost foreign direct
investment. In September 2004, Egypt pushed through custom
reforms, proposed income and corporate tax reforms, reduced
energy subsidies, and privatized several enterprises. The budget
deficit rose to an estimated 8% of GDP in 2004 compared to 6.1% of
GDP the previous year, in part as a result of these reforms.
Monetary pressures on an overvalued Egyptian pound led the
government to float the currency in January 2003, leading to a sharp
drop in its value and consequent inflationary pressure. In 2004, the
Central Bank implemented measures to improve currency liquidity.
Egypt reached record tourism levels, despite the Taba and Nuweiba
bombings in September 2004. The development of an export
market for natural gas is a bright spot for future growth prospects,
but improvement in the capital-intensive hydrocarbons sector does
little to reduce Egypt's persistent unemployment.
GDP
(purchasing
power parity):
$316.3 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real
growth rate:
4.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per
capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2004 est.)
GDP -
composition by
sector:
agriculture: 17.2%
industry: 33%
services: 49.8% (2004 est.)

10. Labor force: 20.71 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by
occupation:
agriculture 32%, industry 17%, services 51% (2001 est.)
Unemployment
rate:
10.9% (2004 est.)
Population
below poverty
line:
16.7% (2000 est.)
Household
income or
consumption
by percentage
share:
lowest 10%: 4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995)
Distribution of
family income -
Gini index:
34.4 (2001)
Inflation rate
(consumer
prices):
9.5% (2004 est.)
Investment
(gross fixed):
15.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues: $15.42 billion
expenditures: $20.76 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.7
billion (2004 est.)
Public debt: 102.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture -
products:
cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats
Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons,
construction, cement, metals
Industrial
production
growth rate:
2.5% (2004 est.)
Electricity -
production:
81.27 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - fossil fuel: 81%

11. production by
source:
hydro: 19%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity -
consumption:
75.58 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity -
exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity -
imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Oil -
production:
740,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil -
consumption:
562,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved
reserves:
2.7 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas -
production:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas -
consumption:
21.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas -
exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas -
imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas -
proved
reserves:
1.264 trillion cu m (2004)
Current
account
balance:
$2.113 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $11 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products,

12. commodities: chemicals
Exports -
partners:
Italy 11.9%, US 10.8%, UK 7%, Syria 6.2%, Germany 4.7%, Spain 4.2%
(2004)
Imports: $19.21 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports -
commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products,
fuels
Imports -
partners:
US 12.2%, Germany 7%, Italy 6.6%, France 5.7%, China 5.4%, UK
4.7%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004)
Reserves of
foreign
exchange and
gold:
$14.03 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $33.75 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid -
recipient:
ODA, $1.12 billion (2002)
Currency
(code):
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Currency code: EGP
Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 6.1963 (2004), 5.8509 (2003),
4.4997 (2002), 3.973 (2001), 3.4721 (2000)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications Egypt
Telephones -
main lines in
use:
9.6 million (2005)
Telephones -
mobile cellular:
8,583,940 (2005)
Telephone
system:
general assessment: large system; underwent extensive upgrading
during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Internet access and cellular
service are available
domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay

13. international: country code - 20; 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; a participant in Medarabtel
Radio
broadcast
stations:
AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)
Radios: 20.5 million (1997)
Television
broadcast
stations:
98 (September 1995)
Televisions: 7.7 million (1997)
Internet
country code:
.eg
Internet hosts: 3,401 (2004)
Internet
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
50 (2000)
Internet users: 4.2 million (2005)
Transportation Egypt
Railways: total: 5,063 km
standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2004)
Highways: total: 64,000 km
paved: 49,984 km
unpaved: 14,016 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 3,500 km
note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway,
and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km
including approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up
to 17.68 m (2004)
Pipelines: condensate 289 km; condensate/gas 94 km; gas 6,115 km; liquid
petroleum gas 852 km; oil 5,032 km; oil/gas/water 36 km; refined
products 246 km (2004)

14. Ports and
harbors:
Alexandria, Damietta, El Dekheila, Port Said, Suez, Zeit
Merchant
marine:
total: 77 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,194,696 GRT/1,754,815 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 34, container 2, passenger/cargo 5,
petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 8
foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 1, Greece 6, Lebanon 2, Turkey 1)
registered in other countries: 34 (2005)
Airports: 87 (2004 est.)
Airports - with
paved
runways:
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with
unpaved
runways:
total: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)
Heliports: 2 (2004 est.)
Military Egypt
Military
branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Military service
age and
obligation:
18 years of age for conscript military service; 3-year service
obligation (2001)
Manpower
available for
military
service:
males age 18-49: 18,347,560 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit
for military
service:
males age 18-49: 15,540,234 (2005 est.)
Manpower
reaching
military service
age annually:
males: 802,920 (2005 est.)

15. Military
expenditures -
dollar figure:
$2.44 billion (2003)
Military
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
3.4% (2004)
Transnational
Issues
Egypt
Disputes -
international:
Egypt and Sudan retain claims to administer the two triangular areas
that extend north and south of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the
22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn their military presence; Egypt is
developing the Hala'ib Triangle north of the Treaty line; since the
attack on Taba and other Egyptian resort towns on the Red Sea in
October 2004, Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with
Israel and the Gaza Strip; Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to
some 70,000 persons who identify as Palestinians but who largely
lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition as
refugees
Refugees and
internally
displaced
persons:
refugees (country of origin): 70,215 (Palestinian Territories) (2004)
Illicit drugs: transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and
opium moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; transit stop for
Nigerian couriers; concern as money-laundering site due to lax
financial regulations and enforcement

16. PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES OF EGYPT
NUBIAN DESERT
The Nubian Desert is located in northeast Africa, between the Nile River and the Red Sea. It is an
approximately 97,000 square mile region of the Sahara Desert. Primarily a sandstone plateau, this arid
(dry) region has numerous wadis, or dry watercourses, which fill with water that flows to the Nile during
periods of heavy rainfall. The ancient Kushites mined copper and gold from this desert, and traded
these metals to Egypt for linen and grain.
NILE DELTA
The delta of the Nile River is a triangle shaped region located north of Cairo, in northeastern Egypt.
Originally, as many as seven branches of the Nile wound through the delta. The delta contains sixty
percent of Egypt’s cultivated land (farmland), large areas of marshy wetlands, and shallow lakes. During
ancient times, the Egyptians took advantage of the region’s rich soil, gentle winds, and level landscape
to develop an extremely productive agricultural system.
ARABIAN DESERT
The Arabian Desert is the eastern desert of Egypt. It runs from the Nile River in the west to the Red Sea
and the Gulf of Suez in the east. The desert is mountainous and rutted by deep, dry riverbeds. The
ancient Egyptians used its abundant quarries of granite, feldspar, and other materials for many of their
building projects.
NILE RIVER
The Nile River is the longest river in the world, stretching 4,160 miles. It flows northward from its
headstream in Central Africa to its delta on the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile runs through parts of
Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zaire. At six different places along the
Nile, crystalline rocks form cataracts, or stretches of rapids and waterfalls that are not navigable.
According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Egypt was “the gift of the Nile” because its waters
supported large scale agriculture, made transportation easier, and provided a variety of edible plants
and animals.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The Mediterranean Sea is the world’s largest inland sea. Surrounded by Europe, Africa, and Asia, it
covers an area approximately of nine hundred and sixty-five thousand square miles. The Mediterranean
Sea connects with the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea by way of the Aegean Sea. The shores of the sea
are mainly mountainous. Many species of fish, sponges, and coral are abundant in the sea. The ancient
Egyptians were originally afraid to sail on the Mediterranean, and so they relied on traders from other
lands to bring them goods from Anatolia (Turkey) and Canaan. Eventually, the Egyptians got over their
fear and sailed the Mediterranean Sea doing their own trading.

17. LIBYAN DESERT
The Libyan Desert is the northeastern part of Africa’s Sahara Desert, the largest desert in the world. The
Libyan Desert covers parts of southwestern Egypt, eastern Libya, and northwestern Sudan. The region
consists primarily of sand dunes, course, stony plains, and plateaus of bare rock. Although its hot, dry
climate is harsher and more forbidding than that of Egypt’s eastern deserts, the oases of this region
were known in ancient times for their wines and agricultural products.
Economy of Egypt[1]
Cairo is the financial capital of Egypt
Rank 27th
Currency Egyptian Pound (EGP)
Trade organisations WTO
Statistics
GDP $548 billion (2012 est.) [2]
GDP growth 2.2% (2012)
GDP per capita $6,700 (PPP) (2012 est.)
GDP by sector agriculture: 14.7%; industry: 37.4%; services:
47.9% (2012 est.)

18. Inflation (CPI) 8.5% (2012 est.)
Population
below poverty line
20% (2005 est.)
Gini coefficient 34.4 (2001)
Labour force 27.2 million (2012 est.)
Labour force
by occupation
Agriculture (32%), Industry (17%), Services
(51%) (2001 est.)
Unemployment 20.5 (2012 est.)
Main industries Textiles, Food Processing, Tourism, Chemicals,
Pharmaceuticals, Hydrocarbons, Construction,
Cement, Metals, Light Manufactures
Ease of Doing Business
Rank
110th[3]
External
Exports $28.37 billion(67th; 2012 est.)[4]
Export goods Crude oil and Petroleum products, Cotton,
Textiles, Metal Products, Chemicals,
Agricultural goods
Main export partners United States 8.2%
India 7.0%
Italy 6.7%
Saudi Arabia 6.3%
Germany 4.4%
France 4.2% (2012 est.)[5]
Imports $58.76 billion (50th; 2012 est.)[6]

19. Import goods Machinery and Equipment, Foodstuffs,
Chemicals, Wood products, Fuels
Main import partners China 11.9%
United States 8.0%
Turkey 5.3%
Italy 5.1%
Germany 4.6%
Russia 4.4%
India 4.1% (2012 est.)[7]
FDI stock $73.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Gross external debt $38.8 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Public finances
Public debt 85% of GDP (2012 est.)
Revenues $73.3 billion (2013 est.)
Expenses $98.4 billion (2013 est.)
Credit rating CCC+ (Domestic)
CCC+ (Foreign)
CCC+ (T&C Assessment)
(Standard & Poor's)[8]
Foreign reserves US$13.100 billion (February 2012)[9]
Main data source: CIA World Fact Book
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars