| Background: |
Nominally
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. |
| Location: |
Northern Africa,
bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza
Strip |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
27 00 N, 30 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
1,001,450 sq km
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:
2,689 km
border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255
km, Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 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,
volcanic activity; 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 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
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
| 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; dependence on upstream neighbors;
dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of
refugees |
| Population: |
69,536,644 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
34.59% (male 12,313,585; female 11,739,072)
15-64 years: 61.6% (male 21,614,284; female
21,217,978)
65 years and over: 3.81% (male 1,160,967;
female 1,490,758) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.69% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.89
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.7 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.24 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
60.46
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 63.69 years
male: 61.62 years
female: 65.85 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.07 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.02% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| 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: 51.4%
male: 63.6%
female: 38.8% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: Misr
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria) |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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: |
Revolution Day,
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 OBEID
(since 5 October 1999)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president nominated by the People's
Assembly for a six-year term, the nomination must then be
validated by a national, popular referendum; national
referendum last held 26 September 1999 (next to be held NA
October 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: national referendum validated
President MUBARAK's nomination by the People's Assembly to a
fourth term |
| 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)
elections: People's Assembly - three-phase
voting - last held 19 October, 29 October, 8 November 2000
(next to be held NA November 2005); Advisory Council - last
held 7 June 1995 (next to be held NA)
election results: People's Assembly - percent
of vote by party - NDP 88%, independents 8%, opposition 4%;
seats by party - NDP 398, NWP 7, Tagammu 6, Nasserists 2,
LSP 1, independents 38, undecided 2; Advisory Council -
percent of vote by party - NDP 99%, independents 1%; seats
by party - NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme
Constitutional Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Nasserist Arab
Democratic Party or Nasserists [Dia' al-din DAWUD]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK,
leader] - governing party; National Progressive Unionist
Grouping or Tagammu [Khalid MUHI AL-DIN]; New Wafd Party or
NWP [No'man GOMA]; Socialist Liberal Party or LSP [leader
NA]
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 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, ACC, ACCT
(associate), AfDB, AFESD, 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, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Nabil FAHMY
chancery: 3521 International Court NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400
FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319, 5131
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New
York, and San Francisco |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER
embassy: 5 Latin America St., Garden City,
Cairo
mailing address: Unit 64900, APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 795-7371
FAX: [20] (2) 797-2000 |
| 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, which has two green stars, and
to the flag of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an
Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the
white band |
| Economy
- overview: |
A series of IMF
arrangements - along with massive external debt relief
resulting from Egypt's participation in the Gulf war
coalition - helped Egypt improve its macroeconomic
performance during the 1990s. Sound fiscal and monetary
policies through the mid-1990s helped to tame inflation,
slash budget deficits, and build up foreign reserves, while
structural reforms such as privatization and new business
legislation prompted increased foreign investment. By
mid-1998, however, the pace of structural reform slackened,
and lower combined hard currency earnings resulted in
pressure on the Egyptian pound and sporadic US dollar
shortages. External payments were not in crisis, but Cairo's
attempts to curb demand for foreign exchange convinced some
investors and currency traders that government financial
operations lacked transparency and coordination. Monetary
pressures have since eased, however, with the 1999-2000
higher oil prices, a rebound in tourism, and a series of
mini-devaluations of the pound. The development of a gas
export market is a major plus factor in future growth. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $247 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $3,600 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
17%
industry: 32%
services: 51% (1999) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
22.9% (FY95/96
est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
4.4%
highest 10%: 25% (1995) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2000) |
| Labor
force: |
19.9 million
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 29%,
services 49%, industry 22% (FY99) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
11.5% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$22.6 billion
expenditures: $26.2 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY99) |
| Industries: |
textiles, food
processing, tourism, chemicals, hydrocarbons, construction,
cement, metals |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2.1% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
64.685 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
76.59%
hydro: 23.41%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
60.157 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, rice,
corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water
buffalo, sheep, goats |
| Exports: |
$7.3 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
crude oil and
petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products,
chemicals |
| Exports
- partners: |
EU 35%, Middle
East 17%, Afro-Asian countries 14%, US 12% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$17 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels |
| Imports
- partners: |
EU 36%, US 14%,
Afro-Asian countries 14%, Middle East 6% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$31 billion (2000
est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
ODA, $2.25
billion (1999) |
| Currency: |
Egyptian pound (EGP) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Egyptian pounds
per US dollar - market rate - 3.8400 (January 2001), 3.6900
(2000), 3.4050 (1999), 3.3880 (1998), 3.3880 (1997), 3.3880
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3,971,500
(December 1998) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
380,000 (1999) |
| 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
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; a participant in
Medarabtel and a signatory to Project Oxygen (a global
submarine fiber-optic cable system) |
| 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
Service Providers (ISPs): |
50 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
300,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
4,955 km
standard gauge: 4,955 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km
electrified; 1,560 km double track) (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
64,000 km
paved: 50,000 km
unpaved: 14,000 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
3,500 km
note: including the Nile, Lake Nasser,
Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in
the delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km 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:
181 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,336,678 GRT/1,982,220
DWT
ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 61, container 2,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 61, petroleum tanker 15, roll
on/roll off 15, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
69
over 3,047 m: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 35
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force, Air Defense Command |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
20 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 18,562,994 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 12,020,059 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
712,983 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$4.04 billion
(FY99/00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
4.1% (FY99/00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Egypt asserts its
claim to the "Hala'ib Triangle," a barren area of
20,580 sq km under partial Sudanese administration that is
defined by an administrative boundary which supersedes the
treaty boundary of 1899 |
| Illicit
drugs: |
a transit point
for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian heroin and opium
moving to Europe, Africa, and the US; popular transit stop
for Nigerian couriers |
|
