EGYPT

The Arab Republic of Egypt occupies the northeastern corner of the African continent and the

Sinai Peninsula. It has an area of about 390,540 square miles (1,011,500 square kilometers), including the

23,440 square miles (60,710 square kilometers) of the Sinai. Ninety-nine percent of the Egyptian

population lives on only 3.5 percent of the land. Most of them are in the Nile River valley and large,

fertile delta of the river. Egypt is bordered on the south by the Republic of the Sudan and on the west by

Libya. Its northern coast is on the Mediterranean Sea, and its eastern coasts are on the Red Sea and the

Gulf of Aqaba, between Sinai and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal separate African Egypt

from Sinai. In northern Sinai Egypt's border with Israel was fixed in 1979 by a peace treaty, though the

disputed territory did not return to Egyptian sovereignty until 1982.

The Land and Climate

The headwaters of the Nile River are in the highlands of East Africa. The Nile flows northward

across the Sudan and enters Egypt near Wadi Halfa. It is 4,130 miles (6,650 kilometers) long, with 960

miles (1,545 kilometers) in Egypt. Annual flooding is a natural feature of the Nile. Fed by summer rains in

the highlands, the flood travels northward, reaching Egypt in August.

The Upper Nile is confined to a narrow valley that is no more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) wide.

Outcrops of resistant granite rock form stretches of cascades and rapids called cataracts. The First

Cataract is at Aswan, the only one in Egypt. A dam was built here in 1902 to help control the floodwaters

for irrigation. Four other cataracts are located upstream of Aswan in the Sudan.

The Aswan High Dam is located upstream of the original dam. Construction began in January

1960 and was completed in July 1970. The high dam created Lake Nasser, the largest artificial lake in the

world. It extends for 350 miles (560 kilometers) southward to the Third Cataract and averages 6 miles (10

kilometers) wide. The high dam makes possible the large-scale storage and use of Nile water independent

of natural floods, and it provides Egypt with low-cost hydroelectric power.

Between Aswan and Cairo the Nile Valley widens into a plain ranging in width from 6 to 9 miles

(10 to 15 kilometers). The delta of the Nile begins near Cairo, where the river separates into the

Damietta branch on the west and the Rosetta on the east. The delta, which contains about 8,500 square

miles (22,000 square kilometers), has numerous small waterways and canals. At its northern edge several

large shallow lakes have formed as the delta continues to expand into the Mediterranean. The largest of

these is El Manzala, which is between Damietta and Port Said.

West of the Nile the Western Desert is one of the world's driest areas. It is a low-lying plateau

that gradually rises from a narrow coastal plain to an elevation of more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) in

the southwest. In the Libyan Desert large areas are covered by shifting sand dunes. Several large

depressions have been hollowed out of the limestone and sandstone by wind erosion. The oases of

Bahariya, Dakhla, Farafra, and Siwa and the great oasis of Kharga have underground water supplies that

support permanent agriculture. A branch of the Nile, the Bahr Yusef, flows through a gap in the Nile's

western cliffs to water the town of El Faiyum. In Wadi Natrun northwest of Cairo and the Qattara

Depression, the water is salty. Located near Siwa on the edge of the Libyan Plateau, the Qattara is 437

feet (133 meters) below sea level.

The area between the Nile River and the Red Sea is the Arabian, or Eastern, Desert. It is a rugged,

heavily dissected plateau with elevations of more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). Along the Red Sea

coast, Jebel, or Mount, Shayib is 7,178 feet (2,188 meters) above sea level. The highest point in Egypt is

in the Musa Mountains of southern Sinai, where Jebel Katherina reaches 8,655 feet (2,638 meters). In the

north is the Sinai Desert, which extends to the coast between the Suez Canal and Israel.

Egypt has an arid climate. Alexandria has the highest rainfall, with a mean of 7.4 inches (18.8

centimeters) annually. Other parts of the Mediterranean coast receive even less rainfall, with only 2.5

inches (6.4 centimeters) annually at Port Said. Most rain falls in the winter, none in the summer. The

mean annual temperature is 69° F (20° C), reaching a high of 80° F (27° C) in the summer.

Cairo is a desert capital. It receives slightly less than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of rainfall annually,

and the mean annual temperature is 71° F (22° C). In the spring and summer early morning fogs on the

Nile Delta provide some additional moisture. The rest of Egypt has only a few centimeters of rainfall

annually. Most of the year is hot and dry, and periodic droughts extending over several years are common.

Aswan, for example, has a mean annual rainfall of 0.2 inch (0.5 centimeter) and a temperature of 80° F

(27° C) with a high of 94° F (34° C) in the summer.

During the spring, hot dry khamsin winds blow northward from the Sahara across Egypt to the

Mediterranean coast. The khamsin, which often produces sandstorms, can last for several days, destroying

crops. Egypt has no forests and only a few permanent grasslands for pasture. At best the deserts support

sparse drought-resistant scrub vegetation.

People

Egypt's population is about 48.5 million. The average annual rate of growth is 1.7 percent. In the

delta and valley of the Nile, densities reach 3,243 persons per square mile (1,252 per square kilometer).

About 49 percent of the population live in cities. The majority of Egyptians live in rural agricultural

villages, some of which have 20,000 or more people.

Egypt's largest cities are Cairo, the capital, and Alexandria. Together they contain about two

thirds of the urban population. Cairo and its suburbs occupy both banks of the Nile just south of the delta.

It is the largest city in Africa. Greater Cairo was estimated to have 10 million people in the mid-1980s.

Giza is its largest suburb. Alexandria, the chief seaport, had about 3 million. Fifteen other cities, most

located in the delta and the valley of the Nile, had populations of 100,000 or more. The Suez Canal cities

of Port Said, Ismailia, and Suez, which were abandoned during the 1967 war with Israel, have been

rebuilt.

Large-scale migration from rural areas to cities, especially Cairo and Alexandria, has caused urban

population growth at twice the average national rate. Both cities have severe housing shortages and lack

basic services. Extensive urban redevelopment programs are under way, and new towns are planned near

Damietta, Cairo, and Aswan. Land reclamation in the Nile and planned agricultural settlements in the

Western Desert are designed to help relieve population pressures.

Most Egyptians are Hamitic Arabs. They are descendants of the Hamites of ancient Egypt and of

the Arabs who migrated to Egypt after the Muslim conquests of the 7th century. The Nubians, who are

related to the Berber tribes of North Africa, are located south of Aswan. They were resettled in new

villages near Kom Ombo when Lake Nasser flooded their homeland. A few Europeans, primarily

Armenians and Greeks, live in cities. Most are in Alexandria.

About 86 percent of the Egyptians, including Nubians, are Sunni Muslims. Islam is the state

religion and the basis for Egyptian law. The largest minority is made up of members of the Coptic church,

one of the oldest Christian churches. The Copts, who are also descended from the Hamites, number about

6 million, or 13.5 percent of the total population. Egypt also has about 250,000 other Christians, and a

small Jewish community remains in Cairo.

Arabic is the official language. Although it is spoken by all Egyptians, there are many dialects.

Classical Arabic is used in printed materials and in the schools. Through radio and television the

government is attempting to develop a vernacular Arabic as the common language. Educated Egyptians

use English and French as second languages. French-language publications have wide circulation in

and Alexandria. The Coptic language, related to ancient Egyptian, is used only in church services. The

Nubian dialect, while still spoken, is no longer written.

Operation of the Economy

Major segments of Egypt's economy are controlled by the government. Most commercial and

industrial companies are either state-owned or are run under government supervision. Only agricultural

land and urban real estate are relatively free of government control. President Gamal Abdel Nasser

instituted a centrally planned socialist economy. His successor, Anwar el-Sadat, encouraged foreign

investment and private enterprise. Increased aid came from petroleum-rich Arab states, primarily the Gulf

Organization for the Development of Egypt.

After the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, most Arab countries withdrew economic and political

support from Egypt. President Hosni Mubarak reestablished ties with Arab countries and instituted policies

to increase exports, particularly of petroleum, and private investment.

From 1970 to 1980 Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 8.1

percent. Agriculture contributed 19 percent, mining 17 percent, and manufacturing, wholesale and retail

trade, and services 12 to 13 percent each. Because of limited opportunities in Egypt, many professionals

and skilled workers took jobs in other Arab countries, primarily the Gulf States and Libya.

Agriculture and Industry

Agriculture in Egypt depends almost entirely on irrigation from the Nile. Barrages and dams on

the Nile, especially the Aswan High Dam, allow water to be stored for use when the river level is low.

Canals distribute it where it is needed throughout the year. Under perennial irrigation, a field may yield

several crops each year. Cotton, rice, corn (maize), and sorghum are grown in summer. Barley, wheat, and

beans are winter crops. Citrus fruits and vegetables are grown on the Mediterranean coast. Although

enough fruits and vegetables are grown for the Egyptian people, only 38 percent of the demand for wheat

is met. Egypt imports about half of its food supplies, primarily wheat and flour.

Three quarters of Egypt's agricultural income is from cotton and rice. Cotton and cotton

products account for 23 percent of its export trade. Egypt produces about one third of the world's

long-staple cotton. The area planted in cotton, however, has declined by half since 1968, and exports

have been limited. Rice, fruits, and vegetables are also export crops. Sugarcane is grown to produce sugar

for Egypt. Most cattle are used as draft animals, and sheep and goats are raised for wool and hair. Despite

recent attempts to improve livestock husbandry, Egypt is a net importer of meat.

Egypt faces growing food shortages. Rapid population growth, rapid urbanization, and an

increased production of commercial export crops have intensified the pressure on a limited supply of

agricultural land. Farms are limited to a maximum of 50 feddans, or 52 acres (21 hectares). Cooperatives

aid farmers by renting implements and distributing seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides. Programs to increase

the cultivated area through land reclamation, however, have not had significant results. The Aswan High

Dam's potential to add 30 percent to the cultivated area has not been realized. In fact, large areas have

gone out of cultivation because of poor drainage and salinization, urban expansion, and industrial

growth--especially in the Nile Delta. The government has plans to reclaim 3 million acres (1.2 million

hectares). The largest projects are at West Nuberiya, which is near Alexandria, and in the northern Tahriv

region. Projects are also planned for the "new territories" in the oases of the Western Desert.

Textiles and food processing are the most important industries. Textiles, primarily cotton,

account for one third of the total output. Food processing, including the refining of sugarcane and

preparation of fruits, is the second largest industry. Iron and steel plants are located at Helwan and El

Dikheila, near Alexandria. An aluminum plant at Nag Hammadi processes imported bauxite. Cement is

produced for the construction industry, but Egypt imports half of the cement used. Ten new cement

plants are under construction. Fertilizer plants that use Egyptian natural gas are located at Takla and El

Dikheila, and plants are planned or under construction at Alexandria, Mansura, and Asyut.

Energy and Natural Resources

Egypt depends on fossil fuels and hydroelectric power for its energy supplies. In the late 1970s

petroleum supplied the majority of the energy and hydroelectric power, 20 percent. Other renewable

resources--such as crop residues, animal wastes, and wood--supplied 14 percent of the total energy

consumed. Industry used 48 percent of the energy; residential, commercial, and municipal, 32 percent; and

transportation, 14 percent. Only 6 percent was for agriculture and irrigation.

Egypt has the capacity to generate 5,610 million kilowatt hours. Two thirds is generated by

hydroelectric plants, most at the Aswan High Dam. Power plants that burn petroleum produce most of the

rest. These facilities are near Cairo and Alexandria and on the Nile Delta. High-voltage transmission lines

link the Aswan hydroelectric plants with Cairo.

Industrialization and a national program of rural electrification have demanded additional

generating capacity. A large coal-burning power plant near Cairo supplies three quarters of the city's

electricity. Eight nuclear reactors, which will generate 8,000 megawatts, are also planned. The first two

units were being built at El Dabaa, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Alexandria. Plans to generate

hydroelectricity by flooding the Qattara Depression with water from the Mediterranean are also under

way.

Crude oil provided about 60 percent of Egypt's export revenues in the early 1980s, helping the

nation to remain financially independent of its Arab neighbors. Petroleum exports have increased since

1976, with crude oil production reaching 860,000 million barrels per day in 1984. The main fields are in

the southern Gulf of Suez and adjacent coastal areas of the Arabian Desert and the Sinai. The offshore

fields of El Morgan, Ramadan, July, October, and Belayim accounted for about 90 percent of the total

crude oil production. In the Western Desert are the major fields of El 'Alamein, Razzak, and Abu Gharadiq.

Large new reserves were found as the Egyptian government encouraged exploration and made

concessions.

Egypt has six petroleum refineries with a total capacity of 369,000 barrels per day. Two are

located near Alexandria (47 percent of the total), two are at Suez, and the others are at Tanta and

Mostarud near Cairo. They are linked by pipeline to the main producing fields. The largest and most

important is the Suez-Mediterranean (Sumed) pipeline, which extends from Ain Sukhna on the Gulf of

Suez to Sidi Krer west of Alexandria. It is being expanded. A new refinery planned for Asyut will be linked

by pipeline to the Ras Gharib and Ras Shuqair fields in the Arabian Desert.

Natural gas is produced from five fields. Located at the edge of the delta, the Abu Madi field

supplies gas to Tanta and Abu Qir, to Alexandria. Cairo (Helwan) is supplied by Abu Gharadiq, which is

124 miles (200 kilometers) to the west. In addition, two offshore fields provide a quarter of total

production. Egypt uses all of the natural gas it produces, and demand is growing rapidly.

Manganese, phosphates, iron ore, and coal are in the western Sinai. Iron ore is also mined near

Aswan, and large deposits have been found in Bahariya. Phosphates are mined in the Nile Valley and near

Safaga in the Arabian Desert. Chromium, lead, asbestos, gypsum, granite, and talc are also mined.

Limestone comes from the cliffs along the Nile.

Transportation, Communication, and Education

Water transportation is of primary importance in Egypt. It has about 1,925 miles (3,100

kilometers) of navigable waterways, half on the Nile and the other half on canals, mostly in the delta. The

main canals are the Nubariya on the delta and the Bahr el Yusef, which links El Faiyum with Asyut on the

Nile.

The Suez Canal is an internatshipping link between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The canal extends 121 miles (195 kilometers) from Port Said to Suez, on the Gulf of Suez. It has a

624-foot (190-meter) channel and a maximum draft of 54 feet (16.5 meters). Since 1975 the canal has

been expanded to accommodate supertankers. Alexandria, Port Said, and Suez are Egypt's major ports.

Alexandria's port is being expanded, and new ports are planned or are under construction at Dakheila,

Damietta, and Safaga.

Egypt has 3,327 miles (5,355 kilometers) of railways. From Cairo lines extend along the Nile to

Aswan, across the north coast to Salum, and to Alexandria, Port Said, and Suez. A railroad parallels the

west bank of the Suez Canal between Suez and Ismailia. A railway also connects the iron ore mines at

Bahariya with Helwan. A 26-mile (42-kilometer) subway transit system for Cairo began operation in

1988.

Egypt also has about 28,000 miles (45,000 kilometers) of roads, of which about 19,000 miles

(30,600 kilometers) are paved. The 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) Ahmad Hamdi tunnel under the Suez Canal

opened in 1980. Egyptair operates a full schedule of domestic and international flights. Service to Tel

Aviv began in March 1980. The Nuzbah International Airport near Cairo opened in 1983.

Cairo is the major publishing center in the Middle East. It has four major publishing companies.

Al Ahram, which was founded in 1875, is the most authoritative daily newspaper.

Cairo is also a center for radio and television. Egyptian radio and television broadcast in several

African and Asian languages. Egyptians have 14 million radios--more per capita than any other Middle

Eastern or North African country--and nearly 3.5 million television sets.

Illiteracy is one of Egypt's most severe problems. Although elementary schooling is compulsory,

an estimated 55 percent of the population is illiterate.

Secondary-school graduates may take examinations for entrance to universities, or they may

attend technical institutes specializing in agriculture, commerce, and industry. Egypt has 13 independent

universities. The six major state universities are coeducational. The largest of these is the University of

Cairo at Giza, founded as the Egyptian University in 1908. Universities were opened at Alexandria in

1942 and at Asyut in 1957. Ain Shams University, incorporating several other schools near Cairo, was

established in 1950. There are also state universities at Helwan, Mansura, and Tanta.

One of the world's oldest centers of Islamic education is El Azhar University in Cairo. Shortly

after El Azhar Mosque was built in 972, it had one of the leading academies in the Muslim world. Since

1961 it has also provided secular education. The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919, and

the Suez Canal University was established in Ismailia in 1976.

Government

The Arab Republic of Egypt is governed under the 1971 constitution. Islam is the state religion,

and Islamic jurisprudence is the basis of Egyptian law. Arabic is the official language. The constitution

provides for a strong presidency and a unicameral, or one-house, legislature--the People's Assembly. About

half of the members of the assembly must be farmers and workers. Members are elected for five-year

terms by direct universal suffrage. The president has extensive executive powers. He is nominated by at

least one third of the members of the People's Assembly, approved by at least two thirds of them, and

elected by popular referendum.

From 1962 to 1977 the Arab Socialist Union was the only legal political organization in Egypt.

Political parties had been abolished in 1953. In 1976, however, groups within the union were allowed to

support candidates. Political parties were legalized in 1977. The National Democratic party replaced the

Arab Socialist party as the majority, and the Socialist Labor party formed the official opposition.

In 1979 the People's Assembly was expanded from 350 to 392 members, ten of whom the

president appointed. In the 1984 elections new laws required parties to receive at least 8 percent of the

vote in order to be represented, and the number of seats was increased. In 1990 elections the principal

electoral change was to move to voting for individual candidates rather than party lists. The Assembly has

444 members chosen from 222 constituencies and 10 members appointed by the president.

The National Democratic party continued to dominate Egyptian politics. Its strongest

opposition since Egypt became a republic came from the New Wafd party. The other independent parties

were forced to form a coalition in order to gain more than 8 percent of the vote.

History

After the death of the prophet Muhammad in 632, Arabs conquered Egypt in 639 to 641. Most

Egyptians, who were Christians, converted to Islam. Those who resisted despite persecution were called

Copts, from an Arabic word meaning "Egyptian." Arabic replaced the Egyptian language, which was

restricted to use in the Coptic church. In 973 Cairo was founded, replacing the old capital of Al Fustat.

Egypt became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1517. Napoleon I invaded Egypt in 1798, defeating the

Turks in the battle of the Pyramids, but his fleet was destroyed by Britain's Admiral Horatio Nelson. The

British left Egypt by 1803. Mehemet Ali, an Albanian officer in the Ottoman forces, became pasha, or

governor, of Egypt in 1805. He defeated the British at Alexandria in 1807 and conquered most of the

northern Sudan between 1820 and 1822. In 1856 Sa'id Pasha, Mehemet Ali's son, granted Ferdinand de

Lesseps the right to build the Suez Canal. It was opened in 1869 during the reign of Ismail Pasha. To repay

his debts to British and French bankers, Ismail Pasha sold Egypt's shares of Suez stock to Britain, giving it

control of the canal. In 1876, again in debt, he allowed British and French officials strict control of

Egypt's finances. In 1883 British forces occupied Egypt to support the monarchy in the face of a growing

nationalist movement. In 1899 the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was established under joint British and Egyptian

rule.

In World War I Turkey sided with Germany, but Egypt supported the British. Britain proclaimed

Egypt a protectorate in November 1914 and assumed responsibility for defending the Suez Canal. The

Wafd, or nationalist, movement gained strength in wartime. After failing to reach a settlement with the

Wafd, Britain abolished the protectorate and recognized Egyptian independence on Feb. 28, 1922. Britain

retained responsibility for the security of the Suez Canal and the defense of Egypt.

In 1923 a constitutional monarchy was established with Sultan Fuad as king. He was succeeded in

1936 by his son Farouk. A treaty that year ended the British occupation of Egypt but confirmed its

control of the canal zone and joint rule of the Sudan. When the British left Palestine in 1948, Egypt and

its Arab allies invaded the area proclaimed as the state of Israel. Although defeated, Egypt kept the Gaza

Strip.

Farouk was overthrown by a military junta on July 23, 1952. The Revolutionary Command

Council, which was led by Major General Mohammed Naguib and Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser, controlled

the government. The constitution was abolished, and political parties were dissolved. Egypt was declared a

republic on June 18, 1953, and Nasser became prime minister. An Anglo-Egyptian agreement in the same

year ended the union of Egypt and the Sudan, resulting in independence for Sudan.

After a new Egyptian constitution was approved in June 1956, Nasser was elected president. The

British forces left Egypt in July. Nasser declared the internationally owned Suez Canal Egyptian property.

The United States and Britain had withdrawn financial aid for the Aswan High Dam, and Nasser planned to

use revenues from the canal to finance Egypt's share of the project. Israel invaded Sinai in October, and

British and French forces landed in the canal zone in November. Nasser sank some 40 ships in the canal to

block it. United Nations (UN) pressure brought a cease-fire and withdrawal of forces, and the canal

reopened in March 1957 under Egyptian control, with guarantees of international use.

Egypt and Syriamerged as the United Arab Republic in 1958 and, with Yemen, formed the

United Arab States. Syria withdrew from the union in 1961 after a military coup, and Egypt ousted

Yemen. A 1963 agreement between Egypt, Syria, and Iraq to form another United Arab Republic failed,

though steps were taken in 1965 to join Egypt and Iraq.

Because of tensions between Israel and Syria, Nasser forced UN troops to withdraw from Egypt

and blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba against Israeli shipping. Israel attacked on June 5, 1967, defeating the

allied Arab forces in a six-day war and occupying the Gaza Strip and the Sinai. The Suez Canal was again

blocked by damaged ships. A UN-negotiated cease-fire failed to result in a peace settlement. After the war

Egypt faced severe financial crises and widespread discontent among students and workers. As efforts to

reach a settlement continued through 1970, Egyptian and Israeli forces dueled across the canal.

Nasser died in September 1970 and was succeeded by Anwar el-Sadat. In April 1971 Egypt, Libya,

and Syria agreed to form the Confederation of Arab Republics. Full union was prevented by worsening

relations between Egypt and Libya. On Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched surprise coordinated

attacks on Israeli-held Arab lands. A UN-sponsored cease-fire took effect, and in January 1974 Egypt and

Israel signed a disengagement agreement that returned to Egypt a strip of land east of the Suez Canal. The

canal was reopened in 1975.

Egypt reestablished diplomatic relations with the United States after the 1973 war with Israel. In

1976 Sadat canceled a 1971 mutual friendship treaty with the Soviet Union. In 1977 he became the first

Arab head of state to visit Israel. As a result of the 1979 Camp David agreements, moderated by United

States President Jimmy Carter, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty that provided for a phased

withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Sinai. As Palestinian autonomy talks continued, the two countries

established diplomatic relations, and Egypt took control of parts of the Sinai. Egypt was suspended from

the Arab League, which it had once dominated, and most member countries withdrew economic aid from

Egypt.

Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists in October 1981. Vice-President Hosni Mubarak

became president. In October 1984 Egypt withdrew from its 1971 confederation with Syria and Libya.

Despite economic difficulties, Mubarak remained in control of the government after the 1984 legislative

elections. A five-day mutiny in Cairo by security police in 1986 raised questions about his ability to cope

with forces that were steadily eroding the nation's stability.

In October 1987 Mubarak began a second six-year term after receiving 97 percent of the vote in

a popular referendum. As a result of his moderate policies Egypt gradually improved its relationships with

other Arab states, and many of the members of the Arab League reestablished diplomatic relations with

Egypt. In 1989, Egypt rejoined the Arab League, and Mubarak was elected chairman of the Organization

of African Unity. Egypt was thrust onto center stage in 1990 by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, first

through Mubarak's attempts to bring about an Arab diplomatic solution and later by the deployment of

Egyptian troops and tanks as part of a multinational force in defense of Saudi Arabia.

Author Credit:

This article was contributed by Gary L. Fowler, Chairman and Associate Professor of Geography,

University of Illinois at Chicago.

FURTHER RESOURCES FOR EGYPT

Bendick, Jeanne. Egyptian Tombs (Watts, 1990).

Fodor's Egypt, 1990. (McKay, 1989).

Hart, George. Ancient Egypt (Harcourt, 1990).

Lye, Keith. Take a Trip to Egypt (Watts, 1983).

Romer, John. Ancient Lives (Holt, 1984).

Stead, Miriam. Egyptian Life (Harvard Univ. Press, 1986).

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.)