Egypt

Region: Africa

Official language: Arabic

Population: 111,247,248 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Egyptian(s) (noun), Egyptian (adjective)

Land area: 995,450 sq km (384,345 sq miles)

Water area: 6,000 sq km (2,317 sq miles)

Capital: Cairo

National anthem: "Bilady, Bilady, Bilady" (My Homeland, My Homeland, My Homeland), by Younis-Al Qadi/Sayed Darwish

National holiday: National Day, July 23 (1952)

Population growth: 1.49% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +2

Flag: The flag of Egypt features three equally sized horizontal bands of color: red (top), white (center), and black (bottom). In the center of the white band is a gold eagle, known as the Eagle of Saladin, which holds in its talons a scroll on which the country’s name appears in Arabic.

Independence: February 28, 1922 (from UK protectorate status; the revolution that began on July 23, 1952, led to a republic being declared on June 18, 1953, and all British troops withdrawn on June 18, 1956); note - it was ca. 3200 B.C. that the Two Lands of Upper (southern) and Lower (northern) Egypt were first united politically

Government type: presidential republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Legal system: mixed legal system based on Napoleonic civil and penal law, Islamic religious law, and vestiges of colonial-era laws; judicial review of the constitutionality of laws by the Supreme Constitutional Court

The Arab Republic of Egypt is the contemporary name for a country that has played a key role in Western civilization since the beginning of recorded history. A pre-Christian cradle of civilization, Egypt would develop diplomatic and trade relations with the Roman Empire. The Ottoman Turks invaded in the sixteenth century. After World War I, Egypt reasserted itself as an independent nation, breaking away from Great Britain in 1922. During the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, it has been an influential player in the complex world of African and Middle Eastern politics. In January 2011, a popular uprising that was part of the regional Arab Spring protests led to the overthrow of the government of Hosni Mubarak, who had held power for thirty years. A new constitution was approved by voters in 2014.

It is bordered by Sudan to the south, Libya to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and by Israel and the Red Sea to the east. Its citizens are called Egyptians.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The Eastern Hamitic ethnic group, comprised of Egyptians, Bedouins, and Berbers, accounts for 99.7 percent of Egypt's population. The remaining minority includes people of Greek, Nubian, Armenian, and other European descent. In Lower Egypt, there are still remnants of the Greek, Roman, and Turkish populations that occupied Egypt throughout history.

Approximately 95 percent of Egypt's population lives in the Nile Valley, as most of the rest of the country is desert. About 43.1 percent of the population lives in urban areas (2023 estimate). The largest city is the capital, Cairo. The second largest city is Alexandria, which also serves as the country's main port. Another large city, Giza, is an industrial hub. The cities of Port Said and Suez lie on opposite ends of the Suez Canal.

Roughly 90 percent of the population is Muslim; the majority of Muslims in Egypt belong to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining 10 percent of the population are Christians, mainly Coptic Christians. There are a handful of Christians from other denominations, such as Greek Orthodox and various Protestant groups.

A large number of ethnic Egyptians live abroad, most often in nearby Arab countries. There is also a small Bedouin population in Egypt that lives in the desert, working as nomadic herders.

Though the official language is Arabic, many also speak English and French. The country ranked 105th on the 2024 United Nations Human Development Index.

Indigenous People: The majority of current Egyptian citizens are a mixture of the pre-Muslim population of ancient Egypt and the descendants of the Arabic population that took over the country in the seventh century. Because of their distinct heritage, Egyptian residents of the Nile Valley look physically different from their Mediterranean neighbors. They have darker skin and are generally stockier.

Education: Education in Egypt is free and compulsory for children ages six to fourteen. After completing primary education, students may either study at a technical school, or attend a general intermediate school. This intermediate school prepares them for either university study or one of Egypt's technical/vocational schools.

There are several public and private universities in Egypt, the oldest being Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Other universities include the Ain Shams University and Cairo University (both in Cairo), Alexandria University, and the American University in Cairo. In addition to the universities and technical colleges, Egypt also has several institutes for arts and music.

The literacy rate in Egypt is approximately 73.1 percent (2021 estimate). About 78.8 percent of the male population is literate, compared to 67.4 percent of the female population.

Health Care: Since the 1960s, there has been a concerted effort by the Ministry of Health to improve the overall health of Egypt's population. The lack of resources in rural areas and the spread of communicable diseases have made this task difficult. The government has tried to coordinate health services with village councils and has been successful in ridding the country of cholera, malaria, and smallpox. However, bilharzia, a disease caused by parasitic worms, still affects Egypt.

The infant mortality rate is 17 deaths for every 1,000 live births, and life expectancy is 73.8 years for men and 76.2 years for women (2023 estimates).

Food: The main staples of the Egyptian diet are bread, beans, and rice. Egyptians often start their day with beans and eggs, and sometimes beancakes. Traditionally, they usually eat a large lunch, heavy in starches. Later in the afternoon, it is customary to take a British-style tea. Dinner is typically much lighter and is often comprised of that day's leftovers.

Egyptian bread is similar to the pita and is often stuffed to create a sandwich. The country also has its characteristic soup, the molokhiyya, which is based on a vegetable of the same name (a kind of jute leaf). Sometimes this soup is served with meat.

Meat in general is considered a luxury, and the Egyptian diet is geared more heavily towards breads, vegetables, and fruit. Culturally, Egyptian fare is a mixture of ethnicities, a consequence of occupation by other cultures over the millennia. In the strict Muslim households throughout the country, there is no alcohol allowed. Muslims also do not eat pork because they consider the pig an unclean animal.

Arts & Entertainment: Egypt has a thriving film industry, as a result of funding that comes from private sources as well as the government. Egypt also has the most developed press in the Arab world. Cairo is the main publishing center. However, the press and the publishing industry are overseen by the government, and until the introduction of the multiparty system in 1977, its main newspapers were mouthpieces for government policy. Egypt's broadcasting industry reaches across its borders into other Arab countries.

Holidays: Since Egypt is primarily Muslim, most of the holidays are related to the Islamic religion. The major exception is Revolution Day (July 23), which honors the establishment of the republic.

Major Islamic holidays include Eid-al-Fitr, which signifies the end of Ramadan and includes the giving of alms and feasting. There is also Eid-al-Adha, which is in observance of the Prophet Abraham. This celebration entails the slaughter of a goat or sheep. There is also Muharram, the Muslim New Year.

The Coptic Christian population celebrates Christmas on January 7 because it follows the Julian calendar. The country's Muslims and Christians also celebrate together in various folk festivals throughout the year.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Though the Nile River Valley was the cradle of ancient Egyptian civilization, approximately 90 percent of present-day Egypt is desert. Less than 10 percent of its land is cultivated or settled. Its population is concentrated in the river's valley and delta.

The Nile River flows northward through Egypt from Sudan and into the Mediterranean. Between Sudan and Cairo, the river flows through a river valley lined with cliffs. Above Cairo is the delta, a fertile flood plain of silt that leads to a series of lakes and the Mediterranean coast.

The Libyan Desert, which is part of the Sahara and includes the Great Sand Sea, is in the west of the country. In the east of Egypt there is the Arabian Desert, which borders the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez. The country's lowest point is in the Qattarah Depression, which is 18,100 square kilometers (6,990 square miles) in area and 133 meters (436 feet) below sea level.

In contrast, the Arabian Desert lies atop a plateau that gradually rises through the east from the Nile and peaks at the Red Sea, reaching 2,135 meters (7,000 feet) in height. The Nubian Desert in the south is made up of dunes and plains. Egypt's highest point is Jabal Katrinah on Mount Sinai, which is 2,642 meters (8,668 feet) high.

Natural Resources: Egypt's most notable recently developed natural resource is petroleum, which the government has been trying to exploit since the end of the twentieth century. It has been found in the coastal region of the Red Sea as well as in Al-Alamayn on the Mediterranean, and on Mount Sinai.

The country also has supplies of gold and red granite, as well as coal, phosphates, iron, lead, titanium, and salt. To complement its burgeoning petroleum industry, a petroleum pipeline has been built from the Gulf of Suez to the Mediterranean Sea.

Plants & Animals: Like the country's population, most of the vegetation in Egypt is found in the Nile River Valley. Common trees include date palms, sycamore, carob, and acacia trees, as well as mimosas, myrtles, and cypress trees. Papyrus, which once grew on the banks of the Nile, now only grows in the extreme southern edge of the country.

There are only a few indigenous wild animals in Egypt. These include the jackal, the hyena, the desert fox, the boar, and the gazelle. However, there are many more reptiles and birds. In addition to lizards, there are asps, vipers, and crocodiles. Hippopotamus are still found in Egypt, though they are not as prevalent as they once were. The country's birds include sunbirds, egrets, vultures, hawks, and kites. Egypt's deserts are also home to the scorpion.

Climate: Egypt has a hot season and a cool season. The hot season lasts from May until September, and the cool season lasts from November to March. These can change slightly depending upon the winds blowing from the north. At the coast, temperatures tend to remain cooler but more consistent, ranging from 14° to 37° Celsius (57° to 99° Fahrenheit).

The temperatures in the desert fluctuate dramatically during the course of a day, reaching as high as 45.6° Celsius (114° Fahrenheit) and dipping as low as 5.6° Celsius (42° Fahrenheit) at night. In the winter, the desert temperature has been known to fall as low as freezing during the night.

Precipitation levels also fluctuate throughout the country. At the Mediterranean coast, the country's most humid region, there can be as much as 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rainfall per year, while in the south there can be as little as 25 millimeters (1 inch). It is also possible for certain desert regions to receive no rain all year long.

Economy

Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP) was about $1.912 trillion in 2023. Its per-capita GDP was $17,000 in 2023. Egypt's economy is dominated by its services industry. Since 1961, Egypt has become more socialized, with the government controlling trade and the banking and insurance industries. The country has chronic problems with its debt and its trade deficit.

Industry: Egypt was initially held back from industrialization by Great Britain, which wanted to retain the country as a market for its own goods rather than as a producer. Eventually, upon gaining its independence after World War I, Egypt began its own industrial revolution. After overthrowing the monarchy in 1952, industrialization grew rapidly. Egypt's industry sector includes the production of textiles, food, cement, petroleum products, and metals.

Agriculture: Egypt's agricultural products include cotton, rice, wheat, beans, corn, and vegetables. The country's farmers also produce a variety of livestock, including cattle, water buffalo, and goats.

Even though the government has had to reclaim arid land through the use of irrigation and fertilizers, Egypt's farmland is some of the most productive in the world in terms of yield. It produced approximately 324,000 metric tons of long-staple cotton in the 1990s. It also produces high amounts of corn, rice, tomatoes, and wheat.

Tourism: Egypt is known worldwide as the home of the Great Sphinx of Giza and the Great Pyramid of Giza, two of the greatest architectural feats of the ancient world, each of which served as tombs for pharaohs. The furnished tomb of King Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, discovered by British archaeologists in 1922, is perhaps the country's best-known attraction. The completeness of this find offered archaeologists and historians a clearer understanding of ancient Egyptian burial rituals.

Because of Egypt's history and its status as a homeland for many of the world's major cultures, the country is also an important destination for Christians and Muslims.

In addition to its historical and religious significance, Egypt's modern cities are also attractive for more contemporary entertainment. Tourists can take a cruise down the Nile or scuba dive in the Red Sea. While Egypt's tourism industry had not been significantly hurt by the military offensives undertaken in the Middle East by the United States, it received a crippling blow beginning in late 2015 due to two prominent plane crashes with suspected links to terrorism. In October 2015, a Russian chartered plane broke apart in midair not long after departing from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport; the Islamist terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was suspected of having bombed the plane. Only months later, in 2016, an EgyptAir flight from Paris to Cairo crashed after disappearing from radar in yet another suspected incident of terrorism, increasing concerns regarding traveling to Egypt. The industry started to recover in 2017.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, global travel restrictions led to an estimated loss of almost $18 billion from the Egyptian GDP due to a crippled tourism industry. The World Travel & Tourism Council estimated the drop in tourism to be nearly 55 percent in 2020 when compared to 2019 values. By 2022, the tourism industry grew by 38.9 persent from the previous year.

Government

Egypt is a republic with a legal system based on three factors: Islamic religious law, Napoleonic codes, and English common law. It has universal suffrage for citizens over the age of eighteen. Suffrage is also compulsory, unlike most Western countries.

The executive branch of the government consists of a president, a prime minister, and a cabinet. The government of Egypt has been in a state of flux since the 2011 revolution, but as of 2015, the president is, according to the constitution, elected every four years and is limited to two terms. The elected president appoints a prime minister and a cabinet. Hosni Mubarak retained the office of president for thirty years before his overthrow in 2011. Following the revolution, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took over temporary control of the government. Mohamed Morsi was elected president in 2012, but was removed in 2013 by army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was then himself elected president in 2014.

Under Mubarak’s regime, the National Democratic Party dominated Egyptian politics. Since the revolution, the country’s political climate involves older parties that did not wield real influence under Mubarak and new parties established during the revolution. These include, most prominently, the Free Egyptians Party, the Al-Nour Party, the New Wafd Party, and many others. In 2014, an Egyptian court effectively dissolved Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party, which had been supported by the Muslim Brotherhood. A new constitution was approved by voters in January of 2014, and citizens then elected Abdelfattah Elsisi, the former defense minister, in May. A national referendum was passed in 2019 that amended the constitution to allow Elsisi a third term (while enabling future presidents to serve two six-year terms) and established a legislative branch. Legislative elections were then held in 2020.

Interesting Facts

• One of Egypt's universities, the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, was founded in 970 as a center for Islamic study, making it one of the oldest continuously running universities in the world.
• The Nile River Valley, where the overwhelming majority of the population lives, is only about 4 percent of the actual area of Egypt's land. In total, Egypt's land area is roughly three times the size of the American state of New Mexico.
• For a brief period, from 1958 to 1961, the two countries of Egypt and Syria united to form one country, the United Arab Republic, whose leader was Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
• The 365 day calendar was invented in ancient Egypt.
• Greater Cairo is the largest city in Africa and the Middle East.

Bibliography

"Egypt Country Profile." BBC News, 8 Apr. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13313370. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 2022, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"Egypt." The World Bank, 2023, data.worldbank.org/country/egypt-arab-rep. Accessed 7 Nov. 2023.

"Egypt." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 01 Nov. 2023, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/egypt/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

"WTTC Research Reveals Travel & Tourism Sector's Contribution to Egypt's GDP Dropped by Nearly $18 Billion in 2020. World Travel & Tourism Council, 6 Jun. 2021, wttc.org/News-Article/Travel-Tourism-sectors-contribution-to-Egypts-GDP-dropped-by-nearly-18-billion-in-2020. Accessed 27 May 2022.