EGYPT
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EGYPT
@Egypt:Geography
Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between
Libya and the Gaza Strip
Map references: Africa
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EGYPT - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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CAIRO 11,000,000 30.03N, 31.15E 20-2 GMT+2
Alexandria 2,917,000 31.13N, 29.55E 20-3 GMT+2
Giza 1,671,000 30.01N, 31.10E 20-18 GMT+2
Al-Mahallah al Kubra 385,000 30.58N, 31.10E 20-43 GMT+2
Port Said 382,000 31.17N, 32.18E 20-66 GMT+2
Tanta 374,000 30.48N, 31.00E 20-40 GMT+2
Al-Mansurah 358,000 31.03N, 31.23E 20-50 GMT+2
Helwan 352,000 29.51N, 31.20E 20- GMT+2
Asyut 291,000 27.11N, 31.11E 20-88 GMT+2
Zagazig 274,000 30.35N, 31.30E 20-55 GMT+2
Suez 265,000 29.59N, 32.33E 20- GMT+2
Aswan 196,000 24.05N, 32.53E 20-97 GMT+2
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Area:
total area: 1,001,450 sq km
land area: 995,450 sq km
comparative area: slightly more than three times the size of New
Mexico
Land boundaries: total 2,689 km, Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 255 km,
Libya 1,150 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Coastline: 2,450 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
International disputes: administrative boundary with Sudan does not
coincide with international boundary creating the "Hala'ib Triangle,"
a barren area of 20,580 sq km, tensions over this disputed area began
to escalate in 1992 and remain high
Climate: desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain: vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates,
manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land: 3%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 0%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 95%
Irrigated land: 25,850 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: agricultural land being lost to urbanization and
windblown sands; increasing soil salinization 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
natural hazards: periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash
floods, landslides, volcanic activity; hot, driving windstorm called
khamsin occurs in spring; duststorms, sandstorms
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified
- Desertification, Tropical Timber 94
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
@Egypt:People
Population: 62,359,623 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (female 11,380,668; male 11,872,728)
15-64 years: 59% (female 18,250,706; male 18,641,830)
65 years and over: 4% (female 1,204,477; male 1,009,214) (July 1995
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.95% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 28.69 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 74.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.12 years
male: 59.22 years
female: 63.12 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.67 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Egyptian(s)
adjective: Egyptian
Ethnic divisions: Eastern Hamitic stock (Egyptians, Bedouins, and
Berbers) 99%, Greek, Nubian, Armenian, other European (primarily
Italian and French) 1%
Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94% (official estimate), Coptic
Christian and other 6% (official estimate)
Languages: Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by
educated classes
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 48%
male: 63%
female: 34%
Labor force: 16 million (1994 est.)
by occupation: government, public sector enterprises, and armed forces
36%, agriculture 34%, privately owned service and manufacturing
enterprises 20% (1984)
note: shortage of skilled labor; 2,500,000 Egyptians work abroad,
mostly in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Arab states (1993 est.)
@Egypt:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt
conventional short form: Egypt
local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah
local short form: none
former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Digraph: EG
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 Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, Ash Sharqiyah,
As Suways, Aswan, Asyu't, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina,
Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina, Suhaj
Independence: 28 February 1922 (from UK)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 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 (sworn in as
president on 14 October 1981, eight days after the assassination of
President SADAT); national referendum held 4 October 1993 validated
Mubarak's nomination by the People's Assembly to a third 6-year
presidential term
head of government: Prime Minister Atef Mohammed Najib SEDKY (since 12
November 1986)
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: bicameral
People's Assembly (Majlis al-Cha'b): elections last held 29 November
1990 (next to be held NA November 1995); results - NDP 86.3%, NPUG
1.3%, independents 12.4%; seats - (454 total, 444 elected, 10
appointed by the president) NDP 383, NPUG 6, independents 55; note -
most opposition parties boycotted; NDP figures include NDP members who
ran as independents and other NDP-affiliated independents
Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura): functions only in a consultative
role; elections last held 8 June 1989 (next to be held NA June 1995);
results - NDP 100%; seats - (258 total, 172 elected, 86 appointed by
the president) NDP 172
Judicial branch: Supreme Constitutional Court
Political parties and leaders: National Democratic Party (NDP),
President Mohammed Hosni MUBARAK, leader, is the dominant party; legal
opposition parties are; New Wafd Party (NWP), Fu'ad SIRAJ AL-DIN;
Socialist Labor Party, Ibrahim SHUKRI; National Progressive Unionist
Grouping (NPUG), Khalid MUHYI-AL-DIN; Socialist Liberal Party (SLP),
Mustafa Kamal MURAD; Democratic Unionist Party, Mohammed
'Abd-al-Mun'im TURK; Umma Party, Ahmad al-SABAHI; Misr al-Fatah Party
(Young Egypt Party), Gamal RABIE; Nasserist Arab Democratic Party,
Dia' al-din DAWUD; Democratic Peoples' Party, Anwar AFIFI; The Greens
Party, Kamal KIRAH; Social Justice Party, Muhammad 'ABD-AL-'AL
note: formation of political parties must be approved by government
Other political or pressure groups: 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 has moved more
aggressively in the past year to block its influence; trade unions and
professional associations are officially sanctioned
Member of: ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPEC, PCA, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIL, UNPROFOR, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ahmed Maher El SAYED
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
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.
embassy: (North Gate) 8, Kamel El-Din Salah Street, Garden City, Cairo
mailing address: APO AE 09839-4900
telephone: [20] (2) 3557371
FAX: [20] (2) 3573200
Flag: 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 that
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: Half of Egypt's GDP originates in the public sector, most
industrial plants being owned by the government. Overregulation holds
back technical modernization and foreign investment. Even so, the
economy grew rapidly during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but in
1986 the collapse of world oil prices and an increasingly heavy burden
of debt servicing led Egypt to begin negotiations with the IMF for
balance-of-payments support. Egypt's first IMF standby arrangement
concluded in mid-1987 was suspended in early 1988 because of the
government's failure to adopt promised reforms. Egypt signed a
follow-on program with the IMF and also negotiated a structural
adjustment loan with the World Bank in 1991. In 1991-93 the government
made solid progress on administrative reforms such as liberalizing
exchange and interest rates but resisted implementing major structural
reforms like streamlining the public sector. As a result, the economy
has not gained momentum and unemployment has become a growing problem.
Egypt probably will continue making uneven progress in implementing
the successor programs with the IMF and World Bank it signed onto in
late 1993. Tourism has plunged since 1992 because of sporadic attacks
by Islamic extremists on tourist groups. President MUBARAK has cited
population growth as the main cause of the country's economic
troubles. The addition of about 1.2 million people a year to the
already huge population of 62 million exerts enormous pressure on the
5% of the land area available for agriculture along the Nile.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $151.5 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 1.5% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,490 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 20% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $18 billion
expenditures: $19.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.8
billion (FY94/95 est.)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., FY93/94 est.)
commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, cotton yarn, raw
cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
partners: EU, US, Japan
Imports: $11.2 billion (c.i.f., FY93/94 est.)
commodities: machinery and equipment, foods, fertilizers, wood
products, durable consumer goods, capital goods
partners: EU, US, Japan
External debt: $31.2 billion (December 1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2.7% (FY92/93 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 11,830,000 kW
production: 44.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 695 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, petroleum,
construction, cement, metals
Agriculture: cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruit, vegetables;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats; annual fish catch about 140,000
metric tons
Illicit drugs: a transit point for Southwest Asian and Southeast Asian
heroin and opium moving to Europe and the US; popular transit stop for
Nigerian couriers; large domestic consumption of hashish from Lebanon
and Syria
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15.7 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $10.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.9 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $2.4 billion
Currency: 1 Egyptian pound (#E) = 100 piasters
Exchange rates: Egyptian pounds (#E) per US$1 - 3.4 (November 1994),
3.369 (November 1993), 3.345 (November 1992), 2.7072 (1990); market
rate: 3.3920 (January 1995), 3.3920 (1994), 3.3704 (1993), 3.3300
(1992), 2.0000 (1991), 1.1000 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Egypt:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 4,895 km (42 km electrified; 951 km double track)
standard gauge: 4,548 km 1,435-m gauge (42 km electrified; 951 km
double track)
narrow gauge: 347 km 0.750-m gauge
Highways:
total: 47,387 km
paved: 34,593 km
unpaved: 12,794 km
Inland waterways: 3,500 km (including the Nile, Lake Nasser,
Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in the delta);
Suez Canal, 193.5 km long (including approaches), used by oceangoing
vessels drawing up to 16.1 meters of water
Pipelines: crude oil 1,171 km; petroleum products 596 km; natural gas
460 km
Ports: Alexandria, Al Ghurdaqah, Aswan, Asyut, Bur Safajah, Damietta,
Marsa Matruh, Port Said, Suez
Merchant marine:
total: 168 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,187,442 GRT/1,821,327
DWT
ships by type: bulk 19, cargo 83, container 2, oil tanker 15,
passenger 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 14,
short-sea passenger 4
Airports:
total: 91
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 11
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 35
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3
with paved runways under 914 m: 14
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 7
@Egypt:Communications
Telephone system: 600,000 telephones; 11 telephones/1,000 persons;
large system by Third World standards but inadequate for present
requirements and undergoing extensive upgrading
local: NA
intercity: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah,
Ismailia Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave
radio relay
international: 2 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1
ARABSAT, and 1 INMARSAT earth station; 5 coaxial submarine cables,
microwave troposcatter (to Sudan), and microwave radio relay (to
Libya, Israel, and Jordan)
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 39, FM 6, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 41
televisions: NA
@Egypt:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 16,113,413; males fit for
military service 10,455,955; males reach military age (20) annually
648,724 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion, 8.2% of
total government budget (FY94/95)
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