:
24 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
undefined
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international
boundary
Climate:
desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Terrain:
vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Natural resources:
crude oil, 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 NEGL%; other 95%; includes irrigated 5%
Environment:
Nile is only perennial water source; increasing soil salinization below
Aswan High Dam; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring;
water pollution; desertification
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; size and juxtaposition to Israel establish its
major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics

:Egypt People

Population:
56,368,950 (July 1992), growth rate 2.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
33 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
80 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
58 years male, 62 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Egyptian(s); adjective - Egyptian
Ethnic divisions:
Eastern Hamitic stock 90%; Greek, Italian, Syro-Lebanese 10%
Religions:
(official estimate) Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94%; Coptic Christian and other 6%
Languages:
Arabic (official); English and French widely understood by educated classes
Literacy:
48% (male 63%, female 34%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
15,000,000 (1989 est.); government, public sector enterprises, and armed
forces 36%; agriculture 34%; privately owned service and manufacturing
enterprises 20% (1984); shortage of skilled labor; 2,500,000 Egyptians work
abroad, mostly in Iraq and the Gulf Arab states (1988 est.)
Organized labor:
2,500,000 (est.)

:Egypt Government

Long-form name:
Arab Republic of Egypt
Type:
republic
Capital:
Cairo
Admini