ed 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; dust storms, sandstorms
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,
Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Tropical Timber 94

Geographic 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

People
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Population: 63,575,107 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37% (male 11,970,197; female 11,462,689)
15-64 years: 60% (male 19,127,696; female 18,738,304)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,028,916; female 1,247,305) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 1.91% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 28.18 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 72.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.43 years
male: 59.51 years
female: 63.46 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.58 children born/woman (1996 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 (1995 est.)
total population: 51.4%
male: 63.6%
female: 38.8%